106
Food
For the last eight years the Constance Culinary Festival has seen six Michelin chefs come from Europe to pair up with six of the best ‘Island chefs’ from Constance resorts in Mauritius, Maldives and Seychelles. The teams are challenged to create the most tantalizing and winning dish that will impress the festival judges and the guests. This year from March 29 to April 6, the highly anticipated festival returns to celebrate the passion of gastronomy at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius.
Culinary Competition
T
he culinary battle is back for the ninth consecutive year between the six Michelin Chefs from Europe versus the six best Constance Hotels & Resorts ‘Island chefs’ from Seychelles, Maldives and Mauritius. Taking place at Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius, the competition consists of teams made up of one European Chef and one Island Chef who work to create the most appetizing and authentic dish possible. Teams are given specified pre-determined fresh and organic products sourced from PortLouis market in the capital of Mauritius, which they must use. In order to preserve the genuine Mauritian touch, all spices must be prepared using the traditional ‘roche-cari’, a stone used for crushing spice ingredients. The idea is to encourage creativity
in design using only local seasonal products. Every cook of the Constance Hotels Group, from commis to Chef de partie, can take part in the Bernard Loiseau Culinary Festival as an ‘Island chef’. Candidates must go through the three stages of the rigorous selection process, which is made up of a theoretical questionnaire, the design of two traditional recipes, and the creation of the dishes within the confines of specified local products. Final participants are therefore selected purely on their skill, knowledge and innate talent. The festival culminates in a cook-off competition for the best Euro-island inspired menu which puts Constance on the gourmet map as a temple of fine dining and gastronomy. Dishes prepared by the finalists are tasted and critiqued by a panel of