The Meeting of Scents
The Réunionese speciality par excellence is curry, which can be used in all kinds of sauces: sausage, chicken cabri, boucané, cod, swordfish or camarons. The ideal would be to be able to take them all back in their trays, which unfortunately is not very convenient in a suitcase. What is possible, however, is to bring back the spices and condiments that make up their flavour: combava, clove, four spices, lemongrass, cinnamon, turmeric, massalé, faham, geranium, pink berries... These spices adorn the Reunionese markets as they decorate the plates, their choice is infinite but their quality varies between the local spices grown locally and those arriving from India, Madagascar or even further afield. To differentiate them, there is of course the price, the cheapest ones are often of lower quality, the packaging which, if it does not indicate the origin, suggests that it is far away, and the smell: if the packet no longer smells, it is likely that it has already made a long journey since it was harvested. To find authentic ones, it is therefore better to favour short circuits: the shops in botanical gardens, cooperative cellars, at the grower's directly or at small food markets.
Tropical Fruit Reunion
Once you've tasted passion fruit, mango or litchis on the spot, you'll suddenly find that the canned ones you find in supermarkets in mainland France are much blander. So what could be more natural than to want to take some home in your suitcase? Unfortunately, since December 2019, the transport of fruit has become highly regulated, due to the multiplication on the island of a small fly which, much faster than humans at detecting ripe fruit, destroys most harvests. Its importation into France, and therefore into Europe, would be a catastrophe for farmers. It is therefore now forbidden to bring in mangoes, peppers and citrus fruits, while litchis and passion fruit are limited to 5 kg per person. Only bananas, coconuts and pineapples have escaped regulation. Suitcases will be checked at the airport, so it's best not to cheat. Don't panic though, if these beautiful fruits can't be transported in their original form, Réunion is the queen of "Pei" jams. Available to suit every taste, they're the perfect way to discover new fruits and vegetables, whatever the season: guava, pitaya, jamblon, bissap, papaya, guava tree, sweet potato, chouchou, carambole, bibasse... to be transported and consumed without moderation. You'll discover on the spot that everything can be put in a jar, but also in a bottle! The same range of flavors can be found in rhums arrangés, punches and liqueurs.
Glamorous Reunion Island
One of Reunion's most recent craft specialties is jewelry. There are the classics, in gold, silver or other metals forged into the shapes of the island's emblems: straw-tail, margouillat, flip-flops or dodo. But Reunionese artists also use original local materials: coconut bark, volcanic stone, vacoa leaf, mother-of-pearl, coral, tortoise shell (note that this material is strictly regulated by law, and stocks of shells duly inventoried before 1984 can be sold) and, more recently, seeds. The latter are just like the island's flora: infinite. Red, black, blue, yellow, purple, moon-shaped, dolphin-shaped, swirl-shaped, fishhook-shaped, rough, soft, prickly, velvety... they make the jewels unique and authentic.
Reunion Island braided and sculpted
Reunion's fairground markets abound with all kinds of handicrafts that strike a chord in our metropolitan hearts: picture frames, trivets, purses, jewelry boxes and more. However, the locals are not fooled and commonly refer to these places as "Madagascan markets", because despite the "Reunion Island" stamp, most of the objects do indeed come from the sister island or Indonesia. To find "Pei products", it's best to head for craft villages such as Éperon, Saint-Leu, Cilaos or Plaine-des-Palmistes. Prices are of course higher, but the artist's work is better rewarded. The materials most frequently used are vacoa, bamboo, choka and latanier, which are used to weave lontan objects such as the bertel bag, the traditional straw hat, chairs, baskets and slippers, as well as decorative objects. Coconut shells and leaves are also finely worked and assembled to make mobiles, lamps and animals of all kinds - a real success story.
La Réunion in words and pictures
The Reunionnese are prolific writers: stories and legends are an integral part of Creole culture. The island's bookshops offer a wide selection of fine picture and photo books, on all themes relating to Réunion Island and the Indian Ocean (history, Creole huts, volcanoes, cirques, waterfalls, flora...). The best-known photographers are Jean-Luc Alègre, Paul-Édouard Gérente and Serge Gélabert. Not to be overlooked are books on Creole and Indian cuisine. The bible in this field remains the work of Brigitte Grondin, the local "Maïté": Du bonheur dans votre assiette, Éditions Quatre-Épices. You'll find plenty of choice in bookshops in major cities, on the shelves of supermarkets and at tourist sites (Stella Matutina, Cité du Volcan, Kélonia...). Comic book fans will also find a wide range of local comics. The best-known is Tiburce, by Téhem, published by Centre du monde. This is a 100% Réunionese comic strip, in Creole in the text. It recounts the adventures of a little Creole boy struggling with everyday characters: the Chinese grocer, the rum-drinking father, the young dwellers... It smells of the Hauts and perfectly illustrates the Creole atmosphere. Simon Mitteault's comic strip Poil au zoreil, describing the tribulations of a Zoreil freshly settled in Réunion, is the ideal souvenir to recall his wonderful discoveries. And don't forget the printed "gouzous" by Jace(L'Usine à Gouzou): posters, stickers, T-shirts.
