You can recognize the influence of the French in the food, which is not as highly spiced as in most of Africa.
In the large towns and touristic areas you can find restaurants that cater especially for tourists. In Madagascar eating well means eating a lot.
Malagasy cooking is based on a large serving of rice with a dressing of sauces, meat, vegetables and seasoning.
Dishes include : ro (a mixture of herbs and leaves with rice); beef and pork marinated in vinegar, water and oil, then cooked with leaves and vegetables, onion and pickles and seasoned with pimento; ravitoto meat and leaves cooked together; ramazava leaves, pieces of beef and pork browned in oil; vary amid 'anana rice, leaves or herbs, meat and sometimes shrimps
often eaten with kitoza long slices of smoked, cured or fried meat.
While the curry is much like that of Malaysia, subtle and not overpowering, it is just different enough to be interesting.
The people of Madagascar enjoy very hot food and often serve dishes with hot peppers. Most recipes call for a smidgen of red hot pepper, called Sakay, and it is generally served separately so that one can control the amount to taste.
Don't be surprised to see locusts being eaten by the Malagasy-the insects are considered quite tasty...
Madagascar has a great variety of fruits such as pineapples, mangos, grapes, avocados, peaches, peals and lichee nuts.
Drinks
The choice of beverages is limited. The national wine is acceptable.
Malagasy drinks include litchel (an aperitif made from litchis), betsa (fermented alcohol) and toaka gasy (distilled from cane sugar and rice) 'Three Horseshoes' lager.
Non-alcoholic drinks include ranon 'apango or rano vda (made from burnt rice) and local mineral waters.
