ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Madagascar
Five dishes to try in Madagascar, the most typical first. Three are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Madagascar
Romazava
Beef stew with mixed leafy greens, including tingly paracress.
How to have it: The national dish; served with a mound of rice at hotely, the local canteens.
Ravitoto
Pounded cassava leaves cooked with pork and garlic.
How to have it: A popular Malagasy dish eaten with plenty of rice; often on hotely lunch menus.
Mofo gasy
Small, lightly sweet rice-flour cakes cooked in round moulds.
How to have it: Sold warm at street stalls at dawn; pair with a cup of coffee for a cheap breakfast.
Lasary
Spicy pickled relish of vegetables or green mango.
How to have it: Served on the side of most rice meals; ask for lasary voatabia, the tomato version.
Koba
Sweet paste of peanuts, banana and rice flour, steamed in banana leaves.
How to have it: Sold in thick slices by roadside vendors, especially on the road south from Antananarivo.
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Questions
What food is Madagascar famous for?
Romazava (beef stew with mixed leafy greens, including tingly paracress) comes first on our list, followed by Ravitoto, Mofo gasy, Lasary and Koba.
What is the national dish of Madagascar?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Madagascar is Romazava: beef stew with mixed leafy greens, including tingly paracress. The national dish; served with a mound of rice at hotely, the local canteens.
Which dishes in Madagascar are vegetarian?
Three of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Mofo gasy, Lasary and Koba. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Madagascar
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.