The year 2013, exactly 2 years after I had decided that I loved cooking too much after studying it and that I no longer wanted to ruin my hobby and passion by tainting it with stress and calling it work...
I had decided to still work in Hospitality but to stick to being front of house and working directly with people. I would teach the staff how to bake and loved experimenting and making up my own recipes. The passion was still there, but I had no desire in making it a career. It was so subjective and stressful, it just wasn't for me.
Then one of my best friends invited me to her wedding in Mauritius. I was over the moon excited for the adventure. I had never traveled and I was so excited to experience something new. I only realised, looking back on it now, how much that trip actually changed the course of my life.
Mauritius was everything I had ever dreamed of it being. White Beaches, Blue Seas and absolute luxury. We spent a week in paradise experiencing the most special Wedding Celebrations and enjoying outdoor sports like Parasailing and Snorkeling. I still laugh because that was my first time ever to swim freely in the ocean like that and I was glued to my moms side. I was so afraid that I would be dragged out to sea. I can't believe how much of a baby I was. Nowadays I literally fly to places around the world with the most beautiful oceans and am the first to jump in and go searching for sea creatures for hours without a care in the world. how times have really changed!!! When we weren't adventuring we stayed in the incredible 5 star Eco Friendly Long Beach Resort. It was all inclusive and we spent hours lounging on their private beaches and indulging in some of the best food I've ever had. The options were endless. Buffets, high tea and food for days. We even had our first Michelin Star experience in the hotel. I had never experienced culinary treats like this before. my mind was inspired again and so intrigued by the flavours I was experiencing. There is just something magical about island food. The fresh fruits and vegetables, the new exotic flavours and the incredibly Fresh Seafood that is so easily available. My favourite meal was this Smoked Marlin Carpaccio with Crab Pate that I have literally spent the rest of my life chasing and trying to recreate (picture below). I was in food heaven!
Becoming more and more obsessed and intrigued by the flavours and produce, we decided one day to head to the local Flacq Food and Textile Market. We had learned that the fruits and vegetable grew exponentially large and had so much flavour because the Island was Volcanic which gave the soil 'superpowers' with its nutrient density. We really wanted to check it out for ourselves, and see if these giant vegetables weren't just a hoax. My word, the market proved this theory so right.
This is the largest outdoor market in Mauritius. a spot where the locals bring their freshly grown and organic produce to sell to the public. I had never in my life seen anything like it. The sheer size of the market and some of the vegetables blew my mind. I had never been so intrigued in my life. "What is all of this" I kept wondering and asking the locals about some of the most precarious items I had ever seen. They were so happy to teach me and let me taste so I could learn about their lives and culinary cultures. There was tons and tons of local street food scattered throughout the market. Bags of Pineapple and Mango Dressed in a Sweet Tamarind, Chili and Salt Dressing which was out of this world delicious. A variety of deep fried balls and pastries of Sweet Potato, Taro, Bread Fruit and tons of Indian inspired cuisines such as Roti's, Sambals and Samoosas. I had never tasted such foreign flavours before, having been too scared to change my choices in case I was disappointed. A magical sensory overload.
The market changed me. I don't look back and remember the luxury we got to experience that week, I look back and remember the day that the Spark was ignited in me again. We are sadly not lucky enough to have markets like this is South Africa, and I hope you can all get to experience something like this at least once in your life time. My passion for being s chef was back. Had I a job where I could shop at markets with produce and inspiration like this, and I could get paid to do so was the most exciting thought to me. There was so much to learn and so much flavour to experience and I was overwhelmed by excitement again.
Looking back, it is probably this moment that shaped my mindset and pushed me into working towards the amazing career I have today. A career where I get to travel the world and find incredible markets such as this and call it my job to shop, taste and cook these incredible ingredients. To anyone who is planning on travelling in the future, I cannot stress enough how much you need to head to the local markets of the country you are visiting. It is here where you see and feel the soul of the city, where its heart beats and you will have the most magical local experiences of your life!
Comments