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The country and its people

The Walking Dead: Madagascar’s Zombies

Ancestor worship, magic, and superstition are omnipresent in Madagascar. Most Madagascans fear and revere the dead at the same time. Many believe that the souls of the deceased still live among them. These spirits of the ancestors, in Malagasy Lolo Vokatra, are able to see, guide, and protect families, friends and acquaintances, and even the entire community. However, unlike classic …

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Malagasy donuts with lychee and pistachio ice cream

Mofo menakely miaraka amin’ny gilasy pistachio sy litchi Mofo menakely means “small red bread” – the Malagasy version of the donut. The sweet pastry can be bought everywhere on the street at small booths. It is eaten as a quick breakfast or small snack in between. We enjoy our mofo menakely with lychee and pistachio ice cream. Although lychees originally …

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Manioc coconut cake

Mofomamy mangahazo sy voanio This luscious cake uses manioc, the root of the cassava plant, as the basic ingredient. In Malagasy, the tuber is called mangahazo, which means blue tree. The term alludes to the prussic acid in the tuber’s skin. In Madagascar, cassava is available very cheaply everywhere – in contrast to the cereal flour that would be used …

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Coconut chicken with rice and tomato salad

Akoho voanio amin’ny lasary voatabia This recipe for coconut chicken or Poulet coco, as it is also often called in Madagascar, consists of quite simple ingredients, but tastes all the better. Chicken, like zebu, is a component of many Malagasy dishes. It is accompanied by rice, as is always customary on the island. A meal without rice does not fill …

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The little forest spirits – Kalanoro

Morgennebel

Many myths and legends surround the Kalanoro, the small forest spirits of Madagascar. The ethnic groups of the Betsimisaraka, the Sakalava, and the Bara are said to be early humans similar to the legendary Vazimba. The Tanala call them Fahasivy. Kalanoro is particularly small, not even one meter tall. Despite their small size, they are unusually strong. Kalanoro wear their …

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The game of games: Pétanque

No matter where you travel in Madagascar: At some point, you will encounter people playing with silver balls on a piece of flat ground. The balls are usually worn, the carved lines on them barely recognizable, and the balls themselves are barely round from being used so much. The game is called pétanque and, except for its country of origin, …

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THB – One beer for a whole country

Currently, there are very few types of beer in Madagascar. The most famous and widespread beer is THB. The abbreviation stands for Three Horses Beer. It is a pilsner that has been brewed in Madagascar since 1958. THB can be found even in the smallest villages – and usually chilled. It has 5.4% alcohol and is made from water, barley …

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Libertalia, the pirates’ republic

Nosy Mangabe

In the late 17th century Madagascar became the epitome of piracy. The infamous republic of pirates, Libertalia, is said to have existed in the northeast of the island. Everything is said to have started with the pirate James Misson. He is said to have been a Frenchman from Provence. During a stay in Rome, Misson, disgusted by the decadence of …

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