As I'm sure you've noticed, if you're a regular follower of my blog, I love trying out different cuisines from around the world so I was very pleased to be offered the chance to sample some of the Island Cuisine range of cooking sauces. The jars are a convenient and simple way to discover the flavours of the Seychelles. I had no idea what to expect - I've never really thought about what they eat in the Seychelles but I'd have guessed lots of fish, lots of tropical fruits and lots of rice ! - so I was intrigued to see that Seychellois (I didn't even know that was a word either !) cuisine draws on influences from Asia, Africa and France.
The complete range includes four varieties : Yellow Creole Curry, Green Creole Curry, Red Creole Curry and Sweet & Spicy Creole. Yellow, with coconut milk, ginger, garlic and aromatic spices, is the mild one; Green, infused with fresh green pepper, coconut milk, green chillies and coriander, is medium; Red, which blends fresh tomatoes, chillies and onions, is medium-hot; and Sweet & Spicy Creole uses its secret recipe of rich tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, aromatic spices and a healthy dash of chilli to infuse seafood and chicken dishes with a real taste of island life.
We received the Red and Green varieties, and last night sampled the Green one.
As soon as I opened the jar, I was very impressed to see large chunks of vegetable in there. I checked the ingredients list : "Water, Green Peppers (17%), Coconut Milk (13%), Single Cream (7%), Sugar, Onion, Ground Spice Mix (Paprika, Coriander, Cardamom, Cumin, Chilli Powder, Fennel, Lentils, Bay Leaves, Fenugreek Powder, Cinnamon,Garlic, Clove), Modified Maize Starch, Ginger Purée, Garlic Purée, Rapeseed Oil, Salt, Acidity Regulators (Lactic Acid,Citric Acid, Acetic Acid), Green Habanero Chillies. Nothing I wouldn't find in my own kitchen really, which is always a good sign. The ingredients sounded similar to a korma so I had a sample straight from the jar - it is very similar to Indian cuisine, although it is hotter than a korma. Very nice though.
The cooking instructions suggest cooking 250g of chicken or fish in a little hot oil for a few minutes before adding the sauce and leaving to simmer until fully cooked. I decided to use a mixture of chicken, mushrooms and onions.
Served with rice, it made a satisfying and tasty meal. (We added a little crème fraîche before serving to tone down the spiciness a little.) I would be tempted to add chunks of pineapple or mango next time, just to give it more of an island feel and make it stand out from the usual curries that I cook. That may not be very traditional though, and the whole point of these sauces is that they are authentic recipes from the Seychelles.
The "poster boy" for the brand is Ronnie Albert, who explains on the packaging: "Growing up in the Seychelles, I was taught to cook by my grandmother. Food is a huge part of island life and, when I left school, I trained as a cook. Preparing food down on the beach for tourists, I used delicious recipes that have been handed down through my family for generations. Now, I'm sharing these recipes with you. My range of Creole cooking sauces are ready to go. They're full of flavour and will tantalise your taste buds. Enjoy them alone or with family and friends - just like we do in the Seychelles." The range will be expanded soon to include rubs, salsas and salad dressings.
For the Green Creole sauce, 100g contains 108 calories, 1.3g of protein, 12.6g of carbs (of which 8.1g sugars), 5.8g of fat (of which saturates 3.5g), 0.5g of fibre and 1g of salt.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £1.99
for more information : http://www.islandcuisine.co.uk
Disclosure : I received two jars of sauce in order to write an honest review.
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