Carri is Réunion’s national dish — a kind of curry with local turmeric (safran péi), meat or fish, rice and pulses (lentils or red beans). Rougail saucisse is the other emblem, a spicy tomato sauce with smoked sausages.

Don’t leave without trying bouchons (steamed pork dumplings), samosas (filled with meat or vegetables) and cari requin (shark curry), a southern speciality. For dessert, sweet-potato cake is a Creole-table classic.

The open-air markets are the ideal place to eat local, fresh and cheap. Saint-Pierre market (Saturday morning): the liveliest on the island, with its takeaway carri stalls, exotic fruit and spices. Saint-Paul market (Friday morning): an authentic Creole atmosphere.

The roulottes (food trucks) that set up by the roadside at lunchtime are a Réunion institution — look for the ones with the longest queue, a sign of quality.

Saint-Pierre, capital of the South, is the gastronomic city par excellence. The Terre-Sainte seafront is full of fish and seafood restaurants with a view of the port. The market district offers Creole family tables at very affordable prices.

For an authentic carri, look for the ‘chez Madame’ restaurants run by Creole families in the residential neighbourhoods — the best tables with no official sign.

The capital concentrates an impressive culinary diversity. The Barachois district (seafront) for evenings, the Chaudron covered market for local lunches. Rue Maréchal Leclerc is full of shops and restaurants of every tradition.

The Indian restaurants of the Tamil district serve biryani, dosas and curries of rare authenticity. Expect €8 to €15 for a full meal.

Cooking in a van lets you combine market shopping and home-prepared meals. Start your day with a market stop, buy spices, vegetables and fresh fruit, then prepare your carri in the van’s kitchenette.

Express tomato rougail recipe: fresh tomatoes + onions + cabri chilli + fresh ginger + a drizzle of oil + salt. Mash everything with a fork, let it rest 30 min. Serve with rice.