Mayotte

Mayotte, a French department in the Indian Ocean, shares culinary traditions with the Comoros and Madagascar. Smallholders grow hot peppers such as Capsicum frutescens (bird’s eye/pili-pili), annuum long reds, and some habanero-like chinense, often intercropped with cassava, bananas, and yams. These piments flavour coconut-based fish curries, rice dishes, and stews.

A typical condiment is pili-pili: mashed bird’s eye chilies with garlic, lime, and oil served with grilled fish, fried snacks, and manioc. Some households pickle chilies or dry and grind them for later use. Local markets sell fresh and dried piment, and women are heavily involved in retailing. While export is small, Mayotte’s bird’s eye–type chilies are essential to its Comorian-French fusion cuisine.