The Island of Praslin gets ready for its Culinary & Arts Fiesta where the dried kernel of the Seychelles unique Coco de Mer will be served as the "forbidden fruit" made available once a year for all to taste and enjoy
Almasalla,Gate Arab Tourism News- A team from the Seychelles Tourism Academy working on the Praslin Culinary and Arts Fiesta was on the island end of last week to update their Praslin partners and hoteliers on the latest developments and what remains to be done for the coming Praslin Island Fiesta.
Led by the academy’s principal Flavien Joubert, the team held a meeting last Friday at Domaine de la Reserve, a hotel owned by renowned businessman Joe Albert who is also the secretary of the Praslin Culinary and Arts Fiesta committee which is headed by Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St.Ange.
Members of the National Assembly of the two districts on Praslin-Natasha Esther of Baie Ste.Anne and Marc Volcere of Grand Anse- hoteliers, district administrators and other partners were present for the meeting.
Presentations by the academy team were based on the dried kernel of the coco-de-mer products tasting and analysis, food production and preparations.
Principal lecturer at the Seychelles Tourism Academy, Richard Mathiot who is also the chairperson of the two dried kernel of the coco-de-mer tasting project and the culinary competitions- gave an overview of the products done and tasted.
A product-tasting session was organised at the academy earlier last week were Mr Mathiot and his team-Antoine Simeon, Christabelle Joubert, David Hoareau, John Pleureuse prepared a range of products such as parfait, bavarois, flan, bread, mousse and ice-cream for tasting.
Photos of the products were shown to the Praslin Fiesta Committee Members who were present at the meeting while Mr Mathiot gave his presentation. Products from processed Coco de Mer kernel is known especially in Asia and especially China for its aphrodisiac qualities. This will be the first Culinary Fiesta where this ‘forbidden fruit’ will be served and the organisers have appealed to everyone to ‘handle with care’ and not to over indulge. This unique delicacy will only be served once a year at Praslin itself where the endemic grows.
The Fiesta’s two culinary competitions-professional and non-professional categories was also discussed.
It has been agreed that all hotels needed to register and submit their registration forms, menus, recipe cards and techniques one week before the competition. They will also have to prepare a fiche technique and recipe card for each dish.
Each team will receive a number and all dishes will be identified by a given number only. Dishes presented to the panel of jury will be tasted and judged and winners will be announced during the closing ceremony of the three-day fiesta. It was agreed in the meeting that only hotels taking part will get the milk extract, grated and the flakes of the dried kernel of the coco-de-mer which they will also be able to use during this Praslin Fiesta.
Hoteliers had the chance to share their views and suggest new ideas in regards to all logistics and the culinary competitions.
Other discussions held were centred on the community and media involvement in the three-day fiesta.
After the meeting, Mr Joe Albert led the tourism academy delegation and the hoteliers to visit the area at the hotel where the panel of jury will be based and other logistics.
