Sun, Sea & Spice Heritage Quiz

Sun, Sea & Spice Heritage Quiz

Enter for your chance to win a copy of Sun, Sea & Spice. The Magic of Seychelles Creole Cuisine.

Discover the flavours, traditions and stories behind Seychelles Creole cuisine. Hidden throughout this page are clues about our food heritage, ingredients and culinary traditions.

Read carefully, complete the quiz below, and stand a chance to win a copy of Sun, Sea & Spice: The Magic of Seychelles Creole Cuisine.

Discover the Magic of Seychelles Creole Cuisine

Seychellois cuisine is a rich blend of influences from around the world. French, African, Indian, Malagasy and Chinese traditions have all left their mark on the flavours we enjoy today. Over centuries, these influences combined with the islands’ unique environment to create a cuisine shaped by land, sea and cultural diversity.

The cookbook Sun, Sea and Spice celebrates this heritage through 50 authentic recipes, showcasing everything from treasured regional specialties such as La Digue’s famous Gato Kalou to traditional preservation techniques introduced through Malagasy heritage, including drying, smoking and salting foods.

As an island nation, Seychelles has one of the highest fish consumption rates in the world, with people enjoying nearly 90 kilograms per person each year. Before refrigeration, fish was commonly preserved through salting and sun-drying, ensuring food remained available throughout the seasons.

The book also highlights the foundations of Creole cooking. Many dishes begin with a simple combination of garlic, onions and ginger, while ingredients such as pumpkin appear throughout the cookbook as a salad, a chutney and even as part of main dishes. Green pawpaw, for example, is often treated as a savoury vegetable rather than a sweet fruit.

Seychelles’ culinary history is closely linked to its spice trade. In the late eighteenth century, French horticulturalist Pierre Poivre helped introduce valuable spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to the islands. Today, these flavours remain an important part of Creole cooking.

Traditional island households also developed clever ways to avoid waste. Excess produce was often preserved as asar, while sauces, chutneys and condiments became important flavour enhancers. One of the most distinctive examples is Seychellois chilli sauce, which is not cooked and is more similar to a vinaigrette than a traditional hot sauce.

The cookbook also explores local ingredients and traditions, from the prized bannann mil used in banana fritters to Twisted Green Papaya Jam, a delicacy once associated with weddings. During the southeast monsoon season, when certain fish become less abundant, shark has traditionally served as a useful alternative.,

Complete the quiz below, and stand a chance to win a copy of Sun, Sea & Spice: The Magic of Seychelles Creole Cuisine.

What You Can Win

Three lucky winners will WIN 1 copy each of the Sun, Sea & Spice Cookbook

How to Enter

Entering is simple:

1. Answer all 20 quiz questions
2. Fill in your details (name and phone number)
3. Hit submit to enter the draw

Competition Timeline

• Opening Date: 26th June 2026
• Closing Date: 28th June 2026 @ 11PM
• Winner Announcement: 29th June 2026 @ 4:30PM

Participants with 15 or more correct answers will be entered into the draw to win.

Sun, Sea & Spice Heritage Quiz Questions

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1. How many recipes are featured in Sun, Sea & Spice: The Magic of Seychelles Creole Cuisine? *

• 25
• 40
• 50
• 75

Select the correct answer.

2. Which island is associated with the treasured Calou Cake, known locally as Gato Kalou? *

• Mahé
• Praslin
• Silhouette
• La Digue

Select the correct answer.

3. Which five cultural influences helped shape Seychellois Creole cuisine? *

• French, African, Indian, Malagasy and Chinese
• French, African, British, Portuguese and Chinese
• African, Indian, British, Malagasy and Chinese
• French, African, Arab, Chinese and Portuguese

Select the correct answer.

4. Which cultural influence introduced traditional preservation methods such as drying, smoking and salting foods? *

• Malagasy
• Chinese
• Indian
• French

Select the correct answer.

5. Which French horticulturalist is credited with introducing spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to Seychelles in the late 1700s? *

• Antoine Gillot
• Pierre Poivre
• Charles de Romainville
• Jean Laborde

Select the correct answer.

6. Seychellois people consume approximately how much fish per person annually? *

• 35 kg
• 50 kg
• 70 kg
• Nearly 90 kg

Select the correct answer.

7. Before refrigeration became common, how was fish most commonly preserved in Seychelles? *

• Canning
• Pickling
• Smoking, Salting and sun-drying
• Fermenting

Select the correct answer.

8. According to the cookbook, which three ingredients form the base of almost every Seychellois meal? *

• Garlic, onions and ginger
• Garlic, tomatoes and basil
• Onion, celery and carrots
• Chilli, turmeric and cinnamon

Select the correct answer.

9. Which local ingredient can be substituted with green plantain or sweet potato when cooking abroad? *

• Breadnut
• Breadfruit
• Bilimbi
• Taro

Select the correct answer.

10. Which fish species is known locally as “Bourzwa”? (SESEL BONUS) *

• Grouper
• Job Fish
• Emperor Red Snapper
• Barracuda

Select the correct answer.

11. What does the variety of dishes in the cookbook reveal about Seychelles? *

• The islands rely mainly on imported food.
• Seychellois cuisine is shaped by land, sea and cultural diversity.
• Most dishes are exclusively seafood-based.
• Traditional recipes are identical across all islands.

Select the correct answer.

12. Which ingredient appears as a salad, a chutney and a main dish component in the cookbook? *

• Pumpkin
• Watercress
• Octopus
• Chayote

Select the correct answer.

13. Which cookbook section contains the greatest variety of preserved and flavour-enhancing accompaniments? *

• Salads
• Soups
• Sauces, Condiments and Chutneys
• Desserts

Select the correct answer.

14. Why did island families traditionally make asar? *

• To decorate the table
• To preserve excess garden produce before refrigeration
• To sweeten fruits
• To replace rice

Select the correct answer.

15. In Seychellois cooking, green pawpaw is mainly treated as: *

• A dessert fruit
• A savoury vegetable
• A drink ingredient only
• A spice

Select the correct answer.

16. What is unusual about traditional Seychellois chilli sauce? *

• It is baked
• It is not cooked and is closer to a vinaigrette
• It contains coconut milk
• It is always sweet

Select the correct answer.

17. During which season does shark become a useful substitute when fish is scarce? *

• Northwest monsoon
• Southeast monsoon, between June and September
• Rainy season only
• Christmas season

Select the correct answer.

18. Which local banana variety is especially prized for banana fritters? *

• Bannann zanzak
• Bannann mil
• Bannann rouz
• Bannann sek

Select the correct answer.

19. Twisted Green Papaya Jam was traditionally associated with which celebration? *

• Weddings
• Fishermen’s markets
• New Year only
• Harvest ceremonies

Select the correct answer.

20. Which ingredient is most commonly used in traditional Seychellois cuisine? (SESEL BONUS) *

• Coconut
• Cheese
• Potatoes
• Beef

Select the correct answer.

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Competition Terms & Conditions
-Eligibility
This quiz is open to all Locals, Residents and GOP holders over 16 years old in Seychelles.
-How to Enter
To enter, participants must answer the question correctly and submit their name and phone number using the official entry form on Inside Seychelles.
-Entry Deadline
Entries must be submitted by  28th June 2026 @ 11 PM. Entries received after this time will not be considered.
-Prize Details
Three lucky winners will WIN 1 copy each of the “Sun, Sea & Spice CookBook” on the 29th June 2026.
-Winner Selection & Notification
Participants with 15 or more correct answers will be entered into the draw to win and will be contacted via the phone number provided on 29th June 2026 before Live Announcements on site. 
-Use of Information
By entering, participants agree to receive communications from Inside Seychelles regarding this competition and future offers. Personal details will not be shared with third parties.
-General
Inside Seychelles reserves the right to amend or cancel the competition at any time without prior notice. By entering, participants agree to these Terms & Conditions.