Following the colonisation of Mauritius by the French in 1715, the mainstream gastronomy of the settlers was French, but slaves from Madagascar and Africa and workers from southern India consumed their own traditional staple foods. However,  some cross-cultural cuisine was beginning to emerge.

When Pierre Poivre was appointed administrator of the island in 1767, he introduced cloves and nutmeg plants as well as other spices in a bid to break the Dutch monopoly on the spice trade. Most of these spices are still grown here today and are widely used. One particular type of saffron is very popular here. It is made from the root of the plant, dried, and ground to a fine powder. It is also known as turmeric or curcuma.