The open market, characteristic of all of Africa, is most exhilarating. There you will find the long black vanilla beans sold in little packets to be used in many ways. Everywhere you see scallions, turnips, tomatoes, and a variety of green vegetables. And there is always plenty of fish. The people of Madagascar are mostly Malayan Polynesian with some admixture of Indian, Arab, African, and European.
Rice is the staple of the island and is served three times a day.
Most of it is home grown. You can recognize the influence of the French in the food, which is not as highly spiced as in most of Africa. While the curry is much like that of Malaysia, subtle and not overpowering, it is just different enough to be interesting. Most recipes call for a smidgen of red hot pepper, called Sakay, and it is generally served separately so that one can control the amount to taste. Beef is cut in small pieces, simmered until done, shredded, and then roasted until it is browned.