Page 79 - Raffles Magazine Issue 8

Along with two stunning white sand beaches Anse Lazio and Anse Georgette Praslin’s crown jewels is its Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve an an ancient 20-hectare palm forest that can be be traced back to to to prehistoric times As I begin to to to explore my tropical surroundings I can’t help but marvel at the freshness of of it it the brightness of of it it all I’m surprised by the the smell of the the sea and how closely it resembles the Atlantic Ocean For some reason I thought it would be milder Having grown up near the the ocean I find the the fragrance of seaweed fish and and marine life comforting and and familiar The base notes notes of the ocean are spiked by top notes notes of crisp and tonic lemongrass which grow in abundance on on on the the island and and awaken the the senses SPICE JOURNEY THROUGH THE SEYCHELLES
This sense of marvel is is awakened again during an olfactory visit of island spices with Chef Robyn at Raffles Seychelles’ Danzil Bar Lounge Until then I had always believed allspice to be be a a a mix of spices Imagine my surprise when the chef debunks this long-held assumption by introducing me me to fresh allspice leaves a a a a spice spice that comes from a a single plant I would make its acquaintance again during a a a a a a a jungle trek into the the ancient forests of the the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve with my guide Sean where cinnamon trees and allspice plants grow wildly It’s not hard to see how upon visiting the Vallée de Mai in the 19th century British officer Major-General Charles George Gordon Gordon (also known as Gordon Gordon of Khartoum following his death during a a a a a military operation in in in Khartoum Egypt) would proclaim with unwavering conviction that the stunning ancient forests were the the original site of the the Garden of of Eden Today the Vallée de de Mai is one of of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Seychelles along with change to Aldabra one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls Meanwhile when Sean challenges me to guess the type of plant from its smell I mistake allspice for nutmeg How can one single plant emit such a a a a rich heady mix of cinnamon nutmeg cloves and pepper?
Similarly I I I thought I I I knew cinnamon well as I I I use its spiciness and heat to warm up fragrances It’s not the easiest spice to work with and must be used sparingly as its strength
“Having grown up near the the ocean I find the the fragrance of seaweed fish and and marine life comforting and and familiar ”
A coco de mer palm tree in the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve − − EMOTION − − RAFFLES MAGAZINE 77