Biscuiterie Rault

The Rault biscuit factory has been making manioc biscuits at Ville Noire since 1870, and the process has not changed: cassava root is grated, pressed to remove the liquid, dried, sifted, and then the flour is spread in metal moulds and cooked on hot plates fired from below, turned by hand, and stacked to cool. The biscuits are thin, dry, faintly sweet and eaten with tea or with cheese and jam, and they are a fixture of Mauritian household life rather than a novelty. Visits are guided and short, walking through the working shed while the plates are in use, with a tasting at the end. Manioc was introduced to feed the enslaved population, which is part of what the guides explain.

What you actually see

• The hot plates - the biscuits cooked and turned by hand.
• Manioc processing - grating, pressing and drying the cassava.
• The old shed - the working building largely unchanged since 1870.
• The tasting - the biscuits with tea at the end of the visit.

When to go

Year round; the factory works on weekday mornings, which is when the process can be seen running. Weekend and afternoon visits may find production finished. Tours are short and run on demand.

Honest expectations

The visit lasts under an hour and the operation is small. Production stops early in the day, so a late arrival sees an empty shed. The shed is hot and cramped with the plates lit. It is a stop rather than a destination.

Nearby

Mahebourg lies immediately north; Blue Bay is south.