A lot of Mauritians have forgotten about their food traditions and rather favour food from abroad. With all the foreign imports from Europe and America, we tend to neglect our own home-made products. ?It was high time that our children tasted and enjoyed our old ?gato zoreille? or ?gato koste?? And I can tell you they love them!? confides Véronique Poussin, general manager of Agape, who has recently embarked on making goodies.

It?s a bit of nostalgia mixed with a certain business sense that has brought Véronique to this market niche. ?Actually Agape specialised in catering but we had never really focused on goodies. We made food, buffets for any kind of reception?? A quite ?classical? catering company so far. Then, THE idea came up: ?About one month ago, I was at the market with my son and, as he was really bored while I was doing my shopping, he asked me why I liked going to the market with my mother when I was the same age? It just clicked.?

Toughest part yet to come

It was because, at the time, there were plenty of little cakes ? that had this home-made taste ? that Véronique could eat while she was waiting for her mother. It is true that such fresh cakes are hardly found at the market today? ?Some in Port-Louis maybe.? So Véronique had her brainwave: why not give back the opportunity to people who have known these products, to get back the delicious taste? And to let those who have never known them discover them?

?Letan Lontan? goodies were born! However, the toughest part of the job was yet to come: finding the recipes. ?Open a book of recipes? You?ll never find the ones for these cakes. So we had to go around all the elderly people to look for them! The most amazing thing is that every person has a different method for the same cake. Our cakes are a mixture of all these recipes!?

One ?basic? jar is composed of some ?gato zoreil?, ?gato costé?, ?piaw?, ?nougatine? and crystallized fruit. ?We try to offer a mixture of all these products to our clients but it can happen that some make specific orders? We adapt to our customers!? Actually, Agape insists on the quality of service. Moreover, the jars are not on sale in supermarkets ? Central Supermarket will be the only one to stock the products. ?We prefer to keep a personalised service. So we go to offices or people?s houses to itroduce them to the product!?

?Letan Lontan? goodies are not just tasty; this mixture of spices and flavours (vanilla particularly but also cinnamon, fruits?) will take you back to the old days? It?s a great idea! Cakes are packed in a sealed jar to keep all the flavours and preserve them for more than one month. The jar is presented in a jute package to keep the image of yesteryear - with a Christmas sticker for the season. The plain jar costs Rs 150 and the one with the special jute packaging Rs 180 .

During this festive period, many of us will certainly have friends at home or be looking for presents for friends in Mauritius or abroad? ?Letan Lontan? goodies are there to take you down memory lane? Of course, the main ingredient is sugar? But, at this time of the year, we can allow ourselves to go a bit astray, can?t we?