The sorbets and ice creams of La Tropicale must have changed our idea of the frozen-food section in supermarkets. The taste of these sweet delicacies is amazing… It seems as if you are eating frozen mango, litchi or passion fruit. This is because “La Tropicale uses only fresh fruits in its products, no canned fruits or preservatives… And the ice creams are made with whole milk and fresh cream. No chemical products, nor conservatives,» insists Bernard Accot, the managing director.

The manufacturing chain is clear and simple. Fruits are either imported from India or South Africa – while others are obviously bought on the local market. The fruits that can be found locally are the most typical ones: guava ‘de Chine’, limes from Rodrigues and Victorian pineapple known for its strong sweet taste.

Fruits that are specialities of India such as mango, coconut, tamarind and banana are imported from there. Some litchis are also imported from India for practical reasons. “The litchi season in Mauritius extends from November to January whereas these fruits are available in India in May and June. By importing them, we manage to have litchis all the year round,” explains Mr. Accot. Pink guavas and passion fruits are imported from Johannesburg while strawberries and cranberries come from Cape Town.

Fruits directly from planters

In all cases, the method is the same. Fruits are bought directly from planters. Then they are peeled, cut and packed in plastic bags in boxes which are then sent in containers at –28 to –30° C. “Of course, we have implemented our own norms of hygiene in these countries.” It is only when the fruits reach Mauritius that they are made into a purée.

In fact, La Tropicale specialises not only in making ice creams and sorbets. The company is also involved in the sale and export of the purée which is actually the “raw material” for other products. The purée can be used to make yoghurts, cakes, and desserts… The main local customers are the most prestigious hotels of the island. “They sometimes use our products to make fruit juice too… Some of these hotels even make their own sorbets with our purée.”

But from where does this expertise come? In fact, La Tropicale Mauricienne did not originate here in Mauritius but is the result of an initiative by a Vietnamese expatriate in France who set up La Tropicale France. Established in Paris since 1976, La Tropicale France has developed a whole range of exotic sorbets. When the opportunity to open a factory in Mauritius came up in 1999, there was no hesitation.

Vegetarian ice creams & sorbets

The firm in Mauritius now prepares the purée and sends it back to France where the sorbets are made. The purée is also exported to Reunion Island. But for the local market all the recipes for sorbets and ice creams had to be worked upon and modified. “For instance, all the products of La Tropicale France contained eggs. In Mauritius, we wanted our products to be vegetarian so we had to change the mixture. Our products contain no eggs, no animal fats. But the result is a success! Our products are just as delicious even though they are vegetarian. Moreover, the sorbets contain no dairy products and therefore no cholesterol,” says Bernard Accot, visibly proud of the company’s achievements. “We’ve managed to put our know-how to good use here…”