Romazava

Romazava is the national dish of Madagascar and a type of laoka – side dishes that are traditionally served with rice. This laoka is a stew made with a combination of local greens (paracress, anamamy, mustard greens), beef or zebu meat, tomatoes, and onions. Paracress (also known as toothache plant) has a mouth-numbing effect, similar to a local anesthetic, but it is hard to find it outside of Madagascar, so arugula and spinach are sometimes used instead. As mentioned before, romazava is traditionally served with rice, but the dish can also be additionally complemented with a serving of a spicy condiment called sakay, made with garlic, chili peppers, and ginger.