New Delhi, April 11 -- By the third day of my trip in the Seychelles, I knew I was developing a minor obsession. It started with salted breadfruit chips, followed by curries where the starchy chunks acted as perfect sponges for spicy gravies. Watching me clear yet another plate, my tour guide Camille Randolph said with a grin, "there's a saying on the island that if you eat the breadfruit in the Seychelles, you are destined to return." I wondered if my repeated helpings had secured me a permanent residency.

Driving through the winding roads of Mahe, the scent of breadfruit roasting at roadside stalls is unmistakable. For a few rupees, you can buy a warm, charred orb wrapped in newspaper-a snack as ubiquitous as a baguette in Paris.

"Vis...