In Martinique, while seafood is king, chicken, together with a slew of other takeaways from different influential cultures like the spice “Colombo”, you can be sure that Martinique always has something flavorful to offer. From its many influences to its abundant natural wonders, Martiniquais cooking (and drinking) is yet another one of its many draws.
What Kind of Food Do They Eat in Martinique?
Martinique’s cuisine is a rich and interesting blend of different cultural influences of French, African, and Creole flavors, with seafood taking the center stage. Dishes like conch, crab, and lobster are just some of the usuals you’re going to see in Martiniquais tables.
However, because of the influence of the french, some are Europeanized with creamy sauces, and crispy gratins accompanied by a Caribbean/South American touch of sweet potatoes, and plantains.
Some of the island’s best-known dishes are the Pâtés Créoles, Chicken Colombo, Bokits, Christophine Gratin, Trempage, Pain au Beurre and Chocolat, and the Poulet Boucane, or Smoked Chicken. These incredible dishes are a blend of rich flavors and cultural influences that goes back to the French colonial times.
The Pâtés Créoles are like Jamaican patties but made in a very French way. Martinicans use rough puff pastry filled with minced pork, which is usually spicy. They’re small and tasty dishes that are usually sold at markets, and they’re extra famous, during the Christmas season.
Chicken Colombo is considered to be the island’s national dish. The spice that gives the chicken its rich flavor came from South Asia, where a significant minority of Hindi in Martinique comes from, especially Indians. This particular dish is usually served with rice, stewed beans, or lentils, even plantains and other root produce like tarot.
The gratin or the Christophine Gratin is a staple dish of the French, however, this one has a Martinican twist. The chayote used in the gratin is a starchy vegetable, with a fibrous texture, usually added with a bit of four spices to the bechamel.
Trempage is more of a social event than an actual dish in Martinique. The term Trempage means “to soak”, is a typical dish in Martinique comprised of stale bread soaked in a spicy codfish stew. Spread on banana leaves across a table, it’s like a big sharing platter that you typically eat with your hands.
From the word, “beurre” meaning butter, Pain au Beurre and Chocolat is a fluffy butter bread that has elaborate designs slices into pieces and is then dipped in rich chocolate milk, almost like a sauce or fondue. Now, the dish is usually spotted on different special occasions.
From the sea to chickens, and rich sumptuous bread dishes, these are just some of the most interesting dishes you can check out in Martinique and will give you, even just for a little bit, a taste of the real Martinique.
What Type of Food Is Traditional in Martinique?
If you try to look up the best or the must-try food in Martinique you’ll almost always be given a list of creole food, often mixed with other influences like South Asian, and especially French. That’s because of the Martinique’s long history of occupation, immigration, and others. So to say, most of the island’s traditional food is a rich blend of Creole, Caribbean, African, and French.
Some of the considered traditional food of Martinique is, of course, Colombo, a special spice that was brought to the island by immigrants that came from South Asia. The most famous dish is Colombo de Martinique, a lamb cooked with Colombo spice, other notable ones are Chicken, Goat, Pork, and Vegetable Colombo.
Another traditional food in Martinique is the Lambi or conch. It is another staple in Martinique. It can be grilled, fried, eaten in a casserole, stew, or pancake. It is frequently served with tomatoes, lime juice, spicy chili sauce, parsley, and salt.
Boudins in Martinique has two popular types include Boudin Creole and Boudin Blanc. Creole is made from pork, pig’s blood, onion, and other ingredients, and Blanc is a white sausage made from pork without the blood and sometimes featuring prawns, crabs, sea snail, or fish. They are especially famous on Christmas.
What Is the National Dish of Martinique?
Chicken Colombo is considered to be the island’s national dish. The spice that gives the chicken its rich flavor came from South Asia, where a significant minority of Hindi in Martinique comes from, especially Indians. This particular dish is usually served with rice, stewed beans, or lentils, even plantains and other root produce like tarot.
What Is the Traditional Breakfast in Martinique?
There isn’t a single definite breakfast in Martinique, but perhaps, Le Féroce d’Avocat is the closest thing to the traditional breakfast the island has. Literally translated as the “fierce avocado”, the dish is a hot, salt fish appetizer, made from avocado, lime juice, cassava flour, chilies, spinach, and salt fish.
What Is the Most Important Fruit of Martinique?
When you think of the most important fruit in Martinique, two possibly comes to mind: Pineapple, and Banana. Although both have been imported to the island, these fruits have made quite a reputation in Martinique. Despite their obvious health benefits and their contribution to the island’s rich cuisine, these fruits make up a large part of the island’s agricultural export.
Pineapples are an import from the island’s South American neighbors where it’s native. Today, there are more than 500 hectares of Pineapple plantations on the island, the largest farms are found in Ajoupa Bouillon, Basse Pointe, or the Lorrain.
Even though it was merely imported to the island, a long time ago, Martinique offers a wide variety of bananas. The fruit has replaced the production of sugar cane, like the mainland, France’s demand for Bananas has overtaken the rate of sugar cane production that has been in continuous decline since colonial times.
What Is the National Drink of Martinique?
A famous drink called the “Ti Punch” is considered the island’s national drink. It is a simple cocktail with a mix of blanc Rhum, a squeeze of lime, and a drizzle of sugarcane syrup. The drink is characterized by a sweet taste, yet fresh and invigorating. However, it’s best enjoyed with ice.
