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The cuisine on Martinique can be both satisfyingly traditional, with herb seasoned French foods, and also compellingly innovative, with inventive chefs blending European, Asian, and African influences into mouth watering Creole creations. Long a part of France, Martinique has inherited many things from the nation, including culture and fashion. Perhaps the most notable influence, however, is the love of food and cooking. Traditional French delicacies such as caviar and foie gras are prepared along with steak with a bordelaise sauce (a beef or veal and red wine sauce) and fine French wine. Chef's also get inventive on the island, serving specialties such as octopus and a terrine of boiled calf's head. Simultaneously, Creole specialties such as boudin (blood sausage) and calaloo soup, with dasheen leaves (a root), spices, pepper, and crab or chicken enliven the island's refined cooking with a sense of spice and zest. Visitors the island can find many types of fare, from the prevalent French and Creole, to Chinese, Asian, Moroccan, pizza, and other types of international cuisine prepared by chefs who have come to ply their trade next to some of the best in the world. With lunch and dinner being involving such invention and extravagance, most Martiniquais elect to dine simply for breakfast, with normal selections including boiled green bananas, cucumber salad or herring salad, and avocado. Fruit is as popular and as prevalent here as it is on any of the Caribbean islands, and guava, soursop, and passion fruit should all be sampled. Local and fresh seafood dominates the carte at lunch and dinner, with the popular red snapper a widely used choice. Other seafood items used include lambi (conch), langouste (lobster), oursin (urchin), blaff (boiled fresh fish), clams, and freshwater crayfish. Among the other popular French dishes that you can sample at local restaurants are escargot and lamb. Creole influenced dishes include accras, which are fried fish or vegetables; different types of colombo (curried dishes); and seafood prepared with spicy sauces. Sauce au chien (dog sauce), is a popular, and hot, island sauce to add to dishes. Rum, wine, and champagne are all highly popular on the island. To accompany the refined cuisine, fine French wines can be found at many of the island's haute restaurants. Rum, like in much of the Caribbean, is the drink of choice on the island, and it is enjoyed in many forms; from aged and white, to flavored liqueurs. Ti-punch is a popular drink made of sugarcane syrup and rum, while shrubb is a Christmas drink done with orange rinds, sugarcane, and rum.The locally brewed beer is Lorraine. Travelers to Martinique should take time on their travels to sample the variety of culinary styles that present themselves. Whether you relax with a French delicacy, or spice your mouth up with Creole spices and flavors; you are not likely to find yourself disappointed when dining on the island. Related Articles
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Sunday May 18, 2008
