Spice it all up!
The local delicious cuisine, the Creole cuisine, has many different faces; it varies from island to island. Creative, very often spicy, taking advantage of local crop, fruits, vegetables and what the sea has to offer, this is surely an culinary experience not to miss. Discover new tastes and flavors, you won’t be disappointed. Creole food stands for: Caribbean sun, Calypso and Reggae, laid-back lifestyle, nonchalant residents - Enjoy the ‘gusto’ of your exotic vacation.
Creole cuisine has many origins. It reflects and is the result of the history of the islands, influenced by French, African and Indian heritage. It is a simple way of cooking, but far from being boring and tasteless! Expect an explosion of colors, a wide range of flavors and spices, all carefully brought together and prepared by a ‘doudou’. The tradition of roots came from Africa, Yams and sweet potatoes were grown to feed the slaves, the breadfruit was imported from Polynesia for the same reason. The Indians brought with them the ‘curry’, a mixture of spices, which is called ‘Colombo’ in the Creole cuisine. Arawak and Amerindians maintained the use of red seeds to color the dishes, the ‘Roucou’. France brought in rice, chest, smoked bacon and dried vegetables, flour, dried cod. You mix it all together and you have the essential of the Caribbean cuisine!
The best way to enjoy genuine Creole food is to be invited by locals. Don’t worry; there are many local restaurants on the island, called the ‘Lolos’, keeping the tradition of true Creole cuisine. A typical meal always starts with a ti’punch, consisting of rum of 50 degrees, sugar, lime, accompanied by ‘accras’ (cod fish fritters). Chicken, grilled and smoked, pork, veal, fresh fish and crabs are part of the daily Caribbean diet. Best way to purchase a local barbequed chicken, watch out the ‘roadside’ barbeques, they are all over the island. A regular dish is the ‘boudin’, a kind of a blood sausage, which is in general home made, and every ‘doudou’ keeps her secret of her preparation. Sweet potatoes, bananas prepared like potatoes, green papayas are also very common on Caribbean tables. Watch out for the chilies though – they are the strongest worldwide, and always present in the Creole cuisine!
Lots of small supermarkets are proposing all essential ingredients for Creole cooking. For local fruits and vegetables though you might want to look out for one of the many local ambulant market stands, proposing the harvest of their gardens. Marigot has a daily open market located next to the ferryboat harbor at the waterfront. It is open every day as of 8am to 2 pm; you will find a wider variety of local produce and fisherman proposing their catch on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
Here comes the taste of holidays, a local mouthwatering recipe to prepare you for your exotic Caribbean vacation:
Accras (codfish fritters) – THE local appetizer, make sure you have it with your Ti’punch
In mixing bowel, combine all the above dry ingredients. Slowly add eggs, and milk. Form into 1 inch balls, carefully spoon into the hot oil for frying. When golden brown, remove and drain off well. Serves 4 to 6 people.
Bon Appétit!