In Guadeloupe, the magic of cuisine is all in the mixture: the combination of Indian and African spices with fresh-caught Caribbean fish. The mélange of traditional French cooking styles with home-grown fruits and vegetables. The blend of locally produced rum with the fresh juice of the islands’ fruit. Thanks to Guadeloupe’s melting-pot culture, its centuries-old connection to mainland France, and its own unique tropical tastes, this archipelago promises you a culinary adventure like no other.
When sampling the local fare, don’t miss:
- Small, deep-fried salt cod fritters
- Creole black pudding (boudin créole): the traditional black pudding known as “boudin noir” or “boudin cochon,” also cooked with crab or queen conch, is particularly spicy.
- Colombo: a dish prepared using a blend of spices including curry turmeric, based on chicken, goat, or pork dishes, usually served with rice.
- Queen conch fricassee, a casserole, served in court-buillon or grilled.
- Breadfruit “migan”: an original West Indian dish, combining breadfruit and salt pork strips.
- Crab “matété”: a dish traditionally served at Easter and Pentecost
- Ouassous: large freshwater crayfish prepared in court-bouillon, served with rice or root vegetables.
- “Tourment d’amour”: a pastry specialty with coconut, banana, or guava jam.
But Guadeloupe isn’t only famous for the food its chefs prepare – it’s famous for the delicacies its farmers produce, including Bourbon Pointu coffee, fine cocoa, vanilla, bananas, pineapples,and world-renowned rums. Rum in particular is a huge source of local pride, and for good reason: the islands of Guadeloupe have been producing rum from locally grown sugar cane for hundreds of years. Today, you can still visit historic rum distilleries where you can see the sugar-cane fields, learn about the distillation process, and of course taste the local libation of choice.
Of course, you can enjoy Guadeloupe’s rums all over the archipelago, whether at your hotel, while dining at a local restaurant, or jut relaxing on the beach with a planteur (fruit juices, sugar, and rum) or a ti-punch (lime juice, cane syrup, and rum).
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