Cuisine on Saint Martin : Discover

Discover Saint Martin: Cuisine

Cuisine on Saint Martin

If you’re in search of sophisticated gastronomic specialties, you have come to the best place in the West Indies. Rich in French culinary tradition with a touch of exotic influence, Saint Martin’s cuisine is greatly appreciated by visiting foreigners, even though the cost of such an interesting experience tends to soar to high heavens. Illustrious chefs of renowned restaurants, often natives of the West Indies, create marvels by mixing Metropolitan French cuisine and local savoir-faire. Cookery on the Dutch half is more similar to North American eating habits, as is the service, but French restaurants can be found all over the island, in both sectors.

Menus are often similar from one place to the other, and mostly based on tourist demand. The island is a delight for weight watchers, as sauces and main dishes tend to be low in fat, which ensures a rapid digestion and a possibility of going dancing soon after dinner. The choice of local dishes will not last you a week if you plan to try a dish a day; but definitely not to miss are: accras (cod fritters), Creole boudin (black or white pudding), stuffed crab, colombos, blaff (fish or seafood boiled in a spicy broth, marinated in lime), fish broth, poulet boucane (smoked chicken), braised shark, lambi (a special kind of sea snail) and chatrou (octopus), garnished with rice, lentils and kidney beans, and coconut custard, banana flambé and sorbets for dessert. More traditional restaurants offer delicious local specialties such as macadam (a cod broth) and ti-nain morue (dry cod with banana). But of course, for many, nothing equals fresh fish directly from the fisherman’s net, grilled on an open-air barbecue. And finally, let’s not forget that spiky crustacean with its long antennae, the crayfish, proposed in a great variety of sauces in practically all gastronomic restaurants on the island. Lovers of Asian food will also not be disappointed: Chinese, Thai and Japanese restaurants have been in their bloom in the past couple of years.

A Colombo recipe

Dice the meat, add salt, garlic, chopped onions, lemon, pepper, two spoonfuls of Colombo powder and leave it to stew in the refrigerator (prepare the meat one day ahead if your time is short). Heat some oil in a pot, add a spoonful of “graines a roussir” (a mixture of cumin, fenugreek and mustard seeds), then stir. Cook over small heat until brown, then add the meat and stir for a few minutes until the mixture acquires a golden colour. Add enough water to cover the meat, add slices of aubergines, thyme, laurel leaf and parsley and let simmer. When the meat is tender, add a tablespoonful of Colombo spice, Chicken broth, lemon juice and garlic. Serve hot with white rice.

Drinks

Guavaberry

Saint Martin’s national drink, Guavaberry is a special kind of liquor that everyone must try for themselves in order to have their own opinion. The Guavaberry brewery can be visited in Philipsburg (Guavaberry Emporum : 8 Front Street - Tel +59 95 22965).

Restaurants

Whether you are a fan of gastronomic restaurants or roadside shacks, Saint Martin offers a great variety of places to choose from. This is equally true for prices, though as a general rule they tend to be higher than on the mainland, due to rareness of raw material, and the fact that everything is imported. Food is rather expensive even in supermarkets, but restaurants of similar categories offer their dishes at more or less homogeneous prices.

It is best not to believe in all tourist clichés, and try out other places than those appearing to be typically local. In certain cases, beach shacks can be just as expensive as restaurants of higher standing, but with mediocre service and food of varying quality. Exceptions obviously exist, and you can surely come across delicious dishes and exceptional cooks at roadside food stalls, just as you would in a gastronomic restaurant. The best way to find out is to taste.