Today, most of the island’s pigs are slaughtered in abattoirs, but the tradition remains deeply rooted, and many Martinicans are committed to keeping it alive. More than just a cultural celebration, it is one of the ways generations connect with each other. As Mario explains, whose childhood memories we share here.

A rite of passage from adolescence to adulthood

I have a childhood memory that deeply marked me. I must have been thirteen years old, and I found myself at the heart of what I later understood to be a sort of rite of passage to adulthood.

I grew up in Fort de France, but my father lived in the countryside, in the town of Saint Esprit, in the Petit Fond district. It was Christmas vacation. We had pigs that we fed throughout the year, and a little before Christmas, we would slaughter one. It was an event that brought together the whole family, neighbors, and friends. It started very early in the morning, before the sun was up.

It should be noted that the pig had been deprived of food for two days, so it was nervous. Especially since pigs have a real sixth sense, it could sense that something was wrong, and it was aggressive. There were six or seven of us trying to catch it, which was really not easy. Once caught, the pig was hung, held, and slaughtered. And I had to collect the blood in a large bowl with salt and a huge whisk. It had to be stirred constantly because the blood should not clot.

This was the most terrible moment because the pig takes time to die and it happens in several successive stages during which it makes very impressive loud cries. It had to be held firmly. This was the role that was given to the children. I had to prove myself, show that I was a man by going through this ordeal under the attentive and laughing gaze of the elders. We waited for it to die and push its last breath out in a loud painful roar. Our children’s reaction at that time made everyone laugh. It was like hazing.

The traditional Christmas pig

But the work wasn’t finished yet. With the blood, we add spices, salt, and pepper to make blood sausage. Meanwhile, we burn off the hair. Then, we have to open the pig, remove the guts, clean them, and turn them inside out. The guts are several meters long, and we have to remove everything inside them, including the remains of more or less digested meals. Then we have to wash the guts, which will serve as the skin for the blood sausage.

After the effort, comes the reward. We share the pieces of the pig with the participants, each taking a part. And that evening we eat pieces of cheek, snout, which we prepare in the pan with chili pepper.

It’s also a time for celebration, where all generations come together, with plenty of rum to go around.

Christmas in Creole cuisine, where the pig is king

A good Christmas is accompanied by a well-stocked table, and in Martinique there is no shortage of that. Throughout the Christmas period, whether at home, during the chanté nwel (singing of Christmas carols), or in restaurants, a variety of dishes are served. And the pig is the King! It is present in all its forms.

Creole blood sausage, which is present on our tables all year round, is a must-have at Christmas. Cooked from pig’s blood, fat, and bread soaked in spices, it is stuffed into small sausage casings. There are as many blood sausage recipes as there are Antillean families, with each seasoning according to their taste. You can find a great variety of other sausages: vegetarian, conch, codfish, fish, etc.

Savory pastries are also typical of Christmas, although they can be found year-round. At Christmas, they are found everywhere and in all kinds: from industrial pastries in stores to handmade pastries in bakeries and from friends and even friends of friends, with shortcrust or puff pastry, with pork, chicken, cod, conch, etc.

No Christmas period is complete without Christmas ham, a caramelized ham, a sublime sweet and salty mix. Christmas ham is served cold, sliced thinly, and served as an appetizer alongside blood sausage and savory pastries. Before, preparing Christmas ham took 3 to 4 days. Dried imported ham was used, which had to be desalted for several days, then cooked in a broth full of spices. Only after that was it coated with sugar and baked in the oven to caramelize. Today’s modern ham requires less preparation: it can be found sold fresh or frozen, already cooked or raw, with or without bone, with or without chili pepper…

For Christmas Eve and Christmas, there are no oysters or turkey; it’s time for pig stew! Well-spiced, it is served mainly with cowpeas, a legume that is cooked a bit like lentils and that is only found on plates during the end-of-year period. Obviously, today, local dishes are also accompanied by Christmas dishes such as foie gras. But even then, we manage to put our own spin on it: and voilà, a foie gras with old rum!

In Creole gardens, children and grandparents gather to harvest cowpeas. It’s a joyful moment of merriment among cousins. Some of the peas are put in plastic or glass bottles, depending on the sound we wanted to produce, to make “chachas” which we used to play music during the chanté nwèl.

Texte : Airlocal Magazine Editorial Team, Aurélie FC Photos : Mario Gilbert