Eat Local

…er words, the most common groceries in mainland France can be exceptional purchases on the island.

The solution? Go to the local markets and if you need to buy everyday products, go to the hypermarkets.

When it comes to dining, enjoy a more authentic experience by visiting traditional restaurants. Many guesthouses offer a complete experience with traditional homemade food by the host.

If you rent a place to stay, you should go to the markets rather than the supermarkets. You will also find many “lolos”, small local restaurants of quality, often located on the edge of the beaches.

To conclude, if you want to fully experience Martinique, you have to eat “péyi”. It only requires a little adaptation of your eating habits if you come from France

Is it dangerous to eat local in Martinique?

The question seems absurd, and yet it is not in Martinique. At issue is Chlordecone, a pesticide that was used for a long time to eliminate a banana pest. Although banned since 1993, this phytosanitary product, which is known to be carcinogenic, has widely contaminated many of the island’s agricultural lands.

However, not all soils are contaminated, there are even certified organic farmers in Martinique. To avoid coming across local products containing Chlordecone, it is necessary to buy fruits, vegetables and meats in the official circuits.

The products available on the market come from soils that have been analyzed and are therefore perfectly healthy thanks to the efforts of local producers. In addition, it is recommended to wash root vegetables well, even after peeling them, and to combine them with green vegetables.

The good news is that not all plants are exposed to Chlordecone in the same way. Thus, it is possible to eat without fear everything that is pineapple, tomatoes, eggplants, bananas, mandarins.

Meat may be unfit for consumption if the animal has lived on contaminated land. The same goes for fish, some areas are forbidden to fishing. For more information, visit the website of the Regional Health Agency of Martinique.

Is it possible to eat organic in Martinique ?

Yes, it is possible to eat organic in Martinique even if it is not a widespread mode of culture. The proportion of land in organic agriculture in Martinique would represent only 2.6% of the territory devoted to agricultural production. This is an anecdotal figure, even though the Chlordecone affair has brought the importance of these issues back to the forefront of Martinican opinion.

It is however possible to find most of your favorite fruits and vegetables in organic. As far as meat is concerned, organic breeding is rare in Martinique, so you have to fall back on small farms that mainly offer poultry and eggs.

Globally, the organic sector is developing, and several associations (such as AMAP) offer weekly baskets of organic fruits and vegetables. The farms also sell their products directly, and organic markets are developing.

It should be noted that there are many producers practicing a reasoned agriculture, that is to say not forbidding any use of chemicals and which aims to find a balance between production and ecology.

The main local products found in Martinique

Fruits

Martinique is a tropical island whose climate is conducive to the cultivation of many delicious exotic fruits. You will of course find bananas, guavas, mangos, maracujas (passion fruit), pineapples and other carambola.

Spices

Caribbean cuisine is characterized by its use of spices and aromatics. Ginger, chili, nutmeg, Indian wood are all essential ingredients of Creole cuisine. Spices also color the market stalls and give off delicious aromas that are also a pleasure for the senses.

Coffee and Cocoa

Martinique also has its own coffee and cocoa production. There is a chain of excellence for coffee in Martinique which produces an Arabica Typica. As for chocolate, it is an institution on the island, which is produced with local cocoa, especially at the Elot chocolate factory.

Accras: a specialty appreciated by locals and visitors alike

Accras are an emblematic dish of Martinique’s cuisine, often associated with parties and celebrations, and much appreciated by locals and visitors alike. The recipe varies from one family to another and everyone has his own way of preparing them. However, the base remains the same: cod is the main ingredient and is often mixed with flour, onion, garlic, parsley and spices to form a thick paste.

The accras are then fried in hot oil until golden and crispy. They can be served as an appetizer, as an appetizer or as a main course with a salad, and can be enjoyed year-round in restaurants, markets and street food stalls around the island.

The 🏆 accras of Good Friday 🏆 are consumed on the Friday before the celebrations of Easter Martinique, day of fasting and abstinence in the Catholic religion.

Country vegetables

In addition to the vegetables we all know, salads, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, Martinique has many little known specimens, even unknown to the general public in metropolitan France, such as the Christophine, the okra, the sweet potato.

Fish

The sea surrounds Martinique and it is quite natural that its products are found in the plates of the Martinique people. Fishing in particular is part of the island’s daily life and it is not uncommon to come across fishermen unloading the product of their labor on the island’s beaches.

Meat

Poultry is very present in Martinique, and is used in the composition of many recipes, such as the “poulet boucané” for example. Local production also includes rabbit, pig and cattle breeding. Nevertheless, more than 80% of the meat consumed in Martinique is imported.