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in the French West Indies
The local piments add to the delicious Créole cuisine.
Créole cuisine is a delicious mélange of French, African and Indian influences. Exotic seasonings ignite fresh seafoods and poultry in prized recipes handed down from generation to generation. If you overindulge and burn your mouth on the hot seasonings, bread (pain) and butter (buerre) will help put out the fire. Local fruits, vegetables and beverages add to the wonderful flavors. Here are some basic terms. Bon appétit!
ACCRAS: fritters, an appetizer
ANANAS: pineapple
BALAOU: small local fish
BELANGERE: eggplant
BLAFF: seafood cooked in seasoned soup
BOUDIN: spicy blood sausage
CABRI: goat
CARAMBOLE: star-shaped fruit
CALALOU/CALLALOO: herb porridge
CHADRON: sea urchin
CHATROU: small octopus
CHIQUETAILLE: shredded, spicy codfish
CHRISTOPHINE: potato-like vegetable
COLUMBO: prepared with curry
COURT-BOUILLON: steamed fish specialty
CRABE FARCI: spicy stuffed crab
CREVETTE: shrimp
CRUDITE: mixed vegetable salad
DASHENE/DACHINE: a nutritional root
ECREVISSE: freshwater crayfish
FEROCE: fiery avacodo w/chiquetaille
GAMBAS: prawns
GIRAUMON: local pumpkin or squash
LAMBI: conch
LANGOUSTE: lobster
MALANGA: another nutritional root
MARACUDJA: passion fruit
MORUE: codfish
MOULES: mussels
OUASSOUS: freshwater crayfish
OURSIN: sea urchin
PALOURDES: clams
PIMENTS: superhot scotch bonnet peppers
PLANTEUR: rum with tropical juices
POISSON: fish
POULET: chicken
SAUCE CHIEN: spicy sauce for fish
TI-PUNCH: potent rum w/cane syrup, lime
VIVANEAU: snapper
Z'HABITANTS: crayfish in Martinique