Cuisine & Gastronomy activities in Martinique

Colour, taste, delicious aromas... Martinique's cuisine is a real culinary journey for your taste buds. Sweet, salty, spicy, it meets all expectations, and you can discover it in all its forms.

Gastronomy holds an important place on the island. So, to share it and pass it on, you will see that there is no lack of culinary activities in Martinique.

Martinique's cuisine

A know-how to share

The Martiniquais are proud of their culinary know-how, and with good reason! Above all, they like to share their recipes: traditional and authentic, tropical and so varied. 

There are the unmissable, such as fish, shellfish and crustaceans, but also fruits and vegetables. Let's not forget the tasty desserts and the famous rum. Accompanied by the many spices typical of Creole flavours, the dishes are simply delicious.

Take the opportunity to taste everything: the recipes are so varied that you can try a different dish at each meal. Ah, Martinique's gastronomy, what flavours!

In Martinique, the meal is a moment of sharing, friendly and warm. There are exceptional products on the island. Fishing is an activity that holds a place of choice and the products of the sea are of great wealth.

Sea urchins, conchs, crabs, lobsters, sea breams, swordfish, barracudas... will fill your basket. The fine gourmets will enjoy cooking them! As for the gourmets, they are ready to taste them!

A wide variety of products

Thanks to a tropical climate... more than pleasant, the cultivation of exotic fruits and sugar cane are favourable. The production of rum, from the latter, is just as good. The varieties of spices are numerous, and the traditional Martinique cuisine is very fond of them.

They are particularly present in colombo, chicken, goat or pork, the island's emblematic dish. Pepper, turmeric, coriander, mustard seeds, herbs, chillies... nothing is missing to spice up its taste.

You will also find them in the stew of cabri, accompanied by turmeric, paprika, cumin and coriander. In Martinique, spices are queens!

Chefs have many ingredients at their disposal. They have a lot of fun cooking delicious dishes and delighting their guests. They like to mix foods.
Try verrines of shellfish (lobster, crayfish) with mashed avocado and a diced mango. They also make delicious passion fruit and lime vinaigrette.

What about the sweet specialties, for the greediest? Tropical fruits are omnipresent: coconut, banana, pineapple, mango, carambola, guava... These are all names that make your mouth water.

Here again, gastronomes cook them with taste: in sorbets, macaroons or cakes. To be enjoyed with a refreshing Ti' Punch!

Culinary activities in Martinique

To share their love of gastronomy with you, the Martiniquais have no shortage of ideas.

Cooking workshops

Take part in a cooking workshop to learn the secrets of Martinique's gastronomy. You will go home with a delicious dish, proud of having prepared it yourself! These activities are numerous and they are very popular.

It's a good way to showcase Creole cuisine and to introduce you to local products. You will learn how to cook the famous "poulet boucané", the fierce avocado, the cabri stew or the delicious banana gratin. Yes, your mouth will already be watering!

These workshops can take place at your home or in your company for a little gourmet break. And why not choose an atypical place, like the gardens of a distillery? By participating in this culinary activity, you also have the opportunity to visit the site. Taste the famous rum and relax with a delicious cocktail.

Culinary walks

The culinary walks are a way to learn about the traditional cuisine of Martinique, while discovering the island. 

They take place everywhere, in Fort-de-France, Saint-Pierre... Mix, in the same dish, gastronomy, history, culture and conviviality. You will get a few delicious hours of discovery and tasting.

At the bend in the little streets, go and meet the restaurant owners and shopkeepers. Taste their specialties that reveal new flavors, sweet, salty and spicy. At the same time, visit incredible and unsuspected places. A real treat for the eyes and the taste buds! This will be a new culinary activity for you.

The markets of Martinique

Strolling through the markets of Martinique is a very good way to get to know the local products. In Fort-de-France, they are unavoidable and colorful: fish, meat, fruits and vegetables in season, spices. Martinique's friendly shopkeepers are not stingy and share their treasures with you. Freshness and quality are the order of the day! What a friendly atmosphere, so typical of the island. And as some of the vendors offer liqueurs, accompany your snacks with a delicious cocktail... made with rum of course!

Culinary traditions

If you want to take part in a new culinary experience: try the "Trempage". This is a tradition in the north of the island. Originally, it was cod court-bouillon served on stale bread, spread on banana leaves. Avocado, bananas and a sauce with local spices were added.

Today, dipping is also done with seafood, fish or chicken... To be enjoyed, standing up, around a large table to accommodate many guests. You will live a new experience, an authentic culinary activity and a very friendly moment!

The acras, these small spicy fritters are a must in Martinique. Of course, they are delicious, but they also symbolize a tradition, that of the end of Lent.

They can be eaten in any form. Treat yourself to cod acras, titiri (small river fish), vegetables, moringa flowers, shrimps. What a tasty way to celebrate the end of the fast!

Top 3 culinary specialties

Martinique's cuisine is very varied... and so good! It is therefore difficult to select the best specialties. Yet, you absolutely must taste some of them.

No. 1 is the ferocious avocado, which is a traditional dish. It is a starter made with cod, cassava flour and chilli. Continue with No. 2, the Ti nain morue, green bananas cooked in water, accompanied by dried cod and a delicious vinaigrette. This is one of the most typical dishes of the island, you will love it!

As for n° 3, it is the plantain gratin. It is a mixture of sweet and savoury flavours, cooked like a vegetable and goes well with everything. Let's add a parenthesis, especially if you are a bit greedy. Try the Robinson, a typical Martinique dessert, with coconut and banana: a real delight!

Top 3 of the best restaurants in Martinique

There is an exciting culinary activity on the island: discover the restaurants to taste even more tasty dishes. Martinique is full of excellent traditional and local cuisine establishments.

You'll love our #1 restaurant, Zanzibar, in Le Marin. It offers a wide range of Creole and modern dishes, right on the beach.

Le Kano, in Les Trois-Ilets, is our number 2. Enjoy the cosy atmosphere. Facing the magnificent Anse Mitan, you will taste a Creole cuisine revisited by an innovative chef. 

Our No. 3, the Babaorum in Fort-de-France, offers simple and generous family cuisine in a colourful, typically Martinican atmosphere.

Martinique is a land of flavours. Its inhabitants, of a warm nature, will make you discover their richness, thanks to numerous culinary activities. It is a way to highlight the traditional and authentic Creole cuisine.

Discover spicy, sweet and salty flavours, exotic fruits, shellfish... Taste a refined gastronomy , sometimes audacious, always tasty. Gourmands and gourmets, your taste buds will be delighted!