Welcome to Guadeloupe! It’s an archipelago in the Leeward Islands, and an overseas department and region of France.
The archipelago consists of five main islands – the two largest (Bass-Terre and Grande-Terre) are separated by a sound and form the shape of a butterfly. Christopher Columbus arrived on Guadeloupe in 1493, and the French settled in the 17th century. It was under French and British control, back and forth, for many years, but became an overseas department finally in 1946. Its population now mostly consists of people of African, French, Creole, and Amerindian ancestry.
Guadeloupe is actually renowned for its delicious cuisine – so this week we’re in luck! It’s a mixture of French, Creole, and African, with a little bit of East Indian spice mixed in. Oh yeah, it’s that good! Of course seafood is really common (lobster, crab, mussels, octopus, fish, conch), but that’s not it. Guadeloupeans use a variety of ingredients to make their dishes taste so good: avocado, fish, hot peppers, curry, bacon, pineapple (apparently it was discovered there by Christopher Columbus – who knew?!), lime, turtle, goat, okra, plantains, mangoes, and more!
Made with these ingredients are local Guadeloupean specialties: salt cod cakes, curried goat, pork stew, black pudding, Creole style curry, Callaloo (dasheen leaf and bacon soup), boudin Creole (blood sausage), bokits (filled fried bread), jerk chicken, accras (fried fritters), Colombo (chicken and rice curry), tourments d’amour (French sweet cakes filled with fruit), and crepes. Drink-wise, the most popular beverages are rum based – punch, cocktails, you name it! However, this is an overseas region of France, so French wines and liqueurs are also available.
Have you ever been to Guadeloupe? If so, how did you like the food? Were there any dishes that caught your attention? Do share!