south-america
Explore 48 foods connected to French Guiana, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
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The local shortlist
12 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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The full directory
48 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Littoral (Cayenne / Kourou / Coastal Créole), French Guiana
An endemic white fish living 5-20m depth in sea and estuaries; the main species of the coastal artisanal fishery of French Guiana; prized for its firm, white flesh; used in pimentade, blaff, and boucané.
Guadeloupe
Rhum Agricole
The finest Caribbean rum style; made from fresh sugarcane juice, not molasses; Guadeloupe has 9 working rum agricole distilleries; may be white, aged, or dark; many have won national and international competitions; the rhum agricole that is Guadeloupe's pride.
Guam
Roucou
The red seeds of the Bixa orellana shrub (lipstick tree); used as a condiment and natural food coloring; gives dishes a deep orange-red colour; a staple ingredient in French Guianese and Amazonian cuisine.
Littoral (Cayenne / Kourou / Coastal Créole), French Guiana
An armored catfish (Hoplosternum littorale) with bony scales, 'poisson en armure'; can move on land with small fin-like legs; found in coastal marshes, particularly abundant in Marais de Kaw; a prized local fish.
French Guiana
A bright orange palm fruit with a thin, oily, fibrous flesh scraped from the stone and cooked rather than eaten raw.
French Guiana
Awarasoep
Pulp scraped from the orange awara palm fruit, cooked for a day with smoked fish, salted meat, chicken and vegetables into a thick Easter stew.
Brazil
Wassaï
A deep-purple Amazonian palm berry with thin skin around a large seed, pulped and prized for its earthy flavor across Brazil and French Guiana.
Paris, France
Baguette de tradition
Long thin crusty bread with a soft airy interior, the symbol of French baking.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Bánh mì
Vietnamese baguette sandwich filled with pate, cold cuts, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, cilantro, chili, and mayonnaise.
France
Boudin noir
Rich blood sausage, often served with caramelized apples or onions.
French Guiana
An Easter dish with smoked meat and/or shrimp, pig tails, and spinach (siguine/taro leaves); made with land crabs; served with white rice; different from Caribbean callaloo; a Creole tradition of French Guiana.
Martinique
Calalou
A traditional peasant soup made with a mix of herbs known as herbages (purslane, spinach, taro leaves, okra, and French thyme); those who prefer a more decadent version may add pork or crab; the calalou that is a Martinican peasant classic.
Jamaica
Amaranth leaves steamed down with onion, tomato, thyme and scotch bonnet, eaten at breakfast with dumplings or as a side.
La Ceiba, Colombia
A thin, crispy yuca flatbread of indigenous Amazonian origin, made from grated, pressed, and toasted bitter yuca. A staple accompaniment to fish and stews.
Martinique
Colombo de Poulet
Martinique's signature dish; chicken simmered with Colombo powder (turmeric, cumin, coriander, mustard seeds) and vegetables like eggplant or yam; a Creole curry of Indian origin; served with rice or plantains; the colombo that defines Martinican cuisine.
French Guiana
A slow-simmered stew of chicken, pork, goat, or fish with colombo spice blend (turmeric, coriander, cumin, mustard), potatoes, green beans, and vegetables; different from Martinique colombo; a Creole nationwide dish of French Guiana.
Guadeloupe
Colombo
The signature Guadeloupean spice blend; a curry-like mix of pepper, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and mustard seed; also called massalé; brought by Indian indentured workers in the 19th century; the foundation of Colombo dishes; the Colombo powder that is the soul of Guadeloupean cuisine.
French Guiana
Lait de comou
A creamy beverage from comou palm fruit pulp; used for refreshing drinks or sorbets; nutritious and rich; an Amazonian palm fruit drink of French Guiana.
French Guiana
Small shortbread biscuits (flour, sugar, butter/Sovaco), slightly sweet; accompany desserts like fruit sorbets or fruit salads; served with madou (fruit juice) or champagne; no eggs, water, or aromatics in the traditional recipe.
Amazonas, French Guiana
Roasted cassava semolina/grits; grated cassava pressed to remove toxic cyanide juice, dried, crumbled, sieved, and roasted on a steel plate; yellow to gray to white; eaten like bread at every meal; an Amerindian legacy; long shelf life.
Martinique
Shrubb
A classic Martinique liqueur made from squeezed oranges, agricultural rum, spices, and sun-dried orange peels; traditionally made at home during citrus season starting on All Saints Day; each family has a secret recipe; served at Christmas and New Year; the shrubb that is Martinique's holiday liqueur.
French Guiana
A beignet (fritter) stuffed with pastry cream; can be served with ice cream or sorbet and champagne; a Creole dessert of French Guiana; the name means 'mullet eggs'.
French Guiana
A creamy dessert made of mashed corn with cinnamon and brown sugar; wrapped in banana leaf and boiled; also known as duckanoo, tie-a-leaf, or blue drawers in the Caribbean; a Creole sweet of French Guiana.
Martinique
Féroce d'Avocat
A mix of avocado, shredded salt cod, chili, and cassava flour; gets its name from its spicy character that hits the taste buds; once eaten by fishermen, now a refined and communal starter; the féroce d'avocat that is a Martinican appetizer classic.
Guadeloupe
Blaff
Fish blaff; fish poached in a lightly spiced broth with lime, garlic, and chili; a Creole court-bouillon variant; the blaff that is a Guadeloupean fish classic. French-Antillean poisson blaff poaches fish in a sharply seasoned lime broth.
Guadeloupe
Court-Bouillon
The main culinary dish of Guadeloupe; fish poached in a spiced tomato-based court-bouillon; a quick cooking of fish in a spicy tomato sauce; the most traditional Creole main course; served at every true Creole restaurant; the court-bouillon that is the heart of Guadeloupean cuisine.
French Guiana
A dry shortbread galette filled with pastry cream, coconut jam, or fruit jam (guava, pineapple, banana-honey); eaten during Carnival (Epiphany to Ash Wednesday) with champagne; contains cinnamon, nutmeg, bitter almond, vanilla, and lime zest.
French Guiana
Mashed pumpkin (giraumon) with smoked bacon, onions, garlic, herbs, and spices; a side dish accompanying grilled meat or fish; a Creole comfort food of French Guiana.
Guadeloupe
Guanábana
A Panamanian tropical soursop fruit, eaten fresh or in juices and desserts
French Guiana
Fricassée
Meat or fish seared then simmered in a fragrant sauce; variations include fricassée of paca, wild pig, iguana, or atipa in coconut milk; a Creole dish from Roura and Macouria for game; served with rice.
French Guiana
Pimentade
A court-bouillon with tomato base, enhanced with lime, chili, onions, and garlic; typically made with local fish (acoupa, atipa, machoiran) or sometimes beef (pimentade de bœuf is a Sinnamary specialty); served with rice or couac.
Littoral (Cayenne / Kourou / Coastal Créole), French Guiana
Poisson boucané
Fish (acoupa, atipa, machoiran) slowly smoked over a wood fire; sold at roadside stands between Cayenne and Kourou; a Creole coastal specialty; eaten with couac and piment.
French Guiana
Tasso
Dried, salted meat (beef or pork); beef sliced thin, salted thoroughly, sun-dried 4-5 days; can last months without refrigeration; an indigenous Amerindian preservation technique; used in stews and sauces.
French Guiana
A green mango salad; unripe mango grated or sliced, mixed with garlic, chili, salt, pepper, lime juice, and sometimes sauce créole; served as an appetizer; a Creole specialty of French Guiana.
Intérieur (Maroni / Oyapock / Bushinenge-Amerindian), French Guiana
A traditional Amerindian dish; grated cassava heated gently in its own juice for 24 hours to create a sauce; fish, meat, or poultry (fresh, smoked, or boucané) cooked in this sauce with herbs (ansoï) and chili; served over cassava flatbreads (cassaves).
Intérieur (Maroni / Oyapock / Bushinenge-Amerindian), Suriname
Cassava fermented into a cloudy, sour, mildly alcoholic beer made by Indigenous communities in the interior.