The island’s cuisine is characterized by French and Caribbean influences. Creole cuisine is also widely available and is an original combination of French, Indian and African traditions seasoned with exotic spices.
National specialties:• Lobster, red snapper, conch and sea urchin.
• Stuffed crab.
• Stewed conch.
•
Colombo (dish of goat, chicken, pork or lamb in a thick curry sauce).
National drinks:
•
’Ti punch (a brew of rum, lime juice, bitters and syrup).
•
Shrub (a Christmas liqueur consisting
of rum and orange peel).
•
Planteur (made from rum and fruit juice).
• Guava, soursop, passionfruit, mandarin and sugar-cane juices.
Minimum drinking age: 18 years.
Things to know: There are no licensing restrictions. Meals are ended with tropical fruit.
Tipping: 10 per cent is acceptable.
NightlifeThere are plenty of restaurants, bars and discos and some displays of local dancing and music. The
Ballet Martiniquais is one of the world’s most prestigious traditional ballet companies. Limbo dancers and steel bands often perform at hotels in the evenings. The local music,
zouk, lively, two-beat music similar to merengue but unique to the French West Indies, can be heard everywhere. Martinicans are very proud of it. There are two casinos, the Casino de la Batelière Plazza, in Schoelcher, and there is one in the Méridien Hotel. The Fort-de-France City Hall is now a municipal theater. The local guide,
Choubouloute, contains information on local entertainment and is sold at newsagents.
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