French Guiana Food: French Cuisine in the Heart of South America

Did you know French Guiana, which sits north of Brazil and alongside Guyana and Suriname, remains with France? French Guiana is not just a French territory but officially a prefecture of France and part of the country as a whole.

This unique "Frenchness" coupled with its unique Amazon territory has resulted in the most unique type of French regional cuisine out there. When heading to French Guiana, it should be noted that while it's still a part of France, the people have mostly kept their Creole traditions.

According to Best Country, it is reflected in the food, which blends French techniques and naming with African styles and native South American ingredients. This type of French food is a bit spicier than usual. And if you love Cayenne Pepper, it takes its name from the capital of the prefecture, Cayenne.

French Guiana: 5 French Guianese Dishes to Try Out

The food in French Guiana certainly still counts as French cuisine. However, while the mainland primarily uses European ingredients, the French Guianese use some unique ones, such as the Acerola Cherry, local seafood, and couac.

Iguana and other unique ingredients are also widely used in this part of France. Let's take a look at five Guianese dishes that are a must-try while in French Guiana.

Bouillon d'aoura

Also known as Awara Broth, Bouillon d'aoura is often described as a typical Guianan Creole stew. According to World Travel Guide, smoked fish, various other seafood such as crabs and prawns, as well as vegetables and chickens, are often used with Awara, the fruit used as the main ingredient in this dish.

Unfortunately, you won't find this in snooty French restaurants on the mainland, but it is widely celebrated throughout the country's faraway prefecture in South America.

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Gratin de Couac

Gratin de Couac is one of the most celebrated dishes in French cuisine. It's usually made of thinly-sliced potatoes and cooked until creamy. It is served with cheese on top. Gratin de Couac is a South American twist to that French national dish, as it replaces potatoes with couac, a flour made from cassava root.

Calou

Calou, or kalou, is a spicy smoked dish with collard greens or spinach. It usually uses smoked fish, but shrimp is also often used in this dish.

Fricassee

Fricassee is a French meat stew that can be found in French Guiana. While the European part of France usually uses chicken, veal, or rabbit, the South American part of France likes to make the stew with beef and chicken. However, Lizard and Iguana Fricassee are also quite popular for those who are more adventurous.

Creole Pudding

Creole pudding is essentially a Creole version of blood sausage. It shares similarities with the black pudding from British cuisine and is served with bread and vegetables on the side.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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