Rum
It is impossible to leave Martinique without it: Martinique's agricultural rum is among the best in the world. It is indeed the only rum to benefit from an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée with strict specifications that guarantee the origin of the cane and above all the respect of a quality manufacturing process. Whether it is white, amber, or old (or even very old, or even extra old), a bottle or a BIB of this divine island beverage is bound to please. Know that you can carry a maximum of ten liters of rum per person in your luggage.
You can also bring back the accessory that goes with rum: the lélé wood (“bwa lélé”). The Caribbean Indians used this small stick to mix liquids. Coming from the Quararibea turbinata, a small tree that grows in the Caribbean forests, lélé wood is used for “léler”, to stir drinks and cocktails based on rum. This is an exclusively Martinican habit. It can be found at all markets and craft stores. It is usually bought by the bunch or by the unit (about 2 € each).
Island treats
Creole treats, whether sweet or salty, do not take up much room in a suitcase and are a safe bet for souvenirs. From the tasty basketful of peyi sweets (filibos, lotchios) to the small jar of exotic fruit jam (mango, pineapple, starfruit, papaya, coconut, or guava jelly), local specialties are sure to please taste buds.
Chocolate and coffee. Don't forget the chocolate bars made from 100% Martinique cocoa beans. A feat achieved by the Valcaco association which, since 2012, has been working to rekindle the excellent cocoa industry of Martinique. Valcaco's cocoa beans were indeed registered among the 18 best in the world at the International Cocoa Awards competition at the Paris Chocolate Fair. You can get it at the Lauzéat brothers' shop.
If you are worried that the chocolates will not stand up to the journey, you can always fall back on the “kako” or pure cocoa stick with which you can prepare the delicious hot chocolate served at the time of the first communion with bread and butter, an institution in Martinique. The kako stick can be grated into powder or melted to prepare delicious hot chocolate by the fire.
You can also bring back coffee made in Martinique, an Arabica Typica Grand Cru, rare and tasty, with fine and perfumed aromas. A great way to start the day when you return from vacation!
Spices. To add a little sunshine to your dishes, use spices and dried chilies. Thyme leaves, India wood, Colombo, chili and Creole sauce powder are just a few of the ideas you can use to try out Caribbean recipes at home! And of course, don't forget to bring back vanilla from Martinique: you can recognize it by its huge, black, very fragrant pods. To keep the smoothness of the pods, put them in a jar with a base of rum. You can find it on the markets (make sure you know where it comes from, count between 5 and 10 € per pod). There is also cinnamon from Martinique, sold in the form of pipes or brown bark.
If there is any room left in your suitcase, take a book of Creole recipes with you, which you will have gleaned from one of the island's bookstores. A precious book will allow you to discover some of the well-kept secrets of Creole cuisine.
Colourful treasures
The craft industry in Martinique is very much alive and abounds in colorful treasures. Basketry, paintings, masks, pottery, sculptures flood the local markets. Some local craft stores also sell them.
Basketry. Bakoua hats, the famous braided fiber headgear worn by many Martinicans, baskets of all sizes and many other braided objects are the result of extremely meticulous workmanship resulting from an ancestral know-how that is passed on in traditional basketry workshops, such as the Vannerie Paille Caraïbe in Morne-des-Esses.
Madras fabric. Martinique is also famous for its traditional outfits made of madras fabric, a brightly colored fabric made of banana, cotton and silk fibers, alternating checks and stripes. This very colorful fabric was brought by Indians from the city of Madras, in southeast India, who came to live in Martinique at the end of the 19th century. There are all sorts of articles made of Madras fabric: masks, caps, aprons, dishcloths, skirts…, not to mention the knotted headdresses. It is said that the way the fabric was rolled up and the number of points gave a clue of the state of the heart of the woman who used to wear it.
Jewelry and crafts. Less flashy but just as carefully crafted, much Martinican jewelry is made from the island's seeds (the jequirity bean which gives small scarlet pearls, “Job's tears” with its bluish-gray pearly reflections, or the caramel-colored pearl from the albizia seed…). There are also shells, lava stone or banana leaves. The handicraft also includes wooden masks, very colored watercolors, and the coui, a half hollowed out calabash which can be used as a salad bowl, a tradition inherited from the Caribbean Indians. Many instruments and sculptures are also made from the calabash tree, a small tropical tree known for its hard and solid fruit.
The Caribbean touch
Martinique is famous for its small handmade soaps with perfumes (pineapple, guava, mango…) that will remind you of your vacations in the tropics. At 3 or 4 € per unit (or 10 € per bar), this small “space-saving” souvenir is sure to make many happy. The more eco-friendly will be able to opt for solid shampoos made locally, or a fragrance made from alcohol distilled from Martinique sugar cane. The result of a precise know-how, these perfumed waters exhale subtle and greedy notes (local grapefruit, chadèk, or coconut). Finally, you can always bring back a bouquet of tropical flowers: ginger flowers, heliconias, parrot's beak, anthurium, bought and packed with the certificate at the airport.
