Recommend September 2017 - 8

L. Chamoiseau

La Route des
Grands Rhums

Guy Ferdinand aka "Chef Hot Pants."

Food,
Glorious Food
Food is one of Martinique's many great pleasures; indeed,
there are culinary tourists who go to this island specifically for
its gastronomical choices. They range from down-home Creole
to upmarket French, not to mention Indian, Middle Eastern and
Vietnamese and all manner of fusion cuisines, but no matter
what the culinary style, this island's chefs share a passion for
getting it right, and they do.
Unlike the many islands where farmers and fishermen have
sold their land to developers and taken jobs at hotels, agriculture
and fishing have deep and enduring roots in Martinican culture.
Thus, the food on your plate is unlikely to include defrosted fish
from China or oranges from Florida; Martinique's chefs prefer
fresh, flavorful, locally sourced ingredients, and thanks to their
fertile farms and fishing grounds, they can get them.
Whereas Martinique's hotels, resorts, and condos are
somewhat concentrated in the southwest corner of the island,
there are good restaurants throughout Martinique. In part, this is
because a fair number of Martinicans live in areas not given over
to resorts, especially on the coast. In part, too, it's because most
visitors to Martinique do not just stay put at a hotel, but explore
the entire island to participate in different activities and admire
Martinique's natural and man-made wonders, so along the way,
they are bound to get hungry. And if they have kids with them, no
problem. In restaurants, as in hotels, children tend to be given a
warm welcome.
For details on specific restaurants, see the Martinique
Specialist Program at edu.recommend.com/martinique. g
8

1. The tourist office has based the Route des Grands Rhums upon
Martinique's 10 distilleries. That's an unusual number of distilleries for
one island, and they all offer tastings and/or tours.
2. Martinique's rum producers are not your average rum producers;
they are consistent prize-winners in international competition.
3. Martinican rhum is the only rum on earth whose quality is so
exceptional that it has appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status. In
theory, that status is related to the terroir, the special attributes of the
soil and climate in which something is grown. However...
4. Terroir is just part of the reason Martinique's rum has so much
character. For starters, this island's distilleries do not use molasses,
which is really just a byproduct of table sugar production. Instead,
they use fresh cane sugar to make rhum agricole, so the rum has a
strikingly fresh, not bitter, flavor.
5. Whether the rum is young white rum or barrel-aged rhum vieux,
Martinique's rums are so elegant they can be sipped straight, as one
would sip a vintage brandy. The grand rums from Martinique receive
yearly awards from connoisseurs all over the world.
Following are just five of the Route of Rum's highlights:
Musée du Rhum Saint-James (Sainte-Marie): In addition to tasting
excellent rums, visitors also get to see a fine plantation manse from
the 1700s, museum-quality antique machinery, and vintage photos
and advertisements. When there's enough demand, visitors can also
tour the property on the plantation train.
Habitation Clément (Le François): The 19th century plantation
house on this old estate has landmark status, and was classified an
historical monument in 1996. The gardens are magnificent, and so
are the rums.
Rhum JM (Macouba): No train rides or landmarked mansions here,
just a chance to see how rum is made using traditional methods,
followed by a tasting of rums that have won more awards than many
world-famous wineries.
Château Distillerie Depaz (Saint-Pierre): Established during the
17th century in the shadow of Mount Pelée in Saint-Pierre, Depaz
produces a renowned rum onsite.
Distillerie Neisson (Carbet): Located in Carbet, with 40 acres of
sugar cane fields, Distillerie Neisson is one of the last family-owned
distilleries in Martinique. Neisson rum is famous for its white zépol
karé, considered by aficionados the best white rum ever. g

World's finest rums.
http://edu.recommend.com/martinique
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend September 2017
