Four not-to-be-missed Guadeloupe delicacies

Coconut sorbet, kassav, tourment d’amour… Here are the best places to discover and enjoy those local delicacies.

1. Coconut sorbet

On the Sainte-Rose road towards Deshaies, there is  a charming street vendor who sells a delicious coconut sorbet, my favorite in Guadeloupe ! In Grande-Terre, it is on the Saint-Anne beach that you can also find this traditional treat. Don’t miss the coconut Doukoun, a local cake from my childhood that pairs perfectly with the sorbet.

Basse-Terre : street vendor outside the Sainte-Rose village, on the road to Deshaies
Grande-Terre : street vendor at the entrance of the beach of Sainte-Anne, near the pedestrian crossing

2. The kassav

In Guadeloupe, the typical kassav is made of manioc pancakes stuffed with coconut. Variations exist with guava, banana or passion fruit jam. They can also come with savory fillings, like chicken, codfish or cheese and ham. In Petit-Bourg, Josie serves a delicious coconut kassav in her food truck at the Versailles roundabout. The best savory kassav can be found at the Perle beach in Saint-Rose.

Sweet kassav at Josie’s food truck at the Versailles roundabout in Petit-Bourg
Savory kassav at the end of Perle beach in Saint-Rose

3. The tourment d'amour

Originally from the Saintes islands, the tourment d’amour is a shortcrust pastry filled with coconut, guava or banana jam. The best ones can be found in the Saintes harbour, where you can see loca old women selling them out of their wicker baskets when ships come and go.
Tourment d'amour, Terre-De-Haut harbour, les Saintes - whenever a ship arrives or departs.

4. Le pudding antillais

Pudding is another local speciality. My mother makes it with sweet potato, but the recipe, which can also call for prunes or raisin rum, varies from family to family. They please both young and old! The Pointe-à-Pitre pastry shop Coco Banane makes delicious ones. Delightful !

Coco banane, 53 Chemin des Petites Abymes, 97110 Pointe-A-Pitre

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