|
Grenadines Encyclopedia
|
Agriculture accounts for about 6% of GDP and the small industrial sector for 11%. Sugar production has declined, with most of the sugarcane now used for the production of rum. Banana exports are increasing, going mostly to France. The bulk of meat, vegetable, and grain requirements must be imported, contributing to a chronic trade deficit that requires large annual transfers of aid from France. Tourism has become more important than agricultural exports as a source of foreign exchange. The majority of the work force is employed in the service sector and in administration.
Martinique is unique in contrast to the majority of the other Caribbean islands in that it has a wide variety of dining options. The Ti Gourmet Martinique (2000) lists 456 caf?s and/or restaurants on the island ? not including the various bars some of which serve food as well as alcohol. The 1998 brochure produced and published by the ARDTM counts up to 500 food-service related establishments (this corresponds to over 3,000 jobs). Restaurants in Martinique range from the exclusive high-end gourmet restaurants to the cr?pes, accras, boudin, fruit juices, and coconut milk one can purchase from food merchants on the beach or at snack stands/restaurants in town.
The abundance of both Cr?ole and French restaurants reflects the predominance not only of French tourists in Martinique but also of the island?s status as a French DOM. There has been a growing interest in the traditional dishes of the island, and therefore, a more recent profusion of the number of Cr?ole restaurants. Many of the restaurants tailor their menus to cater to both Cr?ole and French tastes
In the 2000 edition of D?lices de la Martinique (Delights of Martinique), the guide put together by the island?s restaurant union, the editorial given by the then Prefect and director of tourism, Philippe Boisadam, describes the contribution that ?Martinique?s cuisine makes to the culinary arts.? Olivier Besnard, the commercial director of the long-haul airline division of Air Libert?, wrote the preface to this same edition. He states that this Cr?ole restaurant and recipe guide is ?a tourist souvenir that you are welcome to take home with you.? Francis Delage, a culinary consultant who assembled most of the recipes for this guide underlines the fact that the island?s restaurateurs are the gastronomic ambassadors of Martinique and that they in particular represent the ?quality of the welcome,? ?the products? and ?the savoir-faire of Cr?ole cuisine, which is truly part of France?s culinary heritage.?
The changes in tourist composition (behavior, interest) may very well account for the evolution in the culinary offerings in many of today?s restaurants. Restaurants in Martinique offer not only French and other International cuisines , but also the possibility of consuming the foods that the Other eats. In this case, the Other refers to the Martiniquans. Visitors can catch a glimpse of the behind the scenes reality regarding Martiniquan culinary practices through an ?authentic? Cr?ole cuisine. An investigation of the new tourist, or ?post-tourist? phenomenon (Poon 1999) venturing off the ?eaten trail? in search of something that is more authentic.
Restaurants, Cr?ole cookbooks, public fairs and festivities, and the expensive dining rooms of foreign-owned luxury hotels where food is served, all present themselves as crucial staging grounds where ideas about Martiniquan cuisine, and therefore, identity, authenticity and place are continuously tested.
The island of Martinique has particularly good bottled water. Cruise ship employees are often seen stocking up on their water supplies while docked at the island.
Karaoke-Caf?, quartier Basse Gondeau 97232 Le Lamentin, 0596 50 07 71, bar/restaurant/nightclub, currently the trendiest place (but not the most typical). Live music, Karaoke, 80s, dance, techno, worldmusic. Entrance 20? with a drink.
For European people coming from an EU country, working in Martinique is allowed without problem. If you're from outside the EU, you will probably need a work permit - check with the French Embassy in your country. Do not forget though that the unemployment rate is high. But if you work in the heath sector (doctor, nurse), it will be much easier.
Voluntary service: Volontariat Civil ? l'Aide Technique (VCAT). Conditions: you must be French or from another EU-member state or a country belonging to the European Economic Area. You must be over 18 and under 28 years old (inclusive). You must not have had your civic rights revoked by a court or have been convicted of certain offences
 |
|
|