Food as a global issue- Martinique

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Colombo de poulet- Curry Chicken

This is a chicken curry stew called Colombo de poulet. It is usually made with carrots, mango and coconut milk. It could be served with a variety of starches but is combined with potatoes in this image. I was immediately drawn to this food because it reminded me of my home. It is not a very distinct dish but that adds to the intrigue for me. The fact that it is so familiar across countless borders.

The history of this dish is very clearly one of a blending of cultures and preparation styles. The curry used was introduced by Sri Lankan laborers brought in after the abolishment of slavery by the French in 1848. The curry however is noted as not being as strong as other curry dishes on the Indian subcontinent. This might have changed to suit the taste of the larger population of Martinique at the time. The infusion is definitely seen in the infusion of fruit and coconut milk which are common ingredients in many of the Caribbean dishes.

Curry is a originally from the Indian subcontinent but has spread across the world and been assimilated into many different cultures. Culturally, chicken curry is eaten across the globe and has been adapted in numerous ways across the world. Chicken was most likely preferred to other meats because it was cheaper, smaller and produced quickly thus more convenient for poor communities- such as the former enslaved Africans and  Tamil laborers who prepared this dish.  In addition to that there is a tradition of on farm slaughtering in Martinique making smaller livestock more desirable.  

Curry chicken like the one prepared in Martinique shares similarities in the sweet aspect to the curry prepared in my home country ,Namibia.  I hold fond food memories of it being a sort of comfort food- cooked especially well by older woman who blended the curry into a sweet and savory aromatic dish and served it with warm bread. It is interesting to see the way this dish is prepared in different cultural groups- and considering the combinations that one might find weird simply because you have never had it prepared in that way. Dr. Paul mentioned considering the cultural differences before rejecting something entirely. She gave the example of boiled coke, which is enjoyed as a drink in China rather than cold coke, which is more accepted in America. I would not reject the offer of slightly sweet chicken because I have been exposed to it before. I do however find the use of mango somewhat queer.  I can see however that it might be used as a substitute for brown sugar, that would typically be added to curry chicken in my home country. This reminded me of Dr. Cochran’s discussion on food cooperations and their ties to sugar in our lives. We watched a video where it was noted that sugar is added to foods we would not even suspect, and this was a way of fueling the addiction that many people have developed in recent history. Whether sugar is being used in chicken at home as a way to fuel our addition is probable but it also made me think about availability of food.  In Namibia, sugar is more readily available than mangoes are so it is not hard to understand why it is used.  However,  Martinique has no need to import sugar cane or mangoes so the use of the mangoes are probably more likely to be cultural and social phenomenon.  

Environmentally, Martinique is a considerably small island so most readily accessible meats are would come from either the sea or smaller animals. Today most meats such as pork, beef and chicken are imported due to growing urban areas and strong emphasis on banana and sugar cane farming. With Martinique having a temperate climate, it has a risk in the future of facing diminishing crop yields when considering  Dr. Lovell’s talk on the effects of climate change on food . This would have considerable impacts on the fruit included in Colombo such as mangoes and coconuts and might lead to a change in the current recipe.  Curry dishes have adapted across the world, and in numerous creative ways, so it is not hard to believe that Colombo de poulet would do the same. For now, I simply look forward to the chance to try it before there are any such changes, when I visit Martinique in March of 2018.

Author: Hannah Brendell

Hannah Brendell is a UWC graduate from Windhoek, Namibia. She is currently pursing a major in International Relations and Economic Development at Agnes Scott College, in Atlanta Georgia. She aspires to be a leader of positive change in her home country and across the African continent.

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