Gastronomy in Suriname
Amerindian Cuisine
The first inhabitants of Suriname are the Amerindians. They were very devoted to nature and earned their food and living of the land, water and the bushes. Their way of providing for food was through fishing and haunting with a bow and a arrow.
They prepared their foods with lots of salt so it could be conserved for a longer time. They often used a lot of pepper in the food. Fish, wild meat, seafood,Cassava and other earth-fruits.
There food was often grilled, cooked in a clay pot or roasted above a fire on a stick. Cassava bread was put to dry in the sun on the roofs of their cabins were made of wood.
There are 3 most popular foods of the Amerindians which are still integrated in the whole society of Suriname. These are; pepre watra, Kasiri and Cassava Bread.
Creole Kitchen
The Creole kitchen is a mix of the African and European cuisines.The dishes from the Creole cuisine are delicious and refined. Sweet and salty flavors alternate; fruit or sugar in meals are therefore uncommon. Sometimes red pepper is served separately. The secret of the Creole cuisine lies in the food seasoning.
The dishes are very healthy and sometimes meat and vegetables are mixed up in the dishes. The dishes are not difficult to prepare, everything lies in the preparation and finding the right ingredients. In Suriname the Creole cuisine is very popular. There are various restaurants in Suriname that are serving the Creole cuisine.
Marron Cuisine
The Maroon brought their lifestyle and cuisine from Africa to Suriname which they have kept until today.Their food was mostly direct out of Nature. Mostly earth-fruits, fish and wild meat. Small scale agriculture, fishing and haunting are parts of their lifestyle. Nowadays there are restaurants in Suriname that are serving the Maroon cuisine where everyone including tourists can try the traditionally Maroon dishes.The podosiri is a delicious Maroon drink that is very healthy. The Afiingi soup is the famous traditional soup of the Maroon made with grinned cassava and wild meat. The Bravoe soup is a mix-soup which contains earth-fruits , vegetables and meat. Sometimes it contains dried fish as well.
Javanese Cuisine
The Asian Cuisine is an all around the world well known cuisine. It was brought to Suriname by the former Javanese laborer from Indonesia. The Bami (fried noodle), Nasi (fried rice) and Pitjel (mixed vegetables with peanut sauce) are some of the well-known Javanese dishes in Suriname. Suriname has plenty Warungs (food courts) that are serving the traditional Indonesian cuisine. Apart from the regular Warungs in Suriname there are exclusive Indonesian restaurant with Asian ambiances. These restaurants offer a larger menu of traditional Indonesian foods made with original spices and Herbs from Indonesia.
Other Cuisine
The Surinamese cuisine is a combination of a large number of international cuisines including the African, Asian, European and the American. This is due to the fact that the population of Suriname has come from almost all the continents of the world.
The Surinamese cuisine is very unique due to the mixing of dishes and ingredients by the different population groups. This has ensured that the Surinamese cuisine has many dishes with delicious discoveries. The Surinamese cuisine can be enjoyed in a pleasant atmosphere in one of the country’s many cafés and restaurants.
