My lovely cook in Suriname - she is actually from Guyana and speaks perfect English |
Suriname as a land of immigrants reflects a cuisine that is both
fusion and distinctly ethnic. There are
Roti shops (Hindustani eateries), warungs (Indonesian restaurants), a profusion
of Chinese take-outs, Dutch pancake cafes and in the market stalls, specialized
Creole (African) dishes. Though the
official language is Dutch, most people speak enough English to make eating
less surprising. I have decided to
include either English or local terminology for your reference when you
undertake your own gastronomic adventure.
The most famous and appealing to non-Surinamese is the Javanese
Saoto Soup. Saoto is a shredded chicken
soup with white vermicelli, bean sprouts and topped with boiled eggs (an option
in most warungs). It must be always
served hot and a scarlet sambal relish (Cayenne pepper) comes along in case you
want it hotter! The soup’s distinct
taste emanates from the use of the local dry daun salam leaves and fresh
laos (galanga). Outside Suriname
you can substitute lemon grass and ginger.
Sometimes rice is served which you can mix with the soup to make it a
more filling meal.
Unlike the varied menu of Indian restaurants in North America or
Europe, Indian shops in Suriname focuses on serving the Roti. A flat bread that is fried in butter, Roti is
used as a staple and a manual scoop for the main entrée, curried chicken or
potato masala (alu tarkari). There are a
few places that offer Roti duck, Roti lamb or Roti shrimp instead of the
ubiquitous Roti Kip (chicken). Chopped
kouseband or string beans (also known as asparagus bean or snake bean) are a
common side vegetable dish. A washbasin
is a must for both pre-and post-Roti meals.
Suriname has perfected the Roti |
During Christmas, New Year and almost every special event, you
won’t see roast beef, ham or turkey on the table. The piece-de-resistance is the Pom, an
Afro-Surinamese cuisine. A friend
actually showed me how to make the time-consuming Pom which is a chicken
casserole in a yellowish puree of the tayer root. The puree, sold as Pom in the freezer
section, can be bought in any local grocery.
Tayer Root Puree |
Last May, I had the wonderful opportunity to go camping with my
friend’s family in one of Suriname’s most beautiful locales, Blakawatra (named
after a cola-colored but clean stream).
For dinner, her mother made a mixed rice Chinese concoction, Moksie
Alesie, and I was bowled over by the combination of steamed rice, green peas
and chicken. The green peas gave the
dish a wonderful novelty and texture that blended well with the softness of the
rice and added a tad zest to the meat.
No green peas? You can substitute
white, yellow-split or Lima beans.
Unfortunately, Pom and Moksie Alesie are rarely offered in
restaurants and can only be savored in a Surinamese home.
To douse the
meal, how about a Dawet, a most unusual drink in color and taste. Either purple or green, sometimes pink, Dawet
is a mixture of coconut milk, water, sugar, agar agar, cola essence or lemon
grass and food coloring.
For dessert, Bakkabana, deep-fried banana plantains covered with
an egg-flour-spice batter, are best when crunchy and hot.
What Makes a Cuisine Surinamese?
Across ethnic lines, Surinamese food does taste distinctly
Surinamese. What makes the flavor so
different? My investigation led me to
three major kitchen items:
- First,
Surinamese would often use chicken or vegetable bouillons instead of salt
as a seasoning. I saw a cook put
two cubes with diced onion and dried shrimp in a frying pan, prior to
mixing it with mashed potatos, mayonnaise and condensed milk! One of the best potato salads I ever
had.
- When
ordering Surinamese food, you will most likely spot Madame Janet. Madame is not a she but an it – a very
hot yellow pepper that is often used whole for flavoring. Just plucked out the bulbous yellow
pepper and the dish will retain its flavors without getting your tongue on
fire.
- Soya or
sunflower oil is the most common cooking medium.
My Guyanese cook prepared this lunch of
Nasi Rames |
Next Time
Though I have talked about some of the most popular Surinamese
fares, I have not expounded on other favorites such as Pinda Soep (peanut soup
with plantain dumplings), Bami (Indonesian noodles), Nasi Goring (Javanese
fried rice with sliced omelet), the native Indian Cassava Bread (with
non-poisonous extracts from a poisonous cassava plant) and Bojo (coconut rice
flat cake), not to mention seafood!
Please e-mail me if you have any questions or comments.