Fete des la Cuisinières

Cuisinières, Fête des la

Early August

With the possible exception of the celebration at Carnival, this is the most colorful event of the year in the French West Indian island of Guadeloupe. The Women Cooks' Festival begins with a morning service at the cathedral and a parade of women in Creole dress. The highlight of the festival is the five-hour feast prepared by the dozen or so members of the Association of Women Chefs. The Creole dishes they prepare include blaffs (a fish or shellfish dish in a sauce; the name comes from the sound made by the fish as it is plunged into boiling water), boudins (sausage), and crabes farcis (stuffed crabs). It has been said that "one fistful of the tiny hot peppers that are vital to Creole cooking is generally considered enough to blow up an average European city."

CONTACTS:
French Government Tourist Office
444 Madison Ave., 16th Fl.
New York, NY 10022
800-391-4909 or 212-838-7800; fax: 212-838-7855
www.us.franceguide.com

SOURCES:
GdWrldFest-1985, p. 104