Flavors of Suriname

The cuisine

Traditional food of Suriname

Surinamese cuisine brings together the inheritances of peoples who arrived in the country at different moments in history. Indigenous peoples were already cultivating cassava. Enslaved Africans on the plantations created the foundation of Creole cooking. After the abolition of slavery in 1863, indentured workers came from British India, beginning in 1873, and from Java, beginning in 1890, as well as Chinese immigrants. Dutch and Portuguese Jewish settlers also left their marks on the table.

Each dish was born from one of these traditions and changed with the ingredients of the land. Pom, a baked dish made with a local root called pomtajer, is the best-known festive dish. Roti arrived with workers from India; saoto came with those from Java. Heri heri recalls plantation food and is associated with Keti Koti, July 1st, the date that marks the abolition of slavery in 1863. Each group brought its recipes, but today they are prepared in homes of all backgrounds.

Rice, chicken, cassava, plantain, peanut, coconut and the madame jeanette pepper appear in many recipes. In Paramaribo, the capital, kitchens stand side by side: there are houses specialized in roti, Javanese warungs in the Blauwgrond neighborhood and food stalls along the Waterkant, by the Suriname River.

Among the drinks, Parbo beer has been brewed in Paramaribo since 1955 by Surinaamse Brouwerij; like any alcoholic beverage, it is to be enjoyed in moderation. Dawet, a chilled coconut milk drink, is common in the warungs.

The specialties appear here as cuisine from all over Suriname, not tied to a single city or district. each page of a specialty describes its origin as recorded by sources, the ingredients and how to eat it.