Food of French Guiana

French Guiana blends Creole, Indigenous, French, Brazilian and Asian foods in a tropical setting. Fresh fish, cassava, rice, chilies and tropical fruit dominate, alongside French breads and pastries. Bouillon d'awara, a festive palm-fruit stew, is the best-known local dish. Flavors are bright with lime and Caribbean peppers.

National dish

Bouillon d'awara

A rich stew of awara palm fruit with fish, chicken and smoked meats.

Staples

  • cassava
  • rice
  • fish
  • plantain
  • pork
  • chicken
  • palm fruit
  • tropical fruit

Signature flavors

  • chili
  • lime
  • thyme
  • garlic
  • coconut
  • cilantro

Main dishes

Bouillon d'awara

A rich stew of awara palm fruit with fish, chicken and smoked meats.

Key ingredients: awara fruit, chicken, fish, crab, smoked meat, vegetables
Blaff de poisson

Fish poached in a lime, thyme and chili broth.

Key ingredients: fish, lime, thyme, chili

Breakfast

Croissants

French-style pastries.

Key ingredients: flour, butter
Baguette and jam

Fresh bread with jam.

Key ingredients: baguette, jam

Street food

Accras de morue

Salt cod fritters.

Key ingredients: salt cod, flour, chili
Nems
Nems

Fried rolls of pork and vegetables.

Key ingredients: pork, vegetables, wrappers

Soups

Soupe de poisson

Light fish soup.

Key ingredients: fish, vegetables

Salads

Salade de palmiste

Hearts of palm salad.

Key ingredients: hearts of palm, lime, oil

Breads

Baguette
Baguette

French bread.

Key ingredients: flour, yeastFull guide →
Cassava cakes
Cassava cakes

Flat cassava flatbreads.

Key ingredients: cassava

Desserts and sweets

Flan coco

Coconut custard.

Key ingredients: coconut milk, eggs, sugarFull guide →
Tarte a la banane

Banana tart.

Key ingredients: banana, dough

Drinks

Jus de maracudja

Passion fruit juice.

Key ingredients: passion fruit
Sirop de canne

Sugarcane drink.

Key ingredients: cane syrup

Fruits and produce

Pineapple
Pineapple

Sweet pineapple.

Key ingredients: freshFull guide →
Passion fruit
Passion fruit

Tart fruit.

Key ingredients: juiceFull guide →

Dish guides from French Guiana

Baguette
BaguetteBreads
FlanDesserts and sweets
Passion fruit
Passion fruitFruits
Pineapple
PineappleFruits
Explore French Guiana on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of South America

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Spring Rolls (3357696061): Donna Benjamin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Baguettes, Paris, France - panoramio: Nick Thweatt, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Tortasdecasabe: Rosa García, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • കൈതച്ചക്ക: Suniltg at Malayalam Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Passiflora edulis forma flavicarpa: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)