Every year in Martinique, Christmas goes hand in hand with Chanté Nwels (carols sung in small groups or in public), family gatherings, and above all, a profusion of dishes, appetizers, desserts, and drinks. And of course, it’s the buffet that draws the attention of the most indulgent.
What can be found on these festive buffets? Savory pâtés, red and white blood sausage, Christmas ham… And at the meal itself, the unmissable pork stew.
One could say that pork appears in every form at Christmas. This sometimes surprises visitors, since in mainland France it is oysters, snails, foie gras, and turkey that traditionally dominate the holiday tables.
It should be remembered that in France, red and white blood sausage, as well as pork, were long celebrated at Christmas, especially in the Middle Ages and up until the 16th century. But little by little, they gave way to turkey, considered more noble for such a major Christian feast.
It is therefore important to distinguish between mainland French gastronomy and that of Martinique. With its climate, local products, and the various waves of immigration that have shaped its history, the island has forged its own culinary identity. Thus, pork has become the centerpiece of Christmas meals. But why?
A “so British” tradition
While we have preserved blood sausage from French traditions, adding our own spices, the Christmas ham has other origins and takes us far back in time. Where else is pork eaten at Christmas today? In all the former British colonies, including the United States! So how did we adopt this old “so British” tradition?
In the early Middle Ages, the Anglo-Saxons conquered Scandinavia and observed the Scandinavian and Germanic peoples celebrating Yuletide. This feast marked the middle of winter and honored Freyr, the pagan god of fertility, prosperity, and fair weather. A boar was sacrificed and ham was eaten as a symbol of abundance, while prayers were offered for a prosperous year ahead.
The English adopted this custom, placing ham on their tables. The sacrificed boar became the emblem of Saint Stephen’s Day (Saint Étienne in French), celebrated on December 26, the Boxing Day holiday.
Generation after generation, the tradition spread and took root in the British colonies, notably in America. The Americans, major producers of pork, exported Christmas hams to the British Caribbean islands, but only at the end of the year. These hams, circulating among the islands, soon attracted the French and the Dutch, who adopted the custom, followed later by the Spanish. Throughout the Caribbean, the smell of Christmas ham became the unmistakable sign of the year’s end festivities.
This is how Christmas ham also found its way onto the tables of the French Antilles.
Christmas ham was once delivered smoked and heavily salted, not for taste but for preservation. Once in the hands of the consumer, it had to be soaked in water for three to four days to remove the excess salt.
From Christmas ham to pork in all its forms
Until the 1970s, hams were packaged in cloth stockings and stored in wooden crates to facilitate shipping. Later, they arrived frozen from America and still required long cooking before being eaten.
It was not until the 1980s that a Martinican company took over and offered a Christmas ham made from local meat. The company “Marion,” previously specialized in cured meats, launched a pre-cooked ham, with or without bone, soon followed by other local producers. It should be noted that even before this, Martinicans would slaughter a pig in their own yard and invite family and neighbors to share the feast. Nothing was wasted: every part was used to prepare other recipes, giving rise to blood sausage, savory pâtés, and pork stew.
Even today, pork remains the star attraction of Christmas buffets in Martinique.
Thus, it is to a pagan tradition that we owe the Christmas ham. The Yule log cake also traces its origins to Yuletide festivities, hence its English name “Yule log” in the British colonies.
Ironically, in England, Christmas ham has disappeared from traditional meals, replaced by turkey under Henry VIII.