My Colombo

Above, a closeup of my colombo.

A typical dish from the French West Indies is Colombo. Colombo is a meat dish that is simmered in a sauce flavored by colombo. Colombo is not one single spice, but actually a mixture of spices, with varying quantities of coriander, turmeric and cumin. My 250g bag of Colombo powder, purchased at the supermarket, also has powdered corn, hot peppers, fenugreek, ginger. A variety of meat can be used, the most common being chicken, pork, and goat. The dish is prepared with vegetables, and like colombo powder itself, varies depending on the cook. If colombo looks and tastes similar to Indian cuisine, it is because its origins are Indian. Colombo is the fusion of Indian cuisine, brought here by indentured Indian workers who came to the French West Indies after slavery was abolished, with local flavors.

I think a gauge of successful adaptation is the ability to cook local cuisine well. And so I've embarked upon a mission to cook a great colombo.

I've based my colombo on a short recipe that I found in a booklet on Antillais cuisine that M. bought upon his arrival. This particular recipe calls for the following ingredients: 500g lean pork, cut into pieces; 5 green onions; 1 clove of garlic, crushed; thyme; 1 large tablespoon of colombo powder, a pepper; and, according to the season, eggplant, christophine (chayote), green mangoes, and potatoes, cut into pieces.

The first time I made colombo, I used chunks of pork loin and 2 eggplants, following the directions fairly closely. It did not come out well. The second half of the recipe calls for simmering the meat and eggplants for 30-45 minutes, at the end of which, the chunks of eggplant had dissolved into skin and seeds. The sauce was too liquid-y.

The second time I made colombo, I used only 1 eggplant, and added a potato. I didn't follow the recipe anymore and cooked it as I would. It came out fairly well. I ended up with a good thick sauce, but very little of it.

This is the third time I've made colombo, and I think I've made some vast improvements to the form. Still one eggplant, but instead of the potato, I used chunks of igname (a local yam). I also added 1 christophine.


Above, my most recent attempt at colombo de porc. Yes, that is a wok. I cook with what I have.

Now that I've got the main ingredients and the cooking method down, I'll start working on the taste. I used fresh thyme the first two times, as I have for all the Antillais dishes I've made, but found that dried 'herbes de provence' actually gives a much stronger flavor. I started with one or two peppers, but now have increased the quantity to 4 or 5. Since there is already ginger in the powder, I think I may add some fresh ginger to the colombo next time. The green mango is supposed to add an acid note to the dish, which I think is lacking in mine. I'm not sure where I might procure a green mango, but, I've seen a recipe replacing the green mango with a Granny Smith apple. I might just add some tomatoes.

According to M., the colombo tastes great, and on par with the colombo at his local canteen. I have to admit that while I think it tastes good, I don't think it tastes great. I'm not sure if its the ratio of spices in my colombo powder, or if its a lack of some ingredient, or maybe I just don't like colombo. I do like Indian curry, though, so I think I just have to work at it.

I imagine myself one day, serving my colombo to my new Guadeloupean friends, and being congratulated on a colombo that is tastier than their grandmas ever made. May and her triumphant colombo...

Since I don't actually have any Guadeloupean friends yet, I still have some time to perfect my colombo.