62 — MARTINIQUE
Récolte d’ananas au Morne Rouge.
Pine apple [sic] gathering.
This postcard is from Le Morne-Rouge, a small town located in the northern part of the island of Martinique. Le Morne-Rouge is, apparently, a hotbed of pineapple activity.
“This village stretches to the foot of Mont Pelée. For those who want to climb the majestic mountain, it is best to hire a guide. Le Morne-Rouge also is known for its pineapple jam, anthurium plantations and well-known spring waters, which are bottled here.”
Just keep in mind that the “majestic mountain” also happens to be a volcano, whose massive 1902 eruption earned it the distinction of being the third most deadly volcanic eruption of all time.
Martinique’s love of the pineapple has also “erupted” in the form of rare and exotic culinary traditions.
“The tourist development in Martinique has not disturbed the charm of these quiet districts where the small sail boats are still called ‘gomyés’, where the grandmothers still know how to prepare soursop fritters, where the pineapple slices served with the ti’punch of Martinique are cut in a fancy way.”
Pineapple “cut in a fancy way!?!” If that doesn’t make you want to get off your duff and book a flight right now, then someone needs to check you for a pulse.
In 1997, Martinique played host to the Second International Pineapple Symposium, where B. Aubéry presented a paper entitled Pineapple Production in Northern Martinique which probably talks about Le Morne-Rouge in some detail, but I’m too cheap to pay the €10 to find out.
Besides, I think my money would be better spent on the gripping On Farm Approach Of Pineapple Fruitlet Core Rot Disease In Martinique (F. Marie, E. Malezieux, J. Marchal, X. Perrier), from the Third (and probably better) International Pineapple Symposium (Thailand, 2000).