In brief
- Matoutou de crabes: a stew of land crabs and rice, simmered with Caribbean spices
- Origin: the French Caribbean, Martinique and Guadeloupe
- Essential ingredients: land crabs, long grain rice, colombo, quatre-épices, chilli, lime
- A dish for Easter Monday and Whit Monday, shared with family
Origins and cultural history of matoutou de crabes
Before colonisation, the Amerindian peoples of the Caribbean were already cooking crab in spicy sauces based on cassava juice, called taumali. During the colonial era, crab became the Easter meat of enslaved people: classified as a lean meat, it could be eaten during Lent, a period when meat was forbidden. The rice cooked with crab on that day took the name matoutou.
After the abolition of slavery, the dish kept its place in the religious calendar and moved to Easter Monday, where it remains a family meal today, often cooked outdoors. In Guadeloupe, the same rice and crab preparation is called matété. Martinique holds culinary competitions around crab every year, such as the Pince d'Or.
What are the essential ingredients of matoutou de crabes
Matoutou de crabes is made from a few ingredients found in Caribbean grocery stores, some fresh products best sourced locally and some dry spices.
- Land crabs (or frozen crabs)
- Long grain rice
- Spring onions, shallot and garlic
- Colombo powder and quatre-épices blend
- Tomato and chilli
- Lime
What to know about matoutou de crabes
Matoutou de crabes is a dish of land crabs and long-grain rice, simmered with colombo spice mix, quatre épices, chili pepper and lime. It is prepared on Easter Monday and at Pentecost, often outdoors, and shared with family. It is called matoutou in Martinique and matété in Guadeloupe.
Frequently asked questions about matoutou de crabes
What is the difference between matoutou and matété?
Both names refer to the same type of dish, rice cooked with land crabs and spices. Matoutou is the name used in Martinique, matété the one used in Guadeloupe. Seasonings vary from one family to another, but the base stays the same.
Can matoutou de crabes be made with frozen crabs?
Yes. As land crabs are protected and subject to a limited fishing season, many recipes today use frozen crabs or claws, thawed before cooking, which makes it possible to prepare the dish all year round.
Where to find the ingredients for matoutou de crabes in France?
NKOSI sells the long grain rice, colombo, quatre-épices, chilli and lime juice used in matoutou de crabes, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
