In the workshop of Claude Ziouka

Master Ice Cream Maker

Who has never been to Ziouka Glaces in Carbet does not quite know Martinique! The master artisan ice cream maker, alchemist of tastes and perfumes, carries the flavors of the Martinique terroir high, well beyond our borders.

Claude Ziouka

Master Glacier of Ziouka Glaces

In his boutique du Carbet opened since 1999, unmissable on the church square, he makes and offers for sale an impressive range of perfumes, in balls, in timbale, in cone… You can of course take them away to taste them later, but if you wish to savor them on the spot, the pretty vanilla-colored room or the terrace just a stone’s throw from the sea are conducive to a moment of gourmet relaxation. You can then observe the artist in the midst of preparing his creations with a view of his fabrication workshop.That’s what I decide to do today!

A passionate craftsman

Already 30 years Claude Ziouka has made his passion his profession. Completely self-taught, he started at a renowned ice cream shop in Fort de France, learning all the tricks and techniques before setting up his workshop store in Carbet. His stature and strong character have made him a must-see figure in the town and an obligatory stop in the North Caribbean. Lover of local products and sure of his palate, he has since his beginnings tried and created dozens of ice creams and sorbets, tested new associations and has been the pioneer in the field. Today accompanied by his son Christophe to whom he has passed on his values and passion, he is in his laboratory every day making his gourmet creations himself. He regularly receives starred chefs who marvel at the variety of local flavors!

Ziouka Ice Cream Cones Carbet Martinique

Terrace Ziouka Ice cream Carbet Martinique

Perfumes of the terroir.

Vanilla-Cashew Ziouka Ice Cream Carbet Martinique

Because you don’t come here to eat vanilla-strawberry ice cream. No, Claude only wants to hear about the products that the Martinican nature has made available to him. Over the years, in addition to the fruit from his own garden, he has woven a network of partners who come to bring him their harvest of the day. Bananas, mangoes, maracujas, liana apples, guavas, coconuts… bursting with sunshine from which he knows how to get the best. What we love and what makes an artisan so special is the absence of standardized ice cream. The taste reflects the character of the fruit, which, depending on its provenance, sunshine or season, is never the same… The variety of his offer extends beyond fruit: vegetables, spices, herbs, the list is long *.

To flavor and create marriages of flavors, Claude has his appointed suppliers : cane sugar from Galion, old rums Neisson and Depaz, cassava flour Ragald du Lorrain (his cassava ice cream is THE BEST-SELLER!), nougat-country, caramelized cashews, candied chadek from Doux Caprices, local artisanal confectioner, Fariba dried bananas from Sainte-Marie… Small infidelity (but it is because the Martinique production is not yet sufficient for the volumes he needs): Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar, raw cocoa and Vanibel coffee from Vieux-Habitants in Guadeloupe, where he is originally from.

* Chef’s creations since 1999

Basil, basil-pineapple, basil-rosemary peyi, lemongrass, mango-citronella, apple liana, sweet chili, sugar cane, guava-lemongrass, currant-peyi, dlo coconut, kachiman, chadek confit, orange-passion, barbadine, infusion cocktail, peyi tea (lemon-basil), tea-passion, coffee grand cru “Vanibel”, cinnamon, chocolate-passion, chocolate with roasted almonds, chocolate-shrubb, corn, cassava, ginger-cinnamon, ginger-celery, rum-banana, vanilla-passion, vanilla-cashew, temptation (chocolate orange peel), honey, honey-lime, giromon, nougat peyi, smoked marlin…

Today it's maracuja!

I have the honor of entering his den and watching him prepare his maracuja sorbet.

“I was delivered 20 kg of maracujas from Morne Rouge yesterday, so I’m going to make my maracuja sorbet! I work withseasonal produce, so if you don’t see a flavor on my menu it’s because there’s no fruit available right now, that’s my rule!“

Step one: make his syrup. He brings water to a boil with lime peel, vanilla beans, a bit of cinnamon and then lets this syrup steep and cool. Meanwhile, he cleans, opens and extracts thepulp of the fruits with all their seeds. Then he mixes to obtain a kind of maracuja purée that he will then filter. After two hours, he dilutes this puree with the well-infused syrup.

Final touch: he rectifies the taste with cane sugar, usually 2/3 fruit and 1/3 sugar (but it varies depending on the sweetness of the fruit). When he’s satisfied with the result, head to the turbine where the mixture will turn into a delicious sorbet (it’s my favorite flavor, good timing!). Claude, on the other hand, doesn’t have a favorite: he loves all of his perfumes. “These are my babies” he launches in a big laugh. Thank you Claude for this good moment of greed…