Helmi Smeulders from Goirle has written the best Caribbean cookbook in the world. The prestigious award was presented last weekend in Saudi Arabia during the Gourmand Awards, which are also compared to the Oscars for culinary writing.
The prize came as a big surprise for Helmi. “I knew something was coming, but I really didn’t expect this. It’s special.”
Helmi felt out of place in the Netherlands. “I wanted a little more adventure.” Her uncle and aunt once lived in Curaçao. “If they like it, I’ll probably like it too, I thought.” So she packed up and left for Curaçao, 27 years ago.
Helmi doesn’t regret it for a moment. “I still enjoy every day. This morning I took my daughter to school and drove over the Juliana Bridge. Then you see the sea and sun. That makes me happy every day.”
The Goirlese used to study law, and mainly cooked for herself to eat tasty food. “Here too I thought: if I want to eat well, I have to cook myself.” She started a catering company, which grew so big that she no longer worked in the kitchen, but her staff did the work.
Island ingredients
For several years now, Helmi has focused entirely on modern Caribbean cuisine. “I want to show people what is possible with what grows and blooms here.” Many ingredients are imported from Europe or America. “While there is actually a lot on the island itself. I want to inspire people to do more with it.”
Helmi uses a lot of fish in her dishes and hunts them herself lionfishthe lionfish. “They threaten the underwater world, but are very tasty eat them to beat them.” Tuna and sea bream are also regular ingredients. “There are many farmers who grow surprising things: yucca, sweet potato, papaya, lettuce, pumpkins, broccoli and beets.”
Culinary tour
The island is not self-sufficient and depends on imported products. “But we can get a lot more from our own soil.” She shows this in her book My Curacao, the best Caribbean cookbook in the world.
Helmi takes her readers on a culinary tour of the island, from her cooking studio in Willemstad to the north, along the coast, farmers, fishermen and markets. She has written books before, but in her third book the dishes are more challenging. “You can imitate someone else, but the best part is when it comes from yourself and you can come up with dishes yourself.”
Only nice things
She was nominated with 12 others and received an invitation to attend in Saudi Arabia. “That wasn’t too far,” she laughs. “They didn’t send a ticket.”
Helmi also gives Caribbean cooking lessons, organized dinners on farmers’ land with their products and did pop-up restaurants. “New things keep coming my way,” she says. “I only do fun things. And if I don’t like it anymore, I let it go and other things come my way.”
