Top 10 Foods To Try in the Caribbean

Are you planning to visit the Caribbean? Well, you are in for a treat – literary! The group of islands that we call the Caribbean has an abundance of mesmerizing beaches, cities, cultures, and people and an abundance of treats to try. Some of them are pretty popular, and some will surprise you. Each island in the Caribbean has its specialty that you have to try – and that will be our topic of the day. We will share the top 10 foods to try in the Caribbean the next time you visit.

1. Jerk Chicken – Jamaica

Ex-pats love Jamaica. Some are here for those must-see beaches in Jamaica, and some are here for the food. And, when it comes to food, one dish can be tasted everywhere – jerk chicken. It is a national dish in Jamaica, and, thus, it is one of those foods to try in the Caribbean. Jerk chicken is marinated in a mixture of spicy and sweet ingredients that will melt in your mouth. It is often served with rice and peas and, of course, beer.

Jerk chicken on the grill — When in the Caribbean – eat what locals eat.

2. Coucou and Flying Fish – Barbados

Did you know that Barbados is often called the Land of Flying Fish? That is because of their same-named national dish – Coucou and flying fish. This fish is caught in the warm waters around the island, and it has a unique flavor. Most ex-pats swear that this fish tastes like nothing they have eaten before. So, if you ever find yourself in Barbados, be sure to try it. You can find it everywhere – cooks serve it on the beach, in markets, and in restaurants. There are two types of preparations – steaming and frying- and with both, you get the same side dish which consists of polenta-like cornmeal and various vegetables.

3. Fungee and Pepperpot – Antigua and Barbuda

The country of Antigua and Barbuda has become very popular not only among tourists but also among newcomers who decided to make this place home. Antigua and Aruba have many great things to offer – beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, friendly people, and a laid-back lifestyle.

So, if you too decide to move here, a great way to adapt is to try the local specialty. Thus, as soon as your international movers unload your belongings and you settle in, ask the locals where to try the best fungee and pepperpot – a type of bread, similar to polenta in texture, served with a rich stew of vegetables.

4. Crab & Callaloo – Trinidad & Tobago

This country which consists of two islands, is where you can try the best creole cuisine. Don’t miss out on the crab and callaloo dish if you find yourself here! It is one of those foods to try in the Caribbean as soon as you arrive. Locals make this dish by cooking the crab meat into a sauce called callaloo. This sauce is made of leafy green vegetables, lime, and plenty of spices.

5. Mofongo – Puerto Rico

All people who have been to Puerto Rico claim that what they love the most about the island is the taste and smell of Mofongo. The recipe for Mofongo usually goes like this: green plantains that are mashed and seasoned with garlic, and then the pork rinds are added. You can eat it both as a side and main dish, and you can eat it any time you want. Locals usually have it for lunch. Moreover, for locals, Mofongo is more than a dish – it is a part of their history that they like to remember when they all gather over a meal. A restaurant in Puerto Rico well known for their Mofongos is Cafe Berlin in Old San Juan.

A Puerto Rican man. — Locals will be more than happy to advise you where to buy the best Mofongo.

6. La Bandera – Dominican Republic

Dominicans claim they have the best version of Mofongo, but that is still not their national dish. So, if you want to try something really Dominican – try La Bandera. It is a ‘working-class’ type of lunch, but be sure that everyone here loves it. It consists of rice, beans, meat, and a seasoned salad.

7. Conch Fritters – Bahamas

There are many reasons to visit the Bahamas – the best scenery, relaxation, and adventure. But another great reason to visit this mesmerizing place is its food. Of course, you can try all sorts of foods here and cuisines from all over the world because some of the best chefs ever are right here. But, it would be a shame to come to the Bahamas and not try their national dish – Conch Fritters. Conch is a type of a snail placed in a batter made of flour, coconut milk, onions, papers, celery, and various spices and then deep-fried.

8. Creole Bread – St. Lucia

Creole Bread is a local treat that you can find in all family-owned bakeries across the romantic island of St. Lucia. This bread looks similar to a baguette, but its taste is quite different. Locals mix it with certain spices (sometimes even with coconut milk) and then bake it in a wood-fired oven. It is best to get this bread while still steaming and eat it while watching the St. Lucia’s sunset.

A woman sitting in a deck chair and watching the Caribbean sunset — Eating while watching the Caribbean sunset should be a thing on your bucket list.

9. Goat Water – Montserrat

Don’t let the name of this dish fool you. Goat Water is not a drink! It is a dish made of goat meat sprinkled with spices and herbs and then served with papaya and rice or bread. This dish is a staple on Montserrat Island, and it is often made during family celebrations or as a comfort meal.

10. Stewed Salt Fish with Dumplings – St Kitts & Nevis

The last of the exciting foods to try in the Caribbean on our list is salt fish and dumplings. Salt fish is stewed in an abundance of water and coconut milk, and then different vegetables and spices are added as a seasoning. Once everything is cooked, spicy dumplings, plantains, and breadfruit are added. This dish, too, is one of those things you can try in family restaurants. Make sure to give it a try – you will remember its taste forever.

More Caribbean info go to CoolestCarib.com

January 4, 2021April 27, 2022

An Antiguan Favourite – Yummy Conch Fritters!

By CoolestCarib.com

Ever tried conch fritters?

If you’ve ever been to St. Johns, Antigua long enough, you would’ve had the pleasure to taste a local conch fritter. They are special on this island, we believe because of a combination of the spices. Maybe it’s the Scotch Bonnet Pepper or the Shadow Beni herbs mixed with my favourite, cilantro, that makes it so different.

Do note, when you’re done frying the fritters and drying them on paper, you can eat them as they are or dip them in a lovely sauce of your choice.

This is a recipe from Caribbean chef, Nicole Arthurton Dennis of Nicole’s Table that I adjusted to make it gluten free. Instead of using regular flour, I substituted it with almond flour. I also used coconut oil to fry them in because of the unique flavor and health benefits of using coconut oil. Coconut oil also has a very high heating point, so is well-suited to frying.

Lastly, if you’re not in the Caribbean it may be a bit difficult to find conch meat. Therefore, I used scallops, cut into small pieces instead of conch. It tastes just as good and quite similar to conch, albeit a little different in texture.

But what is a conch and where do I get it?

Conchs can be found all over the Caribbean, in the oceans around many islands. It is nearly a staple food there. Conch shells are used as decorations and even added to cement to build walls and other structures. Conch (pronounced “konk”) is a common name for medium- to large-sized sea snail or shells. In North America, a conch is often called a queen conch, indigenous to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs conch, cut into small pieces
1 Sweet (bell) pepper, chopped
1 Medium onion, chopped
5 Leaves of herb (coloantro, shadow bennie, cilantro, basil or thyme)
1 Stalk celery, chopped
¼ Teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ to ½ Scotch bonnet pepper, minced (optional… but you have to love them!)
1 ¼ Cups almond flour
½ Teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ Cups water

Method

Place all the ingredients conch thru scotch bonnet pepper into a large mixing bowl. Working in batches place 1/3 of the ingredients into a blender along with 1/3 cup of water, and blend for 10 seconds. Pour the blended mixture into a second mixing bowl, continue until the process until all the ingredients have been blended.

Sift the flour and the baking together, and add to the blended conch mixture. The batter should be the consistency of cake batter. Should you need to add more water add a little bit at a time.

Heat the coconut oil over medium heat, when the oil reaches 375 degrees drop tablespoon size balls into the hot oil. Turn over the fritter when the edges are golden brown, continue to cook until the entire fritter is golden brown. Drain the fritters on a paper towel and place on serving plate.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!

By Liz Piano.

April 30, 2020May 13, 2020

Chat with Local “Ms Congeniality” and Restaurant Owner of St. Croix, USVI during Covid-19.

If you know Elena of Christiansted’s fun hangout, New Deep End, you know that calling her Ms Congeniality (as she was dubbed in high school) is not really far-fetched.

She runs one of the most socially interactive spots on the island where every night is potentially a theme night for the entire family, from crab races to dress-up parties to ‘Disco Bingo’ on Thursday nights for which reservations need to be made weeks in advance. And not to forget the Sunday Fundays and sometimes even Monday Fundays when beach goers and beach-bar bums dance from noon to close.

Steven Katz performs at New Deep End almost every Sunday brunch.

Adrian Rogers – Performs at New Deep End almost every Monday Night

Of course, Covid-19’s global reset, and its lockdown effects, also reached the sandy shores of St. Croix where Elena excites the socialites.

Can you imagine being on a Caribbean island, confined to your house? Must be tough not being able to move freely, knowing the ocean, the palm trees, the sunsets are just outside your door… let alone enjoying a cocktail or lovely dinner at your favorite local beach hangout.

But don’t despair too much, Caribbean islanders have known tough times for hundreds of years. Alexander Hamilton, a former resident of this island, wrote how devastated – post-hurricane – this island was 250-odd years ago. The islanders have become very resilient and accustomed to hurricanes and tropical storms, to these uninvited visitors to their shores. Somehow they always manage to receive tourists and travelers from far and wide to join them on their beautiful islands though. Just give them a little time to clean up, get some fresh air and brush off the cobwebs – no problem.

Elena, too, stepped up like any vigilant denizen when the last hurricane hit St. Croix, and helped supply food and rescue packages to sister islands St. Thomas and St. John. That was, until St. Croix was hit a second time and then needed help from anywhere they could get it.

Back to today, here’s some good news – some beaches in the Caribbean have now been re-opened. But like anywhere else in the world right now, life is not what it is supposed to be in the mega land of sun and sand. Businesses forced to close, or in the case of restaurants like New Deep End – just serving takeouts – are at the forefront of the worst hit in this part of the world too. What’s more, many islands are still struggling to find their feet after a particularly bad hurricane season in 2017.

I asked Elena, whose popular bar and grille, located at the Tamarind Resort in the US Virgin Islands, to give us some insights into the “through thick and thin” of an island restaurateur’s life.

What is it like to run a business on a Caribbean island?

Running a business in the Caribbean is always challenging. In the restaurant business, consistency in product delivery is one of our biggest challenges. Our food and beverage distributors ship in all of their inventory from the States. Many times it is not always the same brands or they weren’t able to get the product on the boat in time.

In the Virgin Islands, since the last two cat 5 hurricanes hit us in September 2017 (within a week of each other), our housing situation has caused a tremendous toll on staffing.

Following Hurricane Maria our hotels that were still standing filled up with Rescue Relief workers. There were not enough rooms to support all those, including the linesmen and additional FEMA workers, so they turned to private homes. Those who owned houses that were in good shape were able to rent them at a higher price than they had been charging locals. Rents went from $1,200 a month to $12,000 a month, forcing a lot of the restaurant industry to leave island.

We are still trying to recover from loss of staffing as a result of this.

How are you coping during the Covid 19 crisis?

Deep End Bar & Grille’s struggle with staffing increased when we finally began to see a “tourist season” around Christmas. We worked the few staff members we had with a lot of overtime until we came to a screeching halt with the Coronavirus. Many restaurants closed down while others have been struggling to stay open with the “take out only: park, pick up & go”.

I have changed my hours every week, to balance paying staff to work when there is a demand for food. I have gone from 9am to 5pm the first week 7 days a week to Mon- Fri. 3-8pm. I am still not making ends meet.

What is the first thing you will do to spark interest in your business when the crisis is over?

During this “down time” I am painting, cleaning and reorganizing the restaurant for reopening in the future. I also post regularly on facebook.com/ElenaLeeHensley, facebook.com/newdeepend and www.newdeepend.com about what’s up and menu specials.

Elena has all kinds of food specials running at New Deep End. Wednesdays, for instance, are Buddy Burger Night. Buy one and get any second one 1/2 off. You can choose from the regular menu too, excluding the Caprese Burger. Regular menu begins at 3pm and the following specials begin at 4pm. But like she said she changes the times weekly, so rather check out her postings on her social media pages or website. Here are some of her current specials:

Smothered ‘n Covered Burger —–$16 (covered with sautéed onions and mushrooms, swiss cheese, may and BBQ sauce).

California BLT Burger ——$16 (topped with fresh avocado and mayo).

Snapper Sandwich Supreme ——$16 (fried with sautéed peppers and onions, Marinara sauce and melted mozzarella cheese).

Spicy Jerk Chicken Quesadilla ——$14 (with pineapple veggie chutney and mozzarella cheese).

Sides available: Tomato/cucumber salad, coleslaw, regular fries, wedge fries, sweet potato fries.

Cream of Broccoli Soup – Cup ——$6 or Bowl ——$8.

$8 Dessert: Mango Cream Pie or Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

What can you do to help a business like New Deep End?

Support them by ordering takeout or by sharing the news of their great food with your friends, so they can also enjoy it’s many delectables. Or, dream ahead and buy a food voucher for when you do get back to St. Croix. Their menu is available on the website: www.newdeepend.com or call now: +1 (340) 718-7071 (No Voice Mail).

By Liz Piano. www.facebook.com/lizpiano