Interesting Caribbean Food Facts

  • Antigua’s Fungi is the same as Barbados’ Coucou
  • Dominica’s national dish, Mountain Chicken is also prepared in Trinidad and is called Mountain Chicken as well, and yes, it is really frog legs, referred to in the Islands as Crapo.
  • Grenada’s national dish, Oil Down is also called Oil Down in Trinidad, Run Down in Jamaica and Maetem Ghee in Guyana.
  • Guyana’s national dish, Pepper Pot is different from Pepper Pot Soup which is prepared in Jamaica.
  • Trinidad’s Pilau (rhymes with allow) is called Cook-up Rice in Guyana and Peas & Rice in Jamaica.
  • Curry is a seasoning used to prepare many Caribbean dishes in 99.9 % of the Islands. The powder is used to season curry chicken, shrimp, beef and other curried dishes. Potatoes and the meat of choice is added to water, the curry powder is then added along with other spices, marinated into a sauce, the sauce is then served over or with white rice or rice and peas.
  • Roti (flat bread) – Two types, popular to Caribbean dining are Dahl Pouri Roti, made with ground split peas & spices and Bust-Up-Shot or Dosti Roti, made without peas. Another Roti, not generally served in caribbean restaurants, called Pharata Roti has a crispy or flaky crust and no peas.
  • Bakes – The breakfast equivalent of American pancakes or waffles on most Caribbean Islands. Made with flour, water, baking powder, sugar & salt. It is either deep fried or baked in the oven with coconut. Bakes are also known as
    Johnny Cakes, Journey Cakes, Fried Bakes or Festival.
Anguilla
Anguilla

Population: 13,250
Land Area: 39 sq. mi.

Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua & Barbuda

Population: 24,000

Land Area: 108 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Fungie & Pepperpot

Prepared either as a breakfast meal or main entre, Fungee is cornmeal with okra, cooked in salted water and boiled to a paste. Pepperpot is a combination of a variety of meats, including vegetables, spinach, eggplant, okra, onions, spices & seasonings, boiled to a soupy finish.

 

Aruba
Aruba

Population: 103,000
Land Area: 70 sq. mi.

Bahamas

Bahamas

Population: 303,600

Land Area: 5381 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Crack Conch with Peas and Rice

Crack Conch with Peas and Rice. (This dish is sometimes served with optional side dishes of potato salad, macaroni & cheese (Bahamian style – so thick, you can cut it like cake, with a knife), cole slaw and fried plantains. Crack conch with Peas & Rice is served as a main entre

 

Barbados

Barbados

Population: 276,600

Land Area: 166 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Coucou & Flying Fish

Cou cou or coo coo (made with corn meal, flour and okra) is served with vegetables, ground provisions or rice or served a la carte as a main entre.

 

Belize

Belize

Population: 266,000

Land Area: 8,865 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Belizean Rice & Beans with Fish Stew

Beans and rice are cooked together with various spices. Finish with coconut milk for extra flavor. Prepared as a main entre.

 

Bonaire
Bonaire

Population: 12,000
Land Area: 111 sq. mi.

British Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands

Population: 21,700
Land Area: 59 sq. mi.

Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands

Population: 42,000
Land Area: 100 sq. mi.

Cuba

Cuba

Population: 11,000,000

Land Area: 42,803 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja is the favorite dish of most Cubans living in the Homeland and abroad. It is made with braised or shredded beef, seasoned and marinated with peppers and onions.

 

Curacao
Curacao

Population: 170,000
Land Area: 171 sq. mi.

Dominica

Dominica

Population: 70,000

Land Area: 291 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Mountain Chicken

Mountain Chicken or frog legs, colloquially referred to as crapaud, pronounced – crappo, is heavily seasoned and stewed, boiled or fried until golden brown and then served with white rice, rice & peas, or provisions Prepared as a main entre. So tastily done, you won’t believe it wasn’t chicken.

 

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

Population: 8,800,000

Land Area: 48,730 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Sancocho

Pronounced San-co-cho. Soup with vegetable or ground provisions such as yams, yucca, potatoes etc and a variety of meats. Prepared as a main entre.

 

Grenada

Grenada

Population: 89,300

Land Area: 133 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Oil Down

Made with ground provisions, including breadfruit and served with pig tail, salt beef or your choice of meat. Prepared as a main entre.

 

Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe

Population: 443,000
Land Area: 658 sq. mi.

Guyana

Guyana

Population: 700,000

Land Area: 82,978 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Pepper Pot

Made with casreep- (cassava extract) and beef or choice of meat, served with white rice or black eye or split peas & rice, Spicy. Served as a main entree.

 

Haiti

Haiti

Population: 7,500,000

Land Area: 10,711 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Griots with Rice & Beans

Griots (pork) with beans and rice.
Griots are a very tasty Haitian treat made by boiling and then frying cubes of pork. Served as a main entre and complimented with riz et pois( rice and peas) or riz djon-djon and bananes pesees. Most Haitian eat their griots with burning hot Ti-Malice sauce.

 

Jamaica

Jamaica

Population: 2,700,000

Land Area: 4,244 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Ackee & Salt Fish

Ackee is a pear sized fruit, when prepared it resembles scrambled eggs, salt fish is boiled to extract most of the saltiness. Seasoned well and served mainly as a breakfast meal.

 

Martinique

Martinique

Population: 393,000

Land Area: 110 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Grilled Snapper with Sauce au Chien

Sauce au Chien or creole sauce, made with chiva, onions, parsley, tomatoes, peppers and other spices alongside grilled snapper is hot . Prepared as a main entree. While there seems to be a debate on the number of national dishes, Martiniquans all agree that this is a national pleaser

Marinated Codfish and Green Bananas

Another Local favorite main entre.

 

Montserrat
Montserrat

Population: 9,000
Land Area: 35 sq. mi.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico

Population: 4,000,000

Land Area: 3,514 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Arroz con Gandulez and Pernil

Rice with pigeon peas and pork shoulder. Much like rice and peas with your choice of meat. Prepared as a main entre.

 

Saba
Saba

Population: 1,300
Land Area: 13 sq. mi.

St Barthelemy
St Barthelemy

Population: 6,500
Land Area: 10 sq. mi.

St Eustatius
St Eustatius

Population: 2,800
Land Area: 21 sq. mi.

St Kitts & Nevis

St Kitts & Nevis

Population: 38,800

Land Area: 100 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Stewed Salt Fish with Dumplings,Spicy Plantains & Breadfruit

Stewed salt fish with coconut dumplings & spicy (ripe) plantains served together with seasoned breadfruit, boiled in chicken broth, This medley was recently created as a Kititian & Nevisian national dish, served as a main entre.

St Lucia

St Lucia

Population: 160,000

Land Area: 239 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Green Fig & Salt Fish

Green Figs are green bananas boiled or stewed and served with salt fish. Prepared as a breakfast meal.

St Martin

St Martin

Population: 65,000

Land Area: 37 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Conch & Dumplings

(Dutch)

The conch is pounded and then pressure cooked with seasonings. The dumplings are prepared with flour, water and with or without cornmeal . The thick sauce from the conch and dumplings is used as gravy. Prepared as a main entre.

St Vincent & the Grenadines

St Vincent

Population: 116,800

Land Area: 150 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Roasted Breadfruit & Fried Jackfish

Roasted Breadfruit & Fried Jackfish, and not Boiling, as was previously submitted, is proported to be the National dish of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
This dish is often served with Golden Apple Drink, which happens to be the National Drink.

Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago

Population: 1,200,000

Land Area: 1,979 sq. mi.

National Dish:

Crab & Calaloo

Trini’s love their crab & calaloo. The calaloo is prepared in a unique specially blended style that almost resembles an interesting (dark green) soupy, gravy/stew like concoction, well seasoned and flavorful. The crab is prepared tender and delicious Served as a main entree.

Turks & Caicos
Turks & Caicos

Population: 19,500
Land Area: 166 sq. mi.

US Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands

Population: 125,000
Land Area: 136 sq. mi.

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