One thing about us from the Caribbean is we love “we belly”.  The West Indies is often described as a paradise right here on earth given the natural beauty of the islands.  However; as much as you can find welcoming people, white sand beaches, and waterfalls throughout the islands basking in the Caribbean Sea, what is unique to each and every island is all about the taste buds, their National Dish. 

In this article, we will briefly highlight want is considered the national dish of each island.

Jamaica – Ackee and Saltfish 

The firm yellow ackee fruit is boiled until it is tender. This is then paired with saltfish or cod which is made with a bunch of different spices mixed with herbs. Delightfully, although the flavor of the ackee is mild it pairs perfectly with the saltfish’s saltiness. 

 

Trinidad – Pelau 

This one-pot dish is a medley of spices, herbs, and meat.  It is a traditional rice dish whose main ingredients are meat (usually chicken or beef), rice, pigeon peas or cowpeas, coconut milk, and sugar; various vegetables and spices are optional. Spices used in the dish include cardamom, cloves, cumin, and coriander. The meat is caramelized (browned with burnt sugar) and the other ingredients are then added one by one, resulting in a dark brown stew. It is often served with a portion of coleslaw. 

 

Barbados – Flying Fish and Cou-Cou 
The flying fish is skillfully boned then rolled and stewed in a gravy of herbs, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and butter. Cou-Cou is similar to polenta and is traditionally made with yellow cornmeal and cooked with finely chopped okra, water, and butter. However, Cou-Cou can also be made with breadfruit and green bananas and served with either salt fish or beef stew.

 

St. Lucia – Green Fig and Saltfish 

St. Lucia’s national dish is a traditional Caribbean dish called green figs and saltfish. The dish is made with green unripe bananas, which are boiled and paired with saltfish (salted cod) done up with herbs and spices. 

 

St. Vincent & The Grenadines – Roast Breadfruit & Fried Jack Fish 

With this traditional dish, the whole breadfruit is roasted over an open fire until it is slightly charred from the outside, while its center remains soft and tender. The fish is usually marinated in lemon juice before it is dusted in flour and fried until crispy. The dish is typically accompanied by a sauce that incorporates onions, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, or other vegetables and herbs.

 

Guyana – Guyanese Pepperpot

This taste bud exciting dish is made when beef and pork are stewed together for a few hours, alongside spicy peppers, cinnamon sticks, cloves, thyme, and more spices and herbs. The unique thing about Pepperpot is that it is best when eaten a few days after making it. Cassareep, the main ingredient in the dish, acts as a natural preservative for the stew, meaning that you can continue to eat it long after a normal stew has gone bad. 

 

Cuba – Ropa Vieja 

The beef is braised to lock in the flavor, and cooked until tender. It’s then shredded and added to a rich sauce of sweet tomatoes, aromatic garlic, and a variety of spices. The result: the ultimate comfort food. Aesthetically, it’s reminiscent of shredded old clothes (hence the name), but gastronomically, it’s a harmony of flavors as intoxicating as the island’s salsa music. 

Puerto Rico – Arroz con Gandules 

Arroz con Gandules is a combination of rice, pigeon peas, and pork cooked in the same pot with sofrito.

 

 

Haiti – Diri Ak Djon Djon 

This Haitian dish consists of rice combined with black mushrooms. During the boiling process, these mushrooms release a natural coloring (gray to black), giving the dish its distinctive colors and flavors. 

 

The British Virgin Islands – Fish and Fungi

Dating back to the times of slavery, when the law allowed each slave to have six quarts of cornmeal and six salted herrings weekly, fish and fungi remained a staple food of the British Virgin Islands and is the islands’ national dish. Fungi, also spelled fungee and pronounced “foon-gee”, are not mushrooms, but okra cooked into a thick mash with the addition of cornmeal and water.

 

Guadeloupe – Porc Colombo 

The national dish of Guadeloupe is Porc Columbo which is pork seasoned with herbs and spices such as allspice, cinnamon, thyme, and curry powder. The seasoned pork is stewed with green pepper, chopped onion, garlic, sweet potato, diced tomato, and spicy seasoning peppers.

Grenada – Oil Down 

The famous one-pot stew is a community favorite, appearing at festivals, parties, and get-togethers. With salted beef, chicken or fish, dumplings, coconut milk, turmeric, veggies, and breadfruit as the major components, it’s a simple, comforting dish that’s packed full of flavor.

 

 

 

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