Native Foods
On the street and at the beachYou'll find African and East Indian influences in delicious, spicy and sweet dishes everywhere. One of the best ways to sample Trinidad and Tobago's native cuisine is on the street or at the beach. Savor the flavorsNative foods taste better. Maybe it's because they're seasoned with tradition. If you've never had fungi, ackee, kallaloo, souse, sofrito, johnny cake or shark n bake, you need to eat around the islands. Mofongo!It's a Puerto Rican specialty, served alone or stuffed with chicken, beef or seafood. It is served both as a main meal and a side dish, and often shaped in a tower or rolled into a ball. La BombonaraIn a city that embraces buildings from the 1500's, a 107-year-old cafeteria may not seem especially newsworthy. But La Bombonera, in Old San Juan, is a refreshing haven for native food. |
VideoFeature StoriesIsland aphrodisiacsTraditional foods for love, like oysters and chocolate, may make you warm and fuzzy. But to really turn the heart up, you might want to explore special potions from the cupids of the Caribbean. Click for more. A Rasta dayWe can embrace positive concepts from Jamaica's Rastafarians, which can improve our planet and ourselves. Click for more. The Miss Lucy's experienceYou won’t find any restaurant more island authentic than Miss Lucy’s in Friis Bay, just outside St. John’s Coral Bay. I dined at Miss Lucy's my first day in St. John. That was over 13 years ago, and it keeps getting better. Click for more. Island breakfast means more than eggsMackerel and bananas, roast breadfruit with salt fish, fried dumplings, fritters, dumb bread with home made jam, washed down with chocolate, bush and mint tea were popular West Indian breakfast items. Click for more. Turks and Caicos celebrates conchIt’s ubiquitous here in the Caribbean. So why not dedicate a festival to its flavor – and the zillion ways to prepare and eat it? Check out the annual Conch Festival every November in Turks and Caicos. Click for more. Contemporary Caribbean cuisineContemporary Caribbean cuisine or new Caribbean cuisine isn’t as well known as Italian French or Mexican. But if devotees and culinary trendsetters have their way, it will become part of the world wide culinary encyclopedia. Click for more. Puerto Rico's holiday nogCoquito, a drink as delightful and festive as it sounds, is a Christmas holiday staple in Puerto Rico. Ingredients vary according to family traditions and tastes. Click for more. Magnificent mangos!The mango, known as the apple of the tropics, is the most widely consumed fruit in the world. Even festivals are held in its honor. Click for more. A West Indian buffetCarambola Beach Resort and Spa, on St. Croix’s north shore, offers extraordinary buffets. The resort’s year round Friday night Pirate’s Buffet, featuring native dishes, has become almost as legendary as Blackbeard. Click for more. Try new fruits and rootsEveryone knows about Caribbean coconuts. Mango and papaya have a loyal following. This summer why not add more obscure fruits and roots like soursop and carambola or cassava to your diet? Click for more. St.Maarten's sweetest exportGuavaberry has long been the legendary liqueur of Saint Maarten, where residents have made it for hundreds of years. The exotic elixir has a spicy, bitter-sweet flavor. Click for more. Trinidad and Tobago's street foodsYou'll find African and East Indian influences in delicious, spicy and sweet dishes everywhere. One of the best ways to sample Trinidad and Tobago's native cuisine is on the street or at the beach. Click for more. |