After hearing the word “Caribbean,” the first thing that comes to your mind is the fascinating natural beauty, nice beaches with soft white sands, luxurious resorts, jungles, and rich wildlife. All these things are great, but most people don’t know that Caribbean cuisine has various must-try dishes you don’t want to miss the chance to taste while you are there!. Food can tell a lot about culture, and traditional dishes recipes are passed down from generation to generation as a part of people’s culture. The Caribbean is known for having different cultures, which result in a wide variety of delicious dishes. It is not easy to choose what dish to try among Caribbean cuisine food; Besides all the fun Caribbean activities here are seven must-try mouthwatering dishes to enjoy in the Caribbean.
Jerk’s chicken
This is one of the most famous Caribbean dishes. Jamaica’s Jerk’s chicken is very popular across the island. Either in fancy restaurants or beachside cabins, you can find Jerk’s chicken everywhere. If you love spicy chicken and its strong flavor, this dish is definitely for you. Chicken rubbed with spices, a mixture of pimentos, cinnamon, thyme, cloves, nutmeg, and peppers. Grilled or barbecued, the chicken will savor all the rich flavor. The Jerk’s chicken is often served with sweet potato. It is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. You don’t want to miss such a mouthwatering dish.
Goat stew
Goat stew is a popular Caribbean dish that can be prepared differently depending on what island you are visiting. In some islands, the dish has more curry, and the soup texture is thicker. Slow-cooked goat meat with aromatic spices, cloves, and vegetables. The curry powder and chili give the dish an extra spicy flavor. It is often served with rice, potato, or bread. Goat stew is an Asian rooted dish, but it is popular in Caribbean cuisine. You can choose to have it in light or rich flavor to suit your taste.
Flying fish and Coucou
Have you heard of “ The land of flying fish”? Flying fish is the national dish of Barbados. The flying fish gets its name because this kind of fish can skim 200 feet over the water surface. The fish is steamed and combined with lime juice, onion, tomato, vegetables, and spices. This mouthwatering dish is usually served with tasty spicy sauce and Coucou, similar to polenta, made of cornmeal cooked with water, okra, and butter. This local seafood must be on your list for dishes you want to try during your journey to the Caribbean.
Callaloo
Callaloo is one of the most popular Caribbean vegetable side dishes inspired by African culture and adopted successfully by Caribbean cuisine. Depending on local vegetable availability, it can be made in different ways across Caribbean Islands. Lightly steamed fresh leafy greens like amaranth and taro cooked with coconut milk, okra, and peppers. Callaloo makes soups and patties tastier. It is served with meat and other seafood. Callaloo is the best side dish to have with crab as well. You have to try this delicious dish at least once.
Pepperpot
If you are a stew lover, you definitely want to try out the aromatic Caribbean Pepperpot. The delicious smell of boiling Pepperpot is sure mouthwatering. The ingredients include different kinds of vegetables, spinach, onion, potatoes, squash, eggplant, and okra. The stew is cooked into a thick mixture with spices, and it differs from one island to another. Many fruit and vegetables can be added to the dish determined by its availability on each island to make different types of stews, and it is usually adjusted for each pot. The most commonly used ingredient with Pepperpot is salted beef and cornmeal dumplings.
Ackee and saltfish
Ackee and saltfish make the best breakfast. It is the Jamaican national dish, and Jamaicans love to have it for breakfast or lunch. If you love salty food, you should try out this tasty dish. The fish gets salt-curing until it’s drying out of the water, then the fishes get soaked overnight so the water can remove most of the salt, keeping the tasty flavor. The salt fish is served with Ackee, which is a delicious yellow fruit mixed with onions, spices, and pepper. The unique flavor makes Ackee and saltfish one of the must-try Caribbean dishes.
Plantains
Plantains are the perfect addition to any Caribbean dish in Caribbean cuisine. Plantains look like a banana, and it is a fruit and a part of the banana family! But there is a huge difference between the two. While you can eat the raw banana, you have to cook the plantains before eating it. The plantains have a soft texture and sweet taste when cooked, making them the best side-serving. It is served as a fried or grilled side dish with chicken and rice.
Conclusion
These were our recommendations for a couple of must-try mouthwatering Caribbean dishes you can enjoy having during your Caribbean vacation. The Caribbean cuisine is full of flavored, tasty dishes made of fresh ingredients; the combination of these ingredients with herbs spices gives the Caribbean dishes this unique taste.
Your journey won’t be complete without sampling these mixed cultural Caribbean dishes. No matter what Caribbean Island you decide to spend your vacation in, you will definitely find new dishes to expand your food palate
