In honor of Caribbean Heritage Month, I’ve compiled a list of food staples from various islands, countries and territories in the Caribbean that everyone should try! These are in no particular order, and, of course, do not cover every single Caribbean nation nor all of their foods, but I hope this list provides a good place to start your journey into Caribbean delicacies!

Trinidad & Tobago – Bake and Shark

Bake and Shark is fried dough cut open and fried shark inserted between.

Pelau

Pelau is a dish made with pigeon peas and chicken cooked with fresh herbs and coconut milk then flavored and colored with Burnt Sugar.

Dominican Republic – Mangu con salami y queso frito

Mangu con salami y queso frito are mashed plantains with fried Salami and fried cheese.

Haiti – Griot ak Diri Kole

Griot is pork shoulders cut into pieces, marinated and deep fried and is normally served with bannan peze (fried and smashed plantain), pickliz (cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables soaked in vinegar to make a relish), and diri kole (rice and beans).

Mayi Moulen Kole ak Legim

Mayi moulen kole ak legim is cornmeal, beans and vegetable stew.

Jamaica – Ackee and Saltfish

Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica. Ackee and saltfish is a combination of salt cod sautéed with boiled ackee, onions, Scotch Bonnet peppers, tomatoes and spices. It is usually served with breadfruit, hard dough bread, fried dumplings, fried plantain or boiled green bananas.

Curry Chicken and White Rice

Jamaican curry chicken is typically cooked with curry powder, spices, vegetables and water to create savory sauce. It is typically served over white rice with potatoes.

Barbados – Flying Fish and Cou-Cou

Flying fish is fried and cooked with vegetables and special sauce and served with cou-cou which is made from either cornmeal and okra or breadfruit and green bananas, depending on occasion.

Grenada – Oil Down (“ile dung”)

Oil Down is a stew made with salted meat (preferably pig tails), and a medley of onion, carrot, celery, peppers, dasheen, breadfruit (a starchy melon) and coconut milk.

St. Lucia – Bouyon

Bouyon is fish or chicken with plantains, bananas, yams and dumplings.

Antigua and Barbuda – Pepperpot

Pepperpot is a hearty vegetable stew with salted meat often served with fungee, which is cornmeal and okra dumplings.

Puerto Rico – Mofongo

Mofongo is a stew of beef, chicken, pork, or seafood which is mashed together with a pile of plantains, formed into a mound and covered in a garlicky broth.

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