Come on in, make yourself at home, and get ready for one of the best meals of your life. If your idea of the perfect holiday involves diving into the destination’s best food and drink, then look no further. Known as the Culinary Capital of the Caribbean, Barbados has some of the most magnificent produce in the Caribbean – think the freshest, straight-from-the-ocean fish and seafood, not to mention plump, juicy exotic fruit from mangoes to guava, rich, earthy produce like cassava and sweet potatoes, plus zingy spices and flavoursome herbs.
The local cuisine is big on tasty, traditional dishes, but within the island’s dynamic food scene you’ll also find everything from Michelin-starred dining to street food stalls and beachside bars. Essentially, if you love food and drink, then a trip to Barbados simply must make it onto your ‘to do’ list. Not only do you get to enjoy delicious treats of the widest variety, but you also get to do it surrounded by the most beautiful island in the world. Sharpen your tastebuds and dig in…
Traditional treats
Thanks to the prevalence of one particular sea creature, Barbados is known as ‘the land of the flying fish’. The island’s national dish sees fresh, seasoned fillets served with cou-cou, a creamy blend of okra and cornmeal. Other traditional dishes you’ll definitely encounter include pepperpot, a delicious, simmered meat stew made with cinnamon, hot peppers and spices; jug-jug, a haggis-like mix of salted meat, onions, peas and cornflower; and, if you’re there in November, conkies, a sweet delicacy blending cornmeal, coconut, pumpkin and sweet potato generally made around Independence Day.
If you’ve still got room, you should also try pudding and souse, a dish of pickled pork with spiced sweet potatoes; roast breadfruit; Bajan chicken soup with dumplings; coconut bread; and ‘bakes’, a fried pastry made with just sugar, water and flour. Don’t forget to brave adding a dash or two of locally-made hot pepper sauce to liven things up!
Get a sense of the local atmosphere at Oistins’ weekly fish-fry; every Friday at this charming little village on the island’s South Coast, stallholders gather by the fish market and get grilling, offering the likes of lobster, mahi-mahi, tuna, shrimps and swordfish, all to be enjoyed while soaking up the lively scene.
Tours and tastings
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