Barbados food and drink

Two parallel worlds live without really rub: that of Bajans, ranging from fish fry snacketteen, and the tourists, who frequent the restaurants especially chic resorts and hotels. The former are as affordable as the latter are expensive. Only real link is the presence of fresh fish and exotic fruits. Otherwise, almost everything is different.

Snacks

A simple snacks? The Bajans have adapted some English classics such as fish studs (flying fish & chips), and adopted two Indian classical: the roti, a kind of falafel stuffed with all sorts of curry, and samosas, the fritters topped with triangular potatoes, vegetables and / or meat. In Snackette, typically found barbecued chicken, hot dogs and pizza. Some U.S. fast food are well established, like Kentucky Fried Chicken, the chicken (drum) is a lot of fans over here ... We should also mention the cutters, sandwiches in buns (salt bread) topped with ham, flying fish, fried eggs, cheese, stew, etc..

Dishes

To start a meal, you can bet on Bajan fish cakes, cod fritters, served with a spicy sauce. The national dish is flying fish along with cou-cou. What is this strange bird? A mixture of polenta and okra (okra), vegetable of African origin as the basis for many stews. They become slimy while cooking. Fish, it is prepared in a tomato sauce with onion, shallot, garlic and various herbs. The neck-neck can also be prepared with plantains and fruit of the breadfruit tree.

Another classic, the saltfish buljol is a dish from Trinidad incorporating cod, tomatoes and onions. Excellent! We also eat swordfish, barracuda, tuna, snapper (red snapper), the Saupe (chub), the wahoo (kingfish) and dolphin fish. No, this is not the dolphin, but the mahimahi, also known as dolphinfish dorado.

You will also find lobster (usually imported from neighboring islands), crab, conch (fried), the sea cat (octopus!) Of sea eggs (urchins), shrimp - coconut crust, or perhaps even in a pepper jelly, with the English. Remember that the trend is spicy!

On Friday night, do not miss the big fish fry in Oistins fresh fish barbecued in a festive atmosphere. Then we dance.

Those who do not like the fish will fall back on more British-inspired dishes, roast pork type (in cauliflower), roast beef (with potatoes), oxtail stew or lamb hilarious mint (yes, yes, we still find). Accompanying rice & peas come (rice and peas) flavored with coconut milk, sweet potato pie or yams, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, macaroni pie and other essential lightness inspired by traditions from across the English Channel.

Indian influences are also notable: in addition to rotis and samosas, we meet frequently chicken curry, tandoori and biryani.

More locally, there is the pepper pot, in fact a Native American recipe (Guyana) prepared in most English-speaking Caribbean islands. It's kind of pork stew, possibly beef, lamb or chicken, bathed in a dark sauce made from cassava, pepper and cinnamon. Otherwise, on Saturday, look for the signs and take the risk of testing a pudding and souse Keseksa ...? Just a sweet potato pudding with a kind of pie cheap cuts of pork (head, tail and feet in general!).

What you eat in the big restaurants has not much to do with it. You will find international cuisine and fusion cuisine, with influences mostly Asian or Indian than English and Bajan. The choice is vast and the quality to go, but hello prices ... If you go out for dinner at night, do not forget to dress a little class - no jeans or tennis, then this is British land!

Beverages

A good pint of stout British often accompanies the meal, unless you prefer blondes to brunettes ... In this case, a local Banks to be ordered - do not forget to checkout.

As an aperitif, doubt seized the drinker. Beer or rum? The Mount Gay, distilled in Barbados since 1703, is one of the oldest in the world ... The elixirs white rum made countless cocktails, mixed with various fruit juices, rum old is eaten alone, at fair value.

And if you flee the degrees on the bottle, try the mauby, a concoction reminiscent of root beer American, derived from the bark of a shrub.