The twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, part of the West Indies, enjoys a rich melting-pot cuisine derived from a multitude of far-flung cultures: Indian, African, Syrian, Lebanese, Italian, Chinese, Arabian and Creole. Over the course of its history, colonizers, laborers, and slaves all left their mark on the islands’ food, producing a delicious and uncommon diversity, even for the Caribbean. Particularly on Trinidad—the larger of the two…
Recipe: Pigeon Peas + Rice from the Bahamas
Courtesy of The Foreign Fork
Bacon fries in one pan and then cooks alongside rice and peas to make this scrumptious main or side dish. A one-pan wonder and 40 minutes from start to finish, this dish is…
Recipe From Afar: Ducana, Antigua and Barbuda
In honor of our month of Caribbean food on social media, we have a recipe for ducana, one of our favorite Antiguan dishes, provided by our friends at The Foreign Fork. Ducana is a dumpling made of grated sweet potato, coconut, cinnamon, and other seasonings that’s wrapped in a banana leaf, boiled in water,…
How Americans Can Travel Independently to Cuba: 5 Steps
Centro Habana
It may not be as easy as hopping on a flight to the Bahamas. But there’s no place on Earth like Cuba—and it’s not nearly as hard (or illegal) to get there as the U.S. government…
In the Bahamas, to Conch or Not to Conch?
It’s a famously overexploited, not quite endangered, species. But when conch is on every menu in town, there’s got to be a ton of ’em, right? A look at that beloved Caribbean mollusk, the queen conch—and how to help protect it.
Shell…
In Remote Jamaica, Jerk Chicken, Mellow Beaches, And a Toddler
Team EYW was recently in Port Antonio, where the Blue Mountains meet the sea in northeast Jamaica, to cover the north coast’s local foods for this site. The birthplace of jerk, this gorgeously green, serene region is one that rewards an exploratory…
Snapshots from Antigua
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When we visited Antigua this winter, it was with the intention of relaxing on the beach, not driving all over the island hunting for local food. Well, relax on the beach we did, but with a rental car and an unwillingness to eat overpriced Italian food every night,…
Dish Spotlight: Goat Water, on Antigua
On the Caribbean island of Antigua, you hear the word “water” used to describe many a local dish—conch water, cockle (clam) water, goat water. But fear not: Watery broths these are not. Preparations vary, but chances are you’ll receive a very flavorful soup or even stew…
Hunting for Antiguan Food
On Antigua, knowledge is power when seeking island cuisine, as the tourism industry and an apparent weekends-only policy conspire to keep some local dishes just out of reach.
On the Caribbean island of Antigua last weekend, our local-food queries were most frequently greeted…
A few summers ago, I conducted my graduate-school research at a health clinic in a batey, or rural community, about an hour north of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. Punta Cana’s high-end resorts and all-you-can-eat buffets are a stark contrast to the impoverished former sugarcane plantations that make up the bateys in the island’s interior. Electricity is rare and subject to apagaones (blackouts) that can last an…
