SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

Food on these islands comes from the surrounding oceans. The produce and spices thrive in the forests of St. Vincent & The Grenadines too. Some of these foods arrived with the earliest settlers. With both native and imported goods from ages ago, plantains, sweet potatoes, pineapples, maize, bananas, cassava, coconuts, beans and more are all utilized in the cuisine. Fresh fish as well as tubers grown in the rich volcanic soil make for some of the most flavorful and memorable meals. Be sure to try these foods when you visit St. Vincent & The Grenadines!

 

Breadfruit

Breadfruit represents St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a symbol and is all over the islands. It’s of course found in the food but is also found adorning carvings on flowerpots, pottery and more. It’s usually roasted whole over flames then split open. The flesh is then scooped out. In fact, the national dish of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is this breadfruit served with fried jack fish. There is an annual Breadfruit Festival held every August with plenty of music, dancing, and truly divine preparations of breadfruit to sample.

 

Arrowroot

From the lush hillsides in northeast St. Vincent in Owia, arrowroot grows natively. It’s also one of the last places on earth that produces arrowroot for consumption as well as trade. This starchy food, often called a tuber, grows underground. It’s cleaned, pulped, and then dried so it can be ground into a flour. It’s gluten-free too and makes the best breads, cakes, biscuits, even jellies and sauces. One of the best things to try with arrowroot is mandongo dumplings which are usually baked or fried along with nutmeg and coconut for a tropical treat.

 

Seafood

The waters that surround St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the perfect source for fish. You’ll find plenty of it served up fresh daily including Mahi-mahi, Tuna, Snapper, Bonito, and Kingfish. On St. Vincent’s west coast in the village of Barroualli, black fish, also known as pilot whale, is a delicacy you must try. You’ll also find delights of the sea like octopus, squid, queen conch, and everyone’s favorite crustacean, lobster. It’s served baked, fried, spiced simply, or even red-hot. Billjau is a stew of salted fish with tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, and coconut oil. It’s something you simply shouldn’t miss.

 

Provisions and Produce

Starchy vegetables that grow underground and the abundant fruits of the trees growing in St. Vincent are referred to as provisions. Potatoes, yams, tania, dasheen, carrots, plantains, and bananas are all provisions and you’ll find them served mashed, fried, and baked into delightful breads that are both sweet and savory as well as biscuits, and popping up in other side dishes. Other fruits and grains grow in the rich volcanic island soil like tomatoes, peppers, rice, eggplant, cabbage, coconut, and ginger. Banana fritters are a simple yet heavenly snack you have to try. They coat slices of banana in flour and fry them up in coconut oil. Another great thing to try is fresh boil, which is made by adding whatever fish is in season to a pot filled with a bountiful array of these provisions along with peppers and seasonings all boiled together.

 

Drinks

Once upon a time, St. Vincent and the Grenadines were covered in sugar plantations. These yielded plenty of molasses for rum making. Banana plantations took over for a time, but the recent resurgence of interest in the making of rum is financially rooted. It’s profitable for the islands and the people who live here so rum is being made again. The distillery on the island produces St. Vincent Golden and Red rums. Sunset Captain Bligh rum is another one. You should try them straight first though if that’s too intense, mixing them into tropical cocktails is always a blissful way to enjoy your time on the islands. Hairoun beer is also produced here. It comes in several different flavors. One of them is mauby which is a mix of local spices and tree barks. Another one is ginger. Try them both and see which one you like best.