Discover Trinidad & Tobago 2017 (#28)

When in Trini…
You’ll find creative iterations of some of these local favourites at fine dining
restaurants, but they’re perhaps best served up at more low-key spots on
the roadside, by the beach, and at creole eateries. Some hot-spots are St
James, Woodbrook, Curepe, Long Circular Road, Maracas Bay, and Debe
(especially for Indian food).
Here are some favourites you should try:
n Buljol: shredded saltfish mixed with onions, tomatoes and olive oil, often served with coconut
bake
n Bake-and-fish: the tradition is shark but, for environmental sustainability, we strongly suggest
substituting flying fish, mahi mahi, squid/calamari, carite, tilapia, wahoo, lionfish — or a
vegetarian option — to go with the fried leavened bread (bake). We promise it will taste just as
good, and be much better for our ecology!
n Callaloo: soup made from dasheen leaves, coconut milk, ochroes, pumpkin, and sometimes
salted meat or crab
n Chow: fruit (like mango, pineapple or plums) pickled in vinegar, salt, and pepper
n Corn soup: a split peas-based soup with corn and dumplings
n Doubles: soft, fried, flour-and-split-pea shell (barra) filled with curried chick peas
n Pastelle: seasoned meat, lentils or soya with olives, capers, and raisins in a cornmeal casing and
steamed in banana leaves — a Christmas staple
n Pelau: a one-pot dish of rice, pigeon peas, and meat, often cooked in coconut milk
n Roti: a hefty flour wrap (often with ground split peas) filled with your choice of curried vegetables
and/or meat.
Tip: Authorised vendors display food badges that certify official health inspection and approval.
courtesy the tourism development company
Coconut bake and buljol
22 discovertnt.com