Trinidad and Tobago

These Caribbean islands are right off the coast of Venezuela and have been influenced by the cooking of Spain, Portugal, France, Dutch, China, Africa, Creole, and India.

The food is spicy with curry being the most popular food. Whilst any meat can be curried the preferences are for chicken, goat and duck. The ever popular  "stew chicken" is a great example of a curry-like dish, If you can't tolerate extremely hot and spicy food be sure to let the cook or waiter know in advance.

When African slaves came to Trinidad, they brought their robust stews and one-pot comfort foods. This food type is commonly known as Creole. A dish to try is the famous “ callaloo”, a soup made from green leafy vegetables, similar to spinach or kale, sometimes with crab or pigtail added (vegetarians beware!)

The Indian influences are strong evidenced by the many dishes and snacks available. Popular throughout the islands are tasty rotis, Indian flatbreads stuffed with chickpea curry, usually some meat, and other items (including green beans also known as "bodi", pumpkin, and mangoes). But the most popular fast snack is  'doubles' - curried chick peas enclosed in two pieces of fried bread, and served with your choice of condiments. It is a roadside snack, available everywhere.

Chinese restaurants are everywhere on the islands.  Be sure to try dasheen pork, a Chinese-inspired delicacy that originated in Trinidad. It is a highly seasoned combination of "dasheen" (a ground tuber) and pork

Barbecued chicken is another popular dish. It is similar to "Western " barbecue, but with local spices. There are roadside barbecue stands that sell a box of barbecued chicken (quarter) with fries, salad and garlic bread.

Local bakeries sell pastries such as beef and chicken pies and currant rolls. They also sell "hops" bread which are rolls made with white or whole wheat flour. Hops bread is best eaten hot and can be enjoyed with cheese or butter for a quick snack. If you have a sweet tooth, there are many local sweets and candies to sample.

This introduction has been sourced from the following sites: Please visit them for more information.

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