West Indian & Caribbean Food on Grenada Island

Island Seafood, Spices & Traditional Dishes, Pepperpot, Callaloo

Oct 28, 2009

Caribbean Food on Grenada is as colourful and varied as the people, an enticing blend of cultures which has placed West Indian cuisine in a class of its own.

Grenada is a lush island, a gift for small farmers who make the most of the fertile soil and seasonal rain. Street stalls and markets are awash with fresh produce and housewives are expert at preparing a traditional dish or two for the family. There are plenty of spices on Grenada, the perfect complement to West Indian and Caribbean food.

Meanwhile fishermen land their catch on the beach to the delight of street cooks and top chefs who do wonders with the island’s seafood. Restaurants abound and cater to all budgets, from casual beach bars and roadside eateries to luxury hotels with unrivaled views.

Grenada claims more spices per square mile than any other country. Top of the list is nutmeg, imported from East India by the British in the late 18th century. It is still a major export and the aroma fills the streets of Gouyave where visitors can tour the processing plant and nearby plantation. The fruit yield two spices, nutmeg and mace.

Nutmeg is widely used in egg and cheese traditional dishes, as well as desserts and cakes while the delicate flavour of mace goes well with light food.

Other popular spices in Grenada include cinnamon and ginger, allspice, cloves and turmeric. Bay leaves and fiery bird peppers are also used.

The island seafood comes into its own on Fish Friday in Gouyave, a weekly event when locals gather under the stars to feast and be merry to the rhythm of calypso or reggae. Salted fishcakes, snapper, lobster, shrimps, marlin, it’s all there, steamed, fried or grilled with optional lashings of hot pepper sauce.

Those who shy away from the crowds will find delicious treats any time around the island. There are conch fritters and chilled lobster mousse, tuna with crushed yam and spinach-like callaloo, tender mahi mahi, king fish and flying fish with coucou made from corn, okra and herbs.

West Indian Food, Traditional Dishes, Pepperpot, Callaloo

West Indian food is rich in flavour from fried plantains and curries to crab meat soup with peppers and okra or spicy meat or vegetable wraps. Opossum is a delicacy and there is pickled pig and the aromatic pepperpot where anything goes into the pan, spiced up with peppers, onions, chives, garlic and more.

Callaloo soup is a healthy starter, oildown, the traditional national dish, is a filling stew of salted meat and fresh vegetables steamed in coconut milk. It’s best followed by a light dessert, juicy mangoes in season or a cool soursop or nutmeg ice cream.

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