Five authentic street foods you should try out whenever you are in the Caribbean

You have not experienced the Caribbean in its entirety when vacationing till you have tried some tasty Caribbean street food.

Food is a big part of any culture, especially Caribbean culture because you get to experience the island in a way the islanders do, nibbling on finger licking street food, as well as, taking a dive in the exotic beaches.

The islands get many tourists all year round and a quick way to save money and have a good meal is to go the street food way. Pass by the street food stalls to interact with real Caribbean culture and send your taste buds on a journey of a lifetime.

Here are some of the authentic Caribbean street foods that can give your vacation the added flavor it needs:

 

Jamaican Jerk

This spicy food originated from Kingston, Jamaica and its very popular on the other islands as well. You get to enjoy mostly chicken or meat cooked with a blend of chilli peppers, thyme and allspice. Note that some locals add their own twist to the jerk seasoning, but they are all very flavourful. Don’t be alarmed when you find jerk fish and sometimes vegetables also in the food stalls.

 

Patties

A favorite of the Dominicans and Jamaicans, these spicy soft-centred pastries will have you snacking even at midnight. Shaped like a shell or half-moon, patties are filled with indigenous Caribbean spices mixed with beef and chicken. Almost every takeout shop stocks patties as well and they cost just a few dollars.

Photo: YouTubeBake and Shark

There are many seafood dishes to try in the Caribbean, but the people pleaser is this snack made with fried shark and served with fried dough and or buns topped with other flavourful condiments. The islands of Trinidad and Tobago is the ideal place to grab this snack especially at the Maracas Beach in Trinidad.

Goat Stew

This street food is a delicacy for many in the Caribbean like Montserrat, the islands of Bonaire and Aruba and Jamaica. Every vendor claims to sell the best goat stew, and Jamaicans usually infuse some Indian flavors to make their stew into a curry not leaving out scotch bonnet peppers. What you have to look out for are the bones from the goat. They are not taken out because they add to the flavor of the stew.

Doubles

Doubles are rather cheap but tasty street food. Also made with chickpeas (channa) wrapped in thin fried dough (barra), they sell fast in Trinidad. They make for a good breakfast or a quick snack before lunch. Be warned, you might end up ordering a few more rounds after your first bite and it might end up actually being your lunch.