With Caribbean and British influences, the local cuisine is, as expected, exciting and includes an impressive array of seafood, fish, and chicken, usually roasted or grilled. What is also noteworthy about the Montserrat food scene is that locals prefer to enjoy several, light meals rather than focus all their attention on cooking a heavier dinner and light-eat the rest of the day like many Europeans tend to do. Finally, their cuisine combines traditions from American, Indian, French, Spanish, African, and other cultures, which is representative of the island’s unique and complex colonial history.
Fast Facts About Montserrat's Cuisine
- The production of sheep, cattle, bananas, and sugar cane marks the island’s agricultural activities due to the hot climate.
- Most of the local dishes include a variety of vegetables and exotic fruits that are either a main ingredient of or featured in sandwich fillings, pasta toppings, and salads.
- The local restaurants specialise in seafood dishes, with the most popular ones being mahi-mahi, jerk shrimp, and lobster cakes.
- The most commonly used flavourings are curry, garlic, pimento, thyme, and hot peppers.
- The most used local ingredients are green beans, breadfruit, cucumbers, carrots, corn, pumpkin, coconut, bananas, pineapple, mangoes, conch, beans, sugar cane, and cabbage.
- The local dress code is casual (as opposed to most Caribbean destinations that favour a more formal dress code when eating out), which means that you can enjoy your dining experiences wearing whatever makes you comfortable.
The Most Popular Montserrat Foods
Goat Water
Most people would expect soup or a dish with lots of liquid, judging by the name of the recipe. Although close, it is not exactly “water”. As you are about to find out, in Montserrat things are not always as they appear, and food is no exception, obviously! So, rather than water, Goat Water is a delicious mix of spices and goat meat and is considered to be the national dish of Montserrat. The meal is prepared like a stew, which is why you will often hear it referred to as “kiddy stew”, and is flavoured with onions, scallions, thyme, green pepper, garlic, cloves, mace, and lots more, including potatoes!
Saltfish
Saltfish is a very common dish in Caribbean cuisine and a Montserrat staple. Also called dried fish, bacalhau, or bacalao, saltfish is fresh white fish (usually cod) that has been salt-cured and dried until it has lost all of its moisture. The reason for it is to help preserve the fish for longer storage. That being said, saltfish is typically cod which has been finely shredded and mixed with various herbs and spices to create dishes whose flavour varies by location (there are several different saltfish recipes across Montserrat). For added flavour, saltfish is cooked with hot peppers, garlic, ginger, and other spices, along with tomatoes and cabbage. Then cooked fish is also showered with tomato sauce and served with rice, cooked vegetables, or breadfruit as a lunch option.
Pumpkin Soup
Healthy and creamy, pumpkin soup is an autumn staple in many countries. In Montserrat, though, it has its very own special spin and a twist that gives the dish a unique taste. Made with a type of pumpkin that only grows in the Caribbean, called the calabaza variety (also known as giraumon in the French West Indies), the soup is very spicy, with a velvet-like texture, and fine (not too thick, not too light or watery) consistency with just the right amount of concentrated flour. The ingredients could vary depending on the location and may include chicken broth, thyme, ginger, garlic, onion, brown sugar, and hot peppers.
Aubergine Patties
Aubergine or eggplant patties are commonly eaten throughout the Caribbean region and in many places across the world. Also referred to as eggplant or aubergine fritters, they are a much-beloved finger food staring at most local events, such as the Carnival. What is special about the Montserrat recipe is the fact that it is made from a few simple ingredients, without lentils or other components usually listed in other aubergine patties’ recipes. To make the Montserrat eggplant fritters, mashed eggplant is blended with pepper, garlic, scallions, and various seasonings and then deep fried in vegetable oil. Before serving the tasty starter (or snack), it is accompanied by a bowl of spicy sauce, giving you the opportunity for even more piquant culinary experiences.
Coconut Mousse
Fluffy and creamy, coconut mousse is a taste bud-caressing dessert with a tropical flavour. As you will notice, it has a small list of ingredients to make the dessert neither too watered down or faint nor too sweet – both of which would distort the pureness of coconut flavour. Instead, the Montserrat take on the classic recipe causes an explosion of tastes inside the palate using only freshly grated coconut, milk, icing sugar, salt, eggs, and cornstarch.
Coconut Scallops
Chances are you have already eaten scallops with coconut in some shape or form (i.e., with the coconut poured over the scallions as a sauce) at some point in your life. However, the Montserrat version is a lot different than the ingredients-packed recipes that want scallions blended with anything from pepper, minced garlic, salt, cooking oil, and zested and juiced lime to grated ginger and coconut cream or milk. The Monserratians prefer their coconut scallops with just avocado and pineapple that blend with coconut oil and large scallops – all cooked together to perfection for a light meal!
Corn Water
You have probably guessed already that this is not corn boiled in water! In fact, it is yet another stew that is quite similar to Goat Water as they are both made with potatoes and spices. In the Corn Water recipe, though, goat meat is substituted with corn. Other than that, the rest of the preparation is the same as in Goat Water.
Most Popular Drinks in Montserrat
As is the case with the rest of the Caribbean islands, rum punches are available throughout the inhabited part of Montserrat. The regional rum punch is called Montserrat Rum Punch. However, local fruit drinks also spark interest on the palate and can be tasted either as fruit juices or as ingredients in local cocktails.
As for those who appreciate plain, humble water and believe in its vitality-giving properties, drinking from the Runaway Ghaut is definitely an option worth considering. In fact, don’t be surprised if you are even encouraged to take a sip from it. The island is making great efforts to ensure the safety of the rainwater that comes down from the mountains and into the ghauts across Montserrat.
Totally drinkable, the ghaut water is also associated with a local legend, according to which, those who drink water from the Montserrat ghauts are promised a return to these lands – something like tossing a coin and making a wish at the Fontana di Trevi, in Italy! Now, if you don’t want to hike all the way to the nearest ghaut, you can head to Olveston town and drink water from its fountain – it is filled with the same water!
With Caribbean and British influences, the local cuisine is, as expected, exciting and includes an impressive array of seafood, fish, and chicken, usually roasted or grilled. What is also noteworthy about the Montserrat food scene is that locals prefer to enjoy several, light meals rather than focus all their attention on cooking a heavier dinner and light-eat the rest of the day like many Europeans tend to do. Finally, their cuisine combines traditions from American, Indian, French, Spanish, African, and other cultures, which is representative of the island’s unique and complex colonial history.
Fast Facts About Montserrat's Cuisine
- The production of sheep, cattle, bananas, and sugar cane marks the island’s agricultural activities due to the hot climate.
- Most of the local dishes include a variety of vegetables and exotic fruits that are either a main ingredient of or featured in sandwich fillings, pasta toppings, and salads.
- The local restaurants specialise in seafood dishes, with the most popular ones being mahi-mahi, jerk shrimp, and lobster cakes.
- The most commonly used flavourings are curry, garlic, pimento, thyme, and hot peppers.
- The most used local ingredients are green beans, breadfruit, cucumbers, carrots, corn, pumpkin, coconut, bananas, pineapple, mangoes, conch, beans, sugar cane, and cabbage.
- The local dress code is casual (as opposed to most Caribbean destinations that favour a more formal dress code when eating out), which means that you can enjoy your dining experiences wearing whatever makes you comfortable.
The Most Popular Montserrat Foods
Goat Water
Most people would expect soup or a dish with lots of liquid, judging by the name of the recipe. Although close, it is not exactly “water”. As you are about to find out, in Montserrat things are not always as they appear, and food is no exception, obviously! So, rather than water, Goat Water is a delicious mix of spices and goat meat and is considered to be the national dish of Montserrat. The meal is prepared like a stew, which is why you will often hear it referred to as “kiddy stew”, and is flavoured with onions, scallions, thyme, green pepper, garlic, cloves, mace, and lots more, including potatoes!
Saltfish
Saltfish is a very common dish in Caribbean cuisine and a Montserrat staple. Also called dried fish, bacalhau, or bacalao, saltfish is fresh white fish (usually cod) that has been salt-cured and dried until it has lost all of its moisture. The reason for it is to help preserve the fish for longer storage. That being said, saltfish is typically cod which has been finely shredded and mixed with various herbs and spices to create dishes whose flavour varies by location (there are several different saltfish recipes across Montserrat). For added flavour, saltfish is cooked with hot peppers, garlic, ginger, and other spices, along with tomatoes and cabbage. Then cooked fish is also showered with tomato sauce and served with rice, cooked vegetables, or breadfruit as a lunch option.
Pumpkin Soup
Healthy and creamy, pumpkin soup is an autumn staple in many countries. In Montserrat, though, it has its very own special spin and a twist that gives the dish a unique taste. Made with a type of pumpkin that only grows in the Caribbean, called the calabaza variety (also known as giraumon in the French West Indies), the soup is very spicy, with a velvet-like texture, and fine (not too thick, not too light or watery) consistency with just the right amount of concentrated flour. The ingredients could vary depending on the location and may include chicken broth, thyme, ginger, garlic, onion, brown sugar, and hot peppers.
Aubergine Patties
Aubergine or eggplant patties are commonly eaten throughout the Caribbean region and in many places across the world. Also referred to as eggplant or aubergine fritters, they are a much-beloved finger food staring at most local events, such as the Carnival. What is special about the Montserrat recipe is the fact that it is made from a few simple ingredients, without lentils or other components usually listed in other aubergine patties’ recipes. To make the Montserrat eggplant fritters, mashed eggplant is blended with pepper, garlic, scallions, and various seasonings and then deep fried in vegetable oil. Before serving the tasty starter (or snack), it is accompanied by a bowl of spicy sauce, giving you the opportunity for even more piquant culinary experiences.
Coconut Mousse
Fluffy and creamy, coconut mousse is a taste bud-caressing dessert with a tropical flavour. As you will notice, it has a small list of ingredients to make the dessert neither too watered down or faint nor too sweet – both of which would distort the pureness of coconut flavour. Instead, the Montserrat take on the classic recipe causes an explosion of tastes inside the palate using only freshly grated coconut, milk, icing sugar, salt, eggs, and cornstarch.
Coconut Scallops
Chances are you have already eaten scallops with coconut in some shape or form (i.e., with the coconut poured over the scallions as a sauce) at some point in your life. However, the Montserrat version is a lot different than the ingredients-packed recipes that want scallions blended with anything from pepper, minced garlic, salt, cooking oil, and zested and juiced lime to grated ginger and coconut cream or milk. The Monserratians prefer their coconut scallops with just avocado and pineapple that blend with coconut oil and large scallops – all cooked together to perfection for a light meal!
Corn Water
You have probably guessed already that this is not corn boiled in water! In fact, it is yet another stew that is quite similar to Goat Water as they are both made with potatoes and spices. In the Corn Water recipe, though, goat meat is substituted with corn. Other than that, the rest of the preparation is the same as in Goat Water.
Most Popular Drinks in Montserrat
As is the case with the rest of the Caribbean islands, rum punches are available throughout the inhabited part of Montserrat. The regional rum punch is called Montserrat Rum Punch. However, local fruit drinks also spark interest on the palate and can be tasted either as fruit juices or as ingredients in local cocktails.
As for those who appreciate plain, humble water and believe in its vitality-giving properties, drinking from the Runaway Ghaut is definitely an option worth considering. In fact, don’t be surprised if you are even encouraged to take a sip from it. The island is making great efforts to ensure the safety of the rainwater that comes down from the mountains and into the ghauts across Montserrat.
Totally drinkable, the ghaut water is also associated with a local legend, according to which, those who drink water from the Montserrat ghauts are promised a return to these lands – something like tossing a coin and making a wish at the Fontana di Trevi, in Italy! Now, if you don’t want to hike all the way to the nearest ghaut, you can head to Olveston town and drink water from its fountain – it is filled with the same water!