The local gastronomy is infused with plenty of seafood and meat options, including the absolutely-adored conch, demonstrating the two islands’ strong Caribbean, Asian, Spanish, and Moroccan influences. Expect spicy dishes and flavours augmented with the addition of the vegetables and fruits that grow on Saint Kitts and Nevis, such as soursop, peas, and pumpkins, which are considered to be the finest in the entire Western Hemisphere. Here are some popular Saint Kitts & Nevis staples that your palate will definitely thank you for.
Conch Fritters
Conch fritters are a signature dish in the Caribbean region and a popular recipe in several parts of the world. In Saint Kitts, it has a loyal following that keeps growing by the day. The delicious dish is made from the succulent meat of a particular local sea snail of massive proportions (aka conch) and is usually eaten as a palate-caressing starter or snack for a large meal. Conch is cooked in various ways. The most popular is to fry it in seasoned batter. However, it can also be roasted, eaten as soup, and several more.
Roti
An addictive recipe that is beloved by locals and tourists alike. Roti is a quite scrumptious dish made from unleavened flatbread that is then filled with the filling of your preferences. There are different types of fillings to choose from – it could be curried shrimp, chicken, or even vegetables, potatoes, and chickpeas. Now, depending on your appetite, you may consume it as a flavoursome snack, although it can certainly be part of a meal for some people. You can find it served at both restaurants and street vendors specialising in roti at all the popular spots and the beaches on both islands.
Goat Water
Perhaps one of the most misleading recipes in Saint Kitts and Nevis, goat water is not an unusual drink! This delicious soup is quite spicy and prized across the Caribbean and is made from flavourful goat meat, water, tomatoes, chilies, yams, onions, papaya, and other locally-grown, fresh ingredients. The tasty stew is usually served along with rice or bread rolls and may even contain a tomato-based stock.
Black Pudding
Another dish with a misleading name that is nowhere close to a dessert! Instead, it is a food “dare devil’s” must-try and is made with unusual ingredients. Although the Black Pudding recipes vary, the majority of them contain various parts of pork, with pig’s fat and pig’s blood being the most popular ones, which are added with other ingredients, including heavy doses of seasonings. Before cooking the pig, the mixture mentioned above is stuffed into its intestine, along with rice. Black pudding is typically part of a breakfast or dinner option in Saint Kitts and Nevis, although it can be enjoyed at any meal.
Lobster
As probably expected, lobster is potentially the most popular dish not only in Saint Kitts and Nevis, but the entire Caribbean region. Found in profound abundance in the waters around the two islands, though, it is a local staple and a food locals and visitors swear by. So, don’t be surprised if you see lobster on the menu of practically every single restaurant across Saint Kitts and Nevis, from fine dining establishments to the most humble of eateries. The thousands of tourists rushing to the islands can’t seem to wait to taste the high-in-demand grilled lobster dish. Can’t blame them.
SaltFish and Dumplings
A hugely eye-pleasing and appealing recipe that will hugely satisfy all seafood lovers. It is considered the national dish of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is made from stewed saltfish, which is combined with other ingredients, the most common of which are spicy plantains, seasoned breadfruit, and coconut dumplings. It is one of the most filling dishes you could have in Saint Kitts and Nevis that stands out with its simplicity and, at the same time, heartiness.
Cook-up or Pelau
A distinctive local treat reflecting Saint Kitts & Nevis culture in the most delicious way. Pelau is a dish consisting of a savoury blend of pigtail, beef, salt fish, or another type of meat that is combined with a variety of vegetables, pigeon peas, coconut milk, sugar, and rice, among others. Of course, no Saint Kitts and Nevis dish can be complete without a touch of spice that helps create a lip-smacking meal.
Popular Saint Kitts & Nevis Desserts
Sugar Cake
Those with a sweet tooth swear by this one, making Sugar Cake one of the most beloved foods in Saint Kitts and Nevis. To make it, one combines sugar, coconut, and ginger, and then adds the colour dye of their preferences, such as brown and pink, giving Sugar Cake an even more playful and festive look. Part of the sense of infatuation it creates is the fact that its interior is soft, while the exterior is crunchy due to its hard outer covering.
Johnny Cakes
Unlike Black Pudding, Johnny Cakes is, indeed, a dessert everybody wants to eat, especially during festivities and celebrations. They are simple cakes causing pleasant explosions inside the mouth and consist of flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and other key ingredients. The mixture is then shaped into small circles and deep-fried until golden brown. It is an appetising option that one can enjoy at any given time in the day, either as part of breakfast or lunch or even as a snack on the beach!
Guava Cheese
This is a delicacy that you should definitely try at least once while vacationing at Saint Kitts and Nevis is prepared from sweetened guava paste with a chewy, fudge-like taste and consistency. A plain and simple treat that fills the mouth with yumminess. The islands prefer to keep the recipe simple and eat guava as is. However, you may also find guava cheese in pastries and pies.
Other Local Specialties Worth Treating Your Taste Buds
- Rikkita beef – A dish where beefsteak is soaked in a marinate with hot peppers and champagne and then fried.
- Mango ginger chicken – Chicken is soaked in a marinate containing pepper, oil, coconut milk, ginger, and mango.
- Conkies – It is a mixture of cornmeal with coconut, pumpkin, and grated sweet potato that looks and tastes pretty much like tamales.
- Coconut rum bread pudding – A pudding made with raisins, cinnamon, vanilla, and wheat bread that is then topped with a rum-butter sauce and coconut.
- Local rums – Brinley Gold and Belmont Estate.
- Locally brewed beers – Skol, Stag, and Carib.
- Popular cocktail – Killer Bee, made with pepper, orange juice, passion fruit puree, soda, honey, and rum.
The local gastronomy is infused with plenty of seafood and meat options, including the absolutely-adored conch, demonstrating the two islands’ strong Caribbean, Asian, Spanish, and Moroccan influences. Expect spicy dishes and flavours augmented with the addition of the vegetables and fruits that grow on Saint Kitts and Nevis, such as soursop, peas, and pumpkins, which are considered to be the finest in the entire Western Hemisphere. Here are some popular Saint Kitts & Nevis staples that your palate will definitely thank you for.
Conch Fritters
Conch fritters are a signature dish in the Caribbean region and a popular recipe in several parts of the world. In Saint Kitts, it has a loyal following that keeps growing by the day. The delicious dish is made from the succulent meat of a particular local sea snail of massive proportions (aka conch) and is usually eaten as a palate-caressing starter or snack for a large meal. Conch is cooked in various ways. The most popular is to fry it in seasoned batter. However, it can also be roasted, eaten as soup, and several more.
Roti
An addictive recipe that is beloved by locals and tourists alike. Roti is a quite scrumptious dish made from unleavened flatbread that is then filled with the filling of your preferences. There are different types of fillings to choose from – it could be curried shrimp, chicken, or even vegetables, potatoes, and chickpeas. Now, depending on your appetite, you may consume it as a flavoursome snack, although it can certainly be part of a meal for some people. You can find it served at both restaurants and street vendors specialising in roti at all the popular spots and the beaches on both islands.
Goat Water
Perhaps one of the most misleading recipes in Saint Kitts and Nevis, goat water is not an unusual drink! This delicious soup is quite spicy and prized across the Caribbean and is made from flavourful goat meat, water, tomatoes, chilies, yams, onions, papaya, and other locally-grown, fresh ingredients. The tasty stew is usually served along with rice or bread rolls and may even contain a tomato-based stock.
Black Pudding
Another dish with a misleading name that is nowhere close to a dessert! Instead, it is a food “dare devil’s” must-try and is made with unusual ingredients. Although the Black Pudding recipes vary, the majority of them contain various parts of pork, with pig’s fat and pig’s blood being the most popular ones, which are added with other ingredients, including heavy doses of seasonings. Before cooking the pig, the mixture mentioned above is stuffed into its intestine, along with rice. Black pudding is typically part of a breakfast or dinner option in Saint Kitts and Nevis, although it can be enjoyed at any meal.
Lobster
As probably expected, lobster is potentially the most popular dish not only in Saint Kitts and Nevis, but the entire Caribbean region. Found in profound abundance in the waters around the two islands, though, it is a local staple and a food locals and visitors swear by. So, don’t be surprised if you see lobster on the menu of practically every single restaurant across Saint Kitts and Nevis, from fine dining establishments to the most humble of eateries. The thousands of tourists rushing to the islands can’t seem to wait to taste the high-in-demand grilled lobster dish. Can’t blame them.
SaltFish and Dumplings
A hugely eye-pleasing and appealing recipe that will hugely satisfy all seafood lovers. It is considered the national dish of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is made from stewed saltfish, which is combined with other ingredients, the most common of which are spicy plantains, seasoned breadfruit, and coconut dumplings. It is one of the most filling dishes you could have in Saint Kitts and Nevis that stands out with its simplicity and, at the same time, heartiness.
Cook-up or Pelau
A distinctive local treat reflecting Saint Kitts & Nevis culture in the most delicious way. Pelau is a dish consisting of a savoury blend of pigtail, beef, salt fish, or another type of meat that is combined with a variety of vegetables, pigeon peas, coconut milk, sugar, and rice, among others. Of course, no Saint Kitts and Nevis dish can be complete without a touch of spice that helps create a lip-smacking meal.
Popular Saint Kitts & Nevis Desserts
Sugar Cake
Those with a sweet tooth swear by this one, making Sugar Cake one of the most beloved foods in Saint Kitts and Nevis. To make it, one combines sugar, coconut, and ginger, and then adds the colour dye of their preferences, such as brown and pink, giving Sugar Cake an even more playful and festive look. Part of the sense of infatuation it creates is the fact that its interior is soft, while the exterior is crunchy due to its hard outer covering.
Johnny Cakes
Unlike Black Pudding, Johnny Cakes is, indeed, a dessert everybody wants to eat, especially during festivities and celebrations. They are simple cakes causing pleasant explosions inside the mouth and consist of flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and other key ingredients. The mixture is then shaped into small circles and deep-fried until golden brown. It is an appetising option that one can enjoy at any given time in the day, either as part of breakfast or lunch or even as a snack on the beach!
Guava Cheese
This is a delicacy that you should definitely try at least once while vacationing at Saint Kitts and Nevis is prepared from sweetened guava paste with a chewy, fudge-like taste and consistency. A plain and simple treat that fills the mouth with yumminess. The islands prefer to keep the recipe simple and eat guava as is. However, you may also find guava cheese in pastries and pies.
Other Local Specialties Worth Treating Your Taste Buds
- Rikkita beef – A dish where beefsteak is soaked in a marinate with hot peppers and champagne and then fried.
- Mango ginger chicken – Chicken is soaked in a marinate containing pepper, oil, coconut milk, ginger, and mango.
- Conkies – It is a mixture of cornmeal with coconut, pumpkin, and grated sweet potato that looks and tastes pretty much like tamales.
- Coconut rum bread pudding – A pudding made with raisins, cinnamon, vanilla, and wheat bread that is then topped with a rum-butter sauce and coconut.
- Local rums – Brinley Gold and Belmont Estate.
- Locally brewed beers – Skol, Stag, and Carib.
- Popular cocktail – Killer Bee, made with pepper, orange juice, passion fruit puree, soda, honey, and rum.