Packed with unbelievable flavour, fun, and sun, St. Vincent & The Grenadines’ cuisine is a lively reflection of the islands’ past and their ties with African, French, Portuguese, and other cultures that have influenced the nation, adding delicious elements to the local gastronomy that excites the palate, one way or another. Below is just a small taste of what awaits!
Roasted Breadfruit & Fried Jackfish
Completing any trip to this tropical paradise and often cited as the national dish of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, roasted breadfruit and fried jackfish is a popular lunch option. It is made by roasting the whole breadfruit (it tastes like potatoes) over an open fire up to a certain point (the centre needs to be tender and soft, while the outside is slightly charred). As for the fish, it's usually marinated in lemon juice and then fried after it has been dusted in flour. Once crispy, it is served along with the breadfruit and a sauce made from herbs and vegetables, including thyme, garlic, tomatoes, and onions. The breadfruit may also be mashed with oil and banana leaves or coconut. Breadfruit is so beloved here that it even has its own festival – The Breadfruit Festival – celebrated every weekend of August every year!
Guinness Bottle Chicken Stew
Another local favourite, Guinness bottle chicken stew is made with chicken breasts cut in pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper, before they are coated with flour and fried until they get a nice golden brown crust. Also expect a wide assortment of elements, such as onions, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, Guinness stout beer, chicken stock, chilli powder, oil, and bell peppers. The next phase wants the garlic and onion to be sautéed in oil and then mixed with the beer. The chicken and the rest of the ingredients are added once the liquid is reduced by half, creating a mouth-watering, hearty dish.
Fish Blaff
Tasting very much like French court bullion, fish blaff is a spicier version of a recipe that has originated from a Dutch chef. It is now a traditional Caribbean dish that the locals absolutely love, made from sea bass, cod, or another type of fish (even seafood for extra creativity pinches) that is marinated in a mixture of parsley, oil, white wine, cloves, allspice, thyme, chives, lime juice, hot peppers, garlic, salt, and minced onions, and then simmered for around 20 minutes over low heat before it is served with parsley garnish on top of it.
Buljol
A staple across St. Vincent & The Grenadines, it is a filling salad eaten cold and made from shredded saltfish or cod, onions, oil, tomatoes, and peppers. You will, sometimes, see it as part of a local’s breakfast. You may have tried buljol in Trinidad and other Caribbean regions. However, that recipe is different from the one followed in Saint Vincent and The Grenadines in both ingredients and taste. In any case, it is equally brimming with local flavours and certainly beyond appetising.
Madongo Dumplings
This one is a delicious specialty exclusively served in St. Vincent & The Grenadines made from native arrowroot (grows only in the region), which is combined with coconut and nutmeg. A perfect option for people with food sensitivities as arrowroot is naturally gluten-free! And, since this is a dish usually prepared at local homes for dinner, your best bet for tracking it down is either at a family-run eatery or street food stalls and rarely on hotel/restaurants menus.
Ducana
A palate-pleasing dumpling-like dessert dish that has made people in St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Antigua swear by it! The delicacy has an interesting contrast of savoury and sweet flavours, which is part of its allure! Ducana is made with sweet potatoes (the majority of islands in St. Vincent & The Grenadines are brimming with sweet potatoes) and coconut and cooked in banana leaves. You will usually see it served with salted fish or stewed fish and can be eaten either lightly fried, thinly sliced, or cold as a snack.
Seafood
Seafood is a major protagonist in the local cuisine, with kingfish, bonito, pilot whale, and mahi-mahi being some of the more unusual options you can find on the islands. Of course, lobster, octopus, squid, and tuna dishes are also available, only in their spiciest versions! As for the way these are prepared, you can see them in recipes of hearty stews, baked, or fried.
Tip: For lip-smacking seafood dishes, do consider heading to Barrouallie town on the west shores of Saint Vincent island on the first Friday of the month (if you happen to be around then) and join the fish festival featuring local catches and many more!
Hairoun Beer
Nicely tucked on the northeast of St. Vincent & The Grenadines capital, Kingstown, the Hairoun Brewery (aka Saint Vincent Brewery) has been producing its eponymous beer for several decades (since the mid-1980s) – a light, pale gold beer that will definitely be starring on nearly all menus and across most bars throughout the country. Expect some citrus notes and not much head when tasting Hairoun, which, by the way, means “land of the blessed!”
Sunset Rum
This is the name of the local rum, which can be found in several different varieties, including the popular Sunset Rum Punch, Captain Bligh XO, and Sunset Very Strong Rum. The islands’ favourite spirit is served across all local bars, while you may even visit the Saint Vincent Distillers in Georgetown, which is where the Sunset Rum has been produced since the 1960s.
Other Finger-Licking Local Dishes:
Callaloo soup – A favourite option in St. Vincent & The Grenadines, it is a dish served everywhere, from street food stalls to weddings, and has several different recipes (i.e., with crab meat, with beef, or soup versions). Callaloo (a local leafy vegetable) is combined with coconut milk, potatoes, pepper, onion, and garlic, while you may also find recipes with yams, cassava, and other ingredients.
Banana fritters – A great option for those with a sweet tooth, they are made with sugar, flour, and oil (and banana, of course), creating a home comfort food for Vincentians and Grenadinians alike.
Packed with unbelievable flavour, fun, and sun, St. Vincent & The Grenadines’ cuisine is a lively reflection of the islands’ past and their ties with African, French, Portuguese, and other cultures that have influenced the nation, adding delicious elements to the local gastronomy that excites the palate, one way or another. Below is just a small taste of what awaits!
Roasted Breadfruit & Fried Jackfish
Completing any trip to this tropical paradise and often cited as the national dish of St. Vincent & The Grenadines, roasted breadfruit and fried jackfish is a popular lunch option. It is made by roasting the whole breadfruit (it tastes like potatoes) over an open fire up to a certain point (the centre needs to be tender and soft, while the outside is slightly charred). As for the fish, it's usually marinated in lemon juice and then fried after it has been dusted in flour. Once crispy, it is served along with the breadfruit and a sauce made from herbs and vegetables, including thyme, garlic, tomatoes, and onions. The breadfruit may also be mashed with oil and banana leaves or coconut. Breadfruit is so beloved here that it even has its own festival – The Breadfruit Festival – celebrated every weekend of August every year!
Guinness Bottle Chicken Stew
Another local favourite, Guinness bottle chicken stew is made with chicken breasts cut in pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper, before they are coated with flour and fried until they get a nice golden brown crust. Also expect a wide assortment of elements, such as onions, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, Guinness stout beer, chicken stock, chilli powder, oil, and bell peppers. The next phase wants the garlic and onion to be sautéed in oil and then mixed with the beer. The chicken and the rest of the ingredients are added once the liquid is reduced by half, creating a mouth-watering, hearty dish.
Fish Blaff
Tasting very much like French court bullion, fish blaff is a spicier version of a recipe that has originated from a Dutch chef. It is now a traditional Caribbean dish that the locals absolutely love, made from sea bass, cod, or another type of fish (even seafood for extra creativity pinches) that is marinated in a mixture of parsley, oil, white wine, cloves, allspice, thyme, chives, lime juice, hot peppers, garlic, salt, and minced onions, and then simmered for around 20 minutes over low heat before it is served with parsley garnish on top of it.
Buljol
A staple across St. Vincent & The Grenadines, it is a filling salad eaten cold and made from shredded saltfish or cod, onions, oil, tomatoes, and peppers. You will, sometimes, see it as part of a local’s breakfast. You may have tried buljol in Trinidad and other Caribbean regions. However, that recipe is different from the one followed in Saint Vincent and The Grenadines in both ingredients and taste. In any case, it is equally brimming with local flavours and certainly beyond appetising.
Madongo Dumplings
This one is a delicious specialty exclusively served in St. Vincent & The Grenadines made from native arrowroot (grows only in the region), which is combined with coconut and nutmeg. A perfect option for people with food sensitivities as arrowroot is naturally gluten-free! And, since this is a dish usually prepared at local homes for dinner, your best bet for tracking it down is either at a family-run eatery or street food stalls and rarely on hotel/restaurants menus.
Ducana
A palate-pleasing dumpling-like dessert dish that has made people in St. Vincent & The Grenadines and Antigua swear by it! The delicacy has an interesting contrast of savoury and sweet flavours, which is part of its allure! Ducana is made with sweet potatoes (the majority of islands in St. Vincent & The Grenadines are brimming with sweet potatoes) and coconut and cooked in banana leaves. You will usually see it served with salted fish or stewed fish and can be eaten either lightly fried, thinly sliced, or cold as a snack.
Seafood
Seafood is a major protagonist in the local cuisine, with kingfish, bonito, pilot whale, and mahi-mahi being some of the more unusual options you can find on the islands. Of course, lobster, octopus, squid, and tuna dishes are also available, only in their spiciest versions! As for the way these are prepared, you can see them in recipes of hearty stews, baked, or fried.
Tip: For lip-smacking seafood dishes, do consider heading to Barrouallie town on the west shores of Saint Vincent island on the first Friday of the month (if you happen to be around then) and join the fish festival featuring local catches and many more!
Hairoun Beer
Nicely tucked on the northeast of St. Vincent & The Grenadines capital, Kingstown, the Hairoun Brewery (aka Saint Vincent Brewery) has been producing its eponymous beer for several decades (since the mid-1980s) – a light, pale gold beer that will definitely be starring on nearly all menus and across most bars throughout the country. Expect some citrus notes and not much head when tasting Hairoun, which, by the way, means “land of the blessed!”
Sunset Rum
This is the name of the local rum, which can be found in several different varieties, including the popular Sunset Rum Punch, Captain Bligh XO, and Sunset Very Strong Rum. The islands’ favourite spirit is served across all local bars, while you may even visit the Saint Vincent Distillers in Georgetown, which is where the Sunset Rum has been produced since the 1960s.
Other Finger-Licking Local Dishes:
Callaloo soup – A favourite option in St. Vincent & The Grenadines, it is a dish served everywhere, from street food stalls to weddings, and has several different recipes (i.e., with crab meat, with beef, or soup versions). Callaloo (a local leafy vegetable) is combined with coconut milk, potatoes, pepper, onion, and garlic, while you may also find recipes with yams, cassava, and other ingredients.
Banana fritters – A great option for those with a sweet tooth, they are made with sugar, flour, and oil (and banana, of course), creating a home comfort food for Vincentians and Grenadinians alike.