The local cuisine is an interesting mix of influences from South America, Europe, South Asia, and West Africa and flavours that blend with the Caribbean tastes and excite the palate. Below are some strong contestants in this race for the creation of a list with the must-try foods in Turks & Caicos Islands!
Cracked Conch
Worshipers of the iconic Caribbean dish called conch fritters will probably love this deep-fried variation that offers, even more, conch and much less batter. This popular local dish is made with flour and is served with rice, fries, or vegetables. Although both conch fritters and cracked conch are deep fried, cracked conch is also served with super-hot PepaJoy Hot Sauce for dipping.
Note: A creamier kick to the traditional conch recipe is conch chowder which is made with lots of spices, vegetables, conch meat, and coconut milk!
Conch Salad or Conch Ceviche
A great alternative to cracked conch and conch fritters, conch salad includes raw fish marinated in citrus juice for 12 hours and then tossed in a mixture of avocado, pineapple, scotch bonnet peppers, cilantro, red onion, tomato, sweet peppers, and other ingredients. Or you may find it with lobster, shrimp, or other seafood. Definitely a lunch or dinner option your taste buds will thank you for.
Beans & Rice
One of the most beloved dishes in Turks & Caicos that is served everywhere. It is a traditional accompaniment to seafood options, while it is even enjoyed with coconut milk in the mix. Onions, tomato sauce, meat, and spices are all part of the delicious recipe, which can have other twists as well and include lobster (replacing meat), mahi-mahi, or conch. And, don’t be surprised if you hear the locals refer to it as peas and rice! It is the same thing, though “peas” in the Caribbean regions are black-eyes peas or beans!
Note: Another dish with rice that is just as satisfying as beans and rice is crab and rice, made from blue crab cooked to perfection. A savoury dish and comfort food for the locals served at most local restaurants.
PeppaJoy Hot Sauce
Although not a dish per se, it is a locally made spicy sauce that accompanies every single meat or fish dish. Made from peppers harvested in Turks & Caicos (namely Scotch bonnet peppers), PeppaJoy Hot Sauce also contains sugar, salt, onion, vinegar, and lemon. If you want to take a bottle or two back home, you will find it in most supermarkets on the largest island of the nation, Providenciales, in three main varieties – Deadly Ghost, Blue Hills Breeze, and Wild Wheeland.
Boiled Fish & Grits
A dish you will see most Caicos & Turks residents eat in the morning, although it can be consumed at any given time in the day. The selected flakey fish is boiled and usually cooked with lots of spices and potatoes, and then served in a bowl (super hot), with a dash of lime to augment the flavour and a portion of grits on the side.
Note: Speaking of grits, hominy grits are also a must-try made from dried and processed maize that pairs beautifully with seafood and other dishes.
Jerk Chicken
Also called Blackened Chicken, it is a dish created using the jerk process by marinating fish or meat with a combination of spices and herbs. Another equally popular method to make jerk chicken is the dry rub process. With the blackening method, though, the selected fish or meat is dipped in melted butter and then coated with spices and herbs, before it is cooked in a pan. Other ingredients in the mix are pepper, garlic, and ginger, while rice and salad are the most preferred accompaniments.
Johnny Cakes
Made from corn bread, sugar, flour, and butter, Johnny Cakes are a great pan-baked snack that is even eaten for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Most of the time, though, they are accompanied by sauce and served with boiled fish. As for the original recipe, it is believed to go back to the indigenous people living on Turks & Caicos, whose name derives from “Journey Cake”, a favourite food captains and sailors would take on their journeys! You may even find Johnny Cakes turned into sandwiches.
Other Appetising Local Dishes
Callaloo Stew - You might have heard of callaloo before, especially if visiting another Caribbean destination. Callaloo is a popular vegetable with West African roots that reached the shores of Turks & Caicos in the 16th century with slave trade. The tasty stew is made from okra, coconut milk, and vegetables; plus, a handful of local herbs that give it a nice, stand-out tanginess.
Lionfish – Local chefs are encouraged to find a spot in the menus for lionfish as it is a non-native Caribbean Sea, predatory fish that threatens marine life in Turks & Caicos. With due preparation, lionfish is a particularly flavoursome fish that can even be an excellent ingredient for vegetable dishes.
Spiny Lobster – Except for the period between the months of August and March (it is the lobster fishing season), lobster is served throughout Turks & Caicos (usually grilled) and is particularly enjoyed for its meaty tail!
Red Snapper – Perhaps the most common fish one can find in Turks & Caicos that is served grilled (usually whole), with rice or salad and a homemade sauce. This is definitely a food option that you could never go wrong for ordering!
Popular Local Drinks
Rum punch is the national drink of Turks & Caicos, and the entire Caribbean so to speak. In Turks & Caicos, it is made with pineapple, lime, or orange mixed with rum and grenadine. Other local favourite drinks include handcrafted Turks Head Brewery, the only locally brewed beer offered in various ales, such as LainGaLie Lager and IsoonReach Light Lager.
As for frozen cocktails that satisfy those with a sweet tooth, Mudslide is the go-to option and a chocolate lover’s dream fulfilment, made with ice cream, Kalhua, Bailey’s, and vodka! Following put is Dirty Banana, a cocktail featuring ice cream, banana, dark Creme de Cacao, and rum.
The local cuisine is an interesting mix of influences from South America, Europe, South Asia, and West Africa and flavours that blend with the Caribbean tastes and excite the palate. Below are some strong contestants in this race for the creation of a list with the must-try foods in Turks & Caicos Islands!
Cracked Conch
Worshipers of the iconic Caribbean dish called conch fritters will probably love this deep-fried variation that offers, even more, conch and much less batter. This popular local dish is made with flour and is served with rice, fries, or vegetables. Although both conch fritters and cracked conch are deep fried, cracked conch is also served with super-hot PepaJoy Hot Sauce for dipping.
Note: A creamier kick to the traditional conch recipe is conch chowder which is made with lots of spices, vegetables, conch meat, and coconut milk!
Conch Salad or Conch Ceviche
A great alternative to cracked conch and conch fritters, conch salad includes raw fish marinated in citrus juice for 12 hours and then tossed in a mixture of avocado, pineapple, scotch bonnet peppers, cilantro, red onion, tomato, sweet peppers, and other ingredients. Or you may find it with lobster, shrimp, or other seafood. Definitely a lunch or dinner option your taste buds will thank you for.
Beans & Rice
One of the most beloved dishes in Turks & Caicos that is served everywhere. It is a traditional accompaniment to seafood options, while it is even enjoyed with coconut milk in the mix. Onions, tomato sauce, meat, and spices are all part of the delicious recipe, which can have other twists as well and include lobster (replacing meat), mahi-mahi, or conch. And, don’t be surprised if you hear the locals refer to it as peas and rice! It is the same thing, though “peas” in the Caribbean regions are black-eyes peas or beans!
Note: Another dish with rice that is just as satisfying as beans and rice is crab and rice, made from blue crab cooked to perfection. A savoury dish and comfort food for the locals served at most local restaurants.
PeppaJoy Hot Sauce
Although not a dish per se, it is a locally made spicy sauce that accompanies every single meat or fish dish. Made from peppers harvested in Turks & Caicos (namely Scotch bonnet peppers), PeppaJoy Hot Sauce also contains sugar, salt, onion, vinegar, and lemon. If you want to take a bottle or two back home, you will find it in most supermarkets on the largest island of the nation, Providenciales, in three main varieties – Deadly Ghost, Blue Hills Breeze, and Wild Wheeland.
Boiled Fish & Grits
A dish you will see most Caicos & Turks residents eat in the morning, although it can be consumed at any given time in the day. The selected flakey fish is boiled and usually cooked with lots of spices and potatoes, and then served in a bowl (super hot), with a dash of lime to augment the flavour and a portion of grits on the side.
Note: Speaking of grits, hominy grits are also a must-try made from dried and processed maize that pairs beautifully with seafood and other dishes.
Jerk Chicken
Also called Blackened Chicken, it is a dish created using the jerk process by marinating fish or meat with a combination of spices and herbs. Another equally popular method to make jerk chicken is the dry rub process. With the blackening method, though, the selected fish or meat is dipped in melted butter and then coated with spices and herbs, before it is cooked in a pan. Other ingredients in the mix are pepper, garlic, and ginger, while rice and salad are the most preferred accompaniments.
Johnny Cakes
Made from corn bread, sugar, flour, and butter, Johnny Cakes are a great pan-baked snack that is even eaten for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Most of the time, though, they are accompanied by sauce and served with boiled fish. As for the original recipe, it is believed to go back to the indigenous people living on Turks & Caicos, whose name derives from “Journey Cake”, a favourite food captains and sailors would take on their journeys! You may even find Johnny Cakes turned into sandwiches.
Other Appetising Local Dishes
Callaloo Stew - You might have heard of callaloo before, especially if visiting another Caribbean destination. Callaloo is a popular vegetable with West African roots that reached the shores of Turks & Caicos in the 16th century with slave trade. The tasty stew is made from okra, coconut milk, and vegetables; plus, a handful of local herbs that give it a nice, stand-out tanginess.
Lionfish – Local chefs are encouraged to find a spot in the menus for lionfish as it is a non-native Caribbean Sea, predatory fish that threatens marine life in Turks & Caicos. With due preparation, lionfish is a particularly flavoursome fish that can even be an excellent ingredient for vegetable dishes.
Spiny Lobster – Except for the period between the months of August and March (it is the lobster fishing season), lobster is served throughout Turks & Caicos (usually grilled) and is particularly enjoyed for its meaty tail!
Red Snapper – Perhaps the most common fish one can find in Turks & Caicos that is served grilled (usually whole), with rice or salad and a homemade sauce. This is definitely a food option that you could never go wrong for ordering!
Popular Local Drinks
Rum punch is the national drink of Turks & Caicos, and the entire Caribbean so to speak. In Turks & Caicos, it is made with pineapple, lime, or orange mixed with rum and grenadine. Other local favourite drinks include handcrafted Turks Head Brewery, the only locally brewed beer offered in various ales, such as LainGaLie Lager and IsoonReach Light Lager.
As for frozen cocktails that satisfy those with a sweet tooth, Mudslide is the go-to option and a chocolate lover’s dream fulfilment, made with ice cream, Kalhua, Bailey’s, and vodka! Following put is Dirty Banana, a cocktail featuring ice cream, banana, dark Creme de Cacao, and rum.