Trinidad and Tobago cuisine is influenced by the origin regions of its people – West African, Indian, European, Chinese, Amerindian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern culinary styles are all on offer. In addition, some foods are uniquely Trinbagonian, having either been invented or perfected on these very shores. Let’s explore some options.
Breakfast Dishes
T&T’s breakfast of champions is definitely the delicacy known as “doubles”, made with two baras (flat fried dough), with cooked and seasoned channa (chickpeas) in between. Created in the 1930s by the Indo-Trinidadian Deen family of Princes Town, doubles are usually served with toppings such as pepper sauce, kuchela, and various chutneys. And there’s no need to feel restricted to eating them in the morning – they can also ‘double’ as a late-night snack.
Another breakfast food of Indo-Trinidadian origin is sada roti, a leavened flatbread similar to a tortilla wrap, which is often served with choka, made from roasted and mashed vegetables. Popular chokas include baigan (eggplant) and tomato. Fried plantain is also a popular filling.
The term “fried bake” may sound oxymoronic, but every Trinbagonian will know what you are talking about. Simply a soft, slightly chewy dough that has been fried to perfection, it can be paired with saltfish buljol (dried and salted cod with sweet peppers, tomatoes and onions), sardines, smoked herring, or even just plain cheese.
Lunch and Dinner
A flagship local dish with distinctly African roots is callaloo, made of dasheen bush, ochro, pumpkin, coconut milk, pimento, and seasonings such as chives and chadon beni (cilantro). Some cooks also add meat such as crab or pigtail. Callaloo can be served over rice, macaroni pie or cornmeal coo coo, or enjoyed on its own like soup.
Pelau is a ubiquitous “one pot” dish in T&T. Meat, usually chicken or beef, is first browned using “burnt sugar” (slightly past caramelization point), to which rice, fresh herbs, pigeon peas, veggies and coconut milk are added.
One of Trinbago’s most famous meals also involves the “fried bake” mentioned earlier. Referred to as either “bake and shark” or “shark and bake”, this meal is synonymous with Maracas Beach, although it is also available elsewhere. The fried shark can be topped with a variety of sauces such as garlic, tamarind, chadon beni and pepper, as well as a selection of vegetables. For maximum tastiness, add a bit of pineapple.
If you’re a fan of Indian food, Trinbagonians have the ability to curry almost any meat – chicken, beef, goat, duck, even lobster! These can be eaten either within a dhalpuri roti (a type of wrap), or with side dishes such as rice, potatoes and various vegetables including mango, bodi and pumpkin. The ever-versatile roti can also be served on the side in the form of paratha (buss-up-shut), which is thinner and lighter than dhalpuri roti.
This is just a fraction of the many foods on offer in sweet T&T. Time to start your gastronomic adventure!
