Introduction: Callaloo, made from the leaves of the dasheen or amaranth plant, is one of the oldest dishes in the Caribbean, with roots stretching back to West African leafy-green cooking traditions carried across the Atlantic. Cultural Background: Callaloo, made from the leaves of the dasheen or amaranth plant, is one of the oldest dishes in […]
Introduction: Peas and rice is the everyday starch side found alongside almost every main course in Barbados, made most traditionally with pigeon peas (gungo peas), coconut milk and a whole scotch bonnet pepper simmered in for fragrance rather than fire. Cultural Background: Peas and rice is the everyday starch side found alongside almost every main […]
Introduction: Jug-jug is Barbados’s distinctive Christmas dish, made from ground pigeon peas and Guinea corn (millet) cooked down with salted meats and herbs into a dense, savoury mash. Cultural Background: Jug-jug is Barbados’s distinctive Christmas dish, made from ground pigeon peas and Guinea corn (millet) cooked down with salted meats and herbs into a dense, […]
Introduction: Golden, herb-flecked fish cakes are a fixture of Bajan gatherings, church fêtes and Friday-night fish fries. Cultural Background: Golden, herb-flecked fish cakes are a fixture of Bajan gatherings, church fêtes and Friday-night fish fries. Made from salted cod bound with a light batter and packed with fresh herbs and scotch bonnet, they reflect the […]
Introduction: Barbadian pepperpot is a rich, slow-cooked meat stew traditionally simmered with cassareep or dark browning for its deep colour, and often kept going for days as a ‘perpetual stew’ with fresh meat and stock added over time — a practice inherited from Amerindian and colonial-era cooking traditions across the Caribbean. Cultural Background: Barbadian pepperpot […]
Introduction: Widely regarded as the national dish of Barbados, cou-cou and flying fish pairs a smooth cornmeal and okra mash — descended from West African fufu traditions — with fish steamed in a tomato-based gravy seasoned with lime, garlic and herbs. Cultural Background: Widely regarded as the national dish of Barbados, cou-cou and flying fish […]
Introduction: No Bajan Sunday lunch table is complete without a golden, crusty macaroni pie — a baked, custard-set pasta bake far heartier than an ordinary mac and cheese, seasoned generously with mustard, hot pepper and onion. Cultural Background: No Bajan Sunday lunch table is complete without a golden, crusty macaroni pie — a baked, custard-set […]
Introduction: Barbados’s best-known Saturday lunch, pudding and souse traces back to plantation-era cooking, where every part of the pig was used. Cultural Background: Barbados’s best-known Saturday lunch, pudding and souse traces back to plantation-era cooking, where every part of the pig was used. ‘Souse’ is pickled, pepper-spiked pork (traditionally head, trotters or ears) served cold […]
Introduction: Christophene (chayote squash) grows abundantly across Barbados’s kitchen gardens and is prized for its mild, absorbent flesh. Cultural Background: Christophene (chayote squash) grows abundantly across Barbados’s kitchen gardens and is prized for its mild, absorbent flesh. Grated and fried into light fritters, it became a popular meat-free appetizer for Lenten fasting periods and church […]
Introduction: Murgir jhol is a thin, soupy chicken curry often given to those recovering from illness or served on rainy days for its warming, restorative quality. Cultural Background: Murgir jhol is a thin, soupy chicken curry often given to those recovering from illness or served on rainy days for its warming, restorative quality. Unlike thicker […]