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The Caribbean is a collection of over 7,000 islands, 28 of which are countries in their own right. They vary in terms of culture and activities, but one thing that remains the same in many of them is the quality of their food.

No trip to the Caribbean is complete without the foodie experience, so be sure to eat well when you're there.

What is the most popular food in the Caribbean?

As there are over 28 nations in the Caribbean, you should expect each nation to have its own delicacies and unique dishes. Some of the best meals you should try when you're in the area are:

• Flying Fish & Cou Cou, which is the national dish of Barbados
• Jerk Chicken, a speciality of Jamaica
• Callaloo, a leafy dish found in different varieties throughout the Caribbean
• Rum Punch, an adult-favourite
• Roti, a chewy pancake eaten with curry stew and popular in Trinidad & Tobago

For those who are not used to the spices, you may want to take these slowly as Caribbean food is usually quite spicy - but extremely flavoursome and tasty nonetheless. Try to taste as many different dishes as possible as there is a huge variety of food to experience.

However, food poisoning or having an upset stomach from the food can severely dampen any trip. To avoid this, ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance to cover any medical mishaps, have medicine on hand, and take precautions.

History of Caribbean cuisine

Cuisine in the Caribbean is heavily influenced by African cuisine, but you'll also find influence from France, Spain, India, Holland and Asia. This is because European countries settled within the Caribbean, bringing slaves from Africa to work on their sugar plantations. Once slavery was abolished, Asia provided further influence to the Caribbean to help create the variety of fresh dishes we know and love today.

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