Faster and smarter in the app... Download now

What is the most popular food in the Caribbean?

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.

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.

Related content

If you enjoyed this article and would like more info on travel to Tunisia, check out our other posts on the topic.

Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is sold and administered by Holiday Extras Cover Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 828848.

Holiday Extras™ is a Trading Name of Holiday Extras Cover Limited

Holiday Extras Travel Insurance is provided by Taurus Insurance Services, an insurance intermediary licenced and authorised in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission under Permission Number 5566 and authorised to passport general insurance intermediary services into the UK and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK under registration number 444830.

The insurance is underwritten by Great Lakes Insurance SE. Great Lakes Insurance SE is a German insurance company with its headquarters at Königinstrasse 107, 80802 Munich. UK Branch office: 10 Fenchurch Avenue, London, EC3M 5BN, company number SE000083. Great Lakes Insurance SE, UK Branch, is authorised and regulated by Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firm Reference Number: 769884. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.