The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Saint Lucian Foods. If you manage to be in an Saint Lucian restaurant or you are visiting Saint Lucia, I recommend the following:
1. Green Figs and Salt Fish
Green figs and saltfish is the national dish of the Caribbean island of St Lucia. You may think there are figs in this dish, but the locals call it green plantain. Cod is traditionally used for the salted fish, but other salted fish can be substituted. The result is a colourful dish full of spices that elevate the green plantain and give it a fantastic flavour. Special occasions (such as the Jounen Kweyol Festival) are prepared in October, but family lunches are also enjoyed on weekends.
2. Fresh Lobster
With big juicy tails full of meat, St Lucia’s lobsters are a delicacy that’s prepared in a variety of ways on the island, from steamed to sushi, and always gets rave reviews.
3. Fry Bakes
Fry bakes are part of the daily breakfast in St. Lucia. The dough is soft and springy. Fried in hot oil, it puffs up into a light, airy, aromatic bread that can be used as a filling, usually sautéed with onions, garlic, peppers, tomatoes or whatever herbs or vegetables you want to add to the fish. Croutons can also be eaten with various fillings, such as cheese, butter, meat sausages, tuna, cornmeal, herring or eggs.
4. Banana Cake
Due to the abundance of high quality bananas available throughout the island, banana cake is probably the most popular dessert in St. Lucia. Made with all the usual cake ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs and oil, this cake is also topped with mashed bananas, chopped pineapple, orange juice and nuts to create the perfect exotic dessert to end your meal perfectly.
5. Accra
Made from salted cod that is packed into a ball and then heavily seasoned before frying, Accra is an excellent afternoon snack that pairs perfectly with a favourite drink. It is usually served as a starter in local restaurants in St Lucia.
6. Breadfruit
Breadfruit balls are a traditional snack that originated in St. Lucia but are also popular in Dominica. It is usually made with breadfruit, onion, garlic, parsley, celery, breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese and salt. The breadfruit is quartered, washed, boiled until soft, mashed and cooled. It is mixed with other ingredients and the mixture is formed into balls, which are then breaded and fried or baked. The breadfruit balls are always hot.
7. Callaloo Soup
It consists of a creamy coconut milk-based broth that is loaded with spinach (callaloo) as well as vegetables such as okra, potatoes and garlic. There are many different versions of this local favourite all over the island, including callaloo soup which contains conch, lobster, fish and other fresh items from the Caribbean Sea.
8. Pepper Pots
Pepperpot soup is a classic Jamaican soup made with coconut milk, callaloo, okra, peppers, garlic, onion and (optional) meats such as pork tail and corned beef. Meatballs are often added to the soup. Before serving, the soup is sprinkled with salt and black pepper and often garnished with crushed scotch bonnet pepper.
9. Lambi
Conch is served Creole style, meaning that it is seasoned very well before being fried and served in a special dish called lambi. Most restaurants in the tourist areas and along the seafront serve St Lucian lambi and, although it’s the kind of dish that may sound strange at first, it generally delights all its diners.
10. Bouyon
Cooked in large pots and served at family gatherings and celebrations, this is a delicious soup made with local ingredients. Based on chunks of sweet potato, pumpkin or yam, as well as ham hocks or slices of pork, this hearty broth fills the stomach and warms the heart.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Caribbean Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.