The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Trinidadian and Tobagonian Foods. If you manage to be in an Trinidadian and Tobagonian restaurant or you are visiting Trinidad and Tobago, I recommend the following:
1. Bake and Shark
Although there is generally some controversy among Maracas Bay locals as to whether it is called Bake and Shark or Shark and Bake, everyone agrees that it is one of the best fish sandwiches you will ever eat. Bake and Shark is basically a thick wad of battered shark meat fried between two pieces of fried bread. There’s a quirky selection of toppings: sliced cucumber, tomato or pineapple, coleslaw, shredded mango, lettuce leaves, chandon beni dressing, hot pepper sauce, tamarind sauce, even garlic and tartar sauces.
2. Chow
Instead of throwing away under-ripe fruit, locals cut the half-ripe fruit into bite-sized pieces and season it with generous portions of salt, black pepper, lemon juice and chopped chilli peppers, chandon beni and garlic. They usually make food in their own kitchens, but you can find food vendors almost anywhere in the main towns and cities and especially on the way to Maracas Bay. Favourite combos include pineapple, mango, plum and pommerac.
3. Roti
Roti, like doubles, is another Indian-inspired street food. It is a favourite of office workers because you can just grab it and go. Usually when you order a roti, a huge dhalpuri is folded into a massive rectangle that bursts with flavour. You can fill it with channa and curried aloo, mango curry and your favourite curried meat (chicken, shrimp, duck, beef or goat).
4. Saheena
Saheena is Trini’s speciality and consists of flour, pea flour, saffron, baking powder and salt. Mix these ingredients together to form a paste and place it on the taro leaves. Repeat this process to roll the taro leaves and boil or steam them. After the mixture has cooled, cut into slices and fry until golden brown. This dish is usually served with a sauce or chutney, which is placed inside split sahina fritters.
5. Pelau
Pelau is a delicious trini dish of meat such as beef or chicken mixed with rice, vegetables, fresh herbs and coconut milk. The meat is traditionally browned in sugar before being mixed with other ingredients. Usually made in a pot, this dish is perfect for parties and picnics. It is usually served with salad, chutney or chutney.
6. Gyro
Gyros are one of the most popular street foods in Trinidad and Tobago. They are quick, tasty and freshly made, usually where you drink and paint. They are made in the same way as Middle Eastern shawarma. To serve on a skewer on a slice of toasted pita, thinly slice the outer edge of the roast; then add a variety of pickles, dressings and salads to create wraps.
7. Doubles
Dobles is the ultimate street food in Trinidad and Tobago. Because it’s cheap, quick and easy to access, locals have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dobles gets its name from the fact that it’s an open-faced sandwich consisting of two pieces of fried bread or bara and a curried channa or chickpea sauce. This vegetarian delight is also topped with homemade sauces and toppings such as hot pepper sauce, sweet sauce, chandon beni sauce, kuchela, coconut chutney, and even julienned cucumbers. If you order pepper sauce, be sure to tell the vendor whether you want it light, medium or heavy.
8. Aloo Pie
Aloo pie is a dish consisting of fried dough stuffed with mashed potatoes seasoned with onion, garlic, cumin and bandhani. It can usually be bought at food stalls that sell another Trinidadian favourite called doubles. These fried cakes are said to taste best when served with hot sauce.
9. Black Pudding
Black pudding is not for the fussy, but for the adventurous. It’s basically fresh pig’s blood and liver seasoned with salt, pepper, ground spices and green herbs, stuffed into a casing and boiled until the filling coagulates into a meaty sausage. The black pudding is piled into buns or eaten on its own, often drizzled with hot pepper sauce.
10. Corn Soup
It’s a hearty soup full of chunky vegetables and savoury meats. Corn soup is the street food that cheers you up after hours of dancing in the nightclub or at an outdoor party or bash. This thick, yellow concoction of split peas should be served piping hot and includes chunks of corn on the cob, carrots, flour or cornmeal dumplings, cassava, green figs, sweet potato and sometimes a bit of salted pig’s tail.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Caribbean Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.