The following highlights some of the popular Traditional St Helenian Foods. If you manage to be in an St Helenian restaurant or you are visiting St Helena, I recommend the following:
1. St Helena Coffee
St. Helena’s coffee is exotic. S t. t. abundant and delicious coffee beans grow on the island. St. Helen off the coast of Africa. This coffee has clean, bright and beautifully balanced aromas of citrus, honey, berries and stone fruits. Many connoisseurs consider it one of the best in the world.
2. Fish Cakes
A hot St Helena fish cake is one of life’s greatest joys. These freshly made fish cakes are tempting to eat with your fingers – they are very tasty. Fish dumplings have long been a speciality of the island and are typical of St. Helen’s treat. This fish and potato delicacy is a popular dish on restaurant menus and tables.
3. Bread N’ Dance
A custom at the saint’s wedding is for the couple to dance around the “table” for the first time. In the past, the table took pride of place in the centre of the room, filled with wedding cakes and treats, including ketchup sandwiches, usually reserved for special occasions. Hence the reference to ‘bread and dance’. Bread n’ Dance is actually a ketchup sandwich.
4. Coconut Fingers
Coconut fingers are a traditional party cake. Without party St. Helena is unimaginable without coconut bars. Usually frosted pink, they are sponge cakes covered with coconut. Each family has its own family recipe or its own style of cooking them. Usually the whole sponge is first dipped in coloured icing and then rolled in coconut.
5. Fried Yam
Crunchy and tasty, fried yams will soon become a favourite side dish or snack. Fried yams are a popular street food in African countries, and these African roots have been adopted given their proximity to the island. It is often served with chilli sauce and sometimes with fried plantain and fish.
6. Pumpkin Pudding
Pumpkin spirits and spices combine to create a deliciously sweet pudding that is so silky smooth you’ll want to eat it again and again. A pudding that goes well with cakes, can be enjoyed with a cup of tea or dipped in custard.
7. St Helena Distillery
As the world’s most remote winery, St. Helena’s Distillery is one of St. Helena’s best kept secrets. Cactus Pear Spirit Tungi (pronounced Toon Gee) is a clear, smooth, refreshing and delicious drink with a strong flavour profile that retains energy and alcohol. It is made from tuna or Notal called Tuning. Now three types of cactus grow in wild and organic coastal areas of the island.
8. Boiled Pudding
Boiled or steamed pudding was a common dish on Royal Navy ships in the 18th and 19th centuries and has become a traditional dish in St. Helena. Thick boiled pudding with custard and hot milk tea.
9. Plo
Plo is a unique and delicious traditional St. Helena dish. Although the origin of the dish is unknown, its ingredients are commonly used elements of the local cuisine, and the dish has become a staple at social events on the island. Its spicy yet fresh flavour palette combines curry spices with the Spanish heat of seafood rice in a casserole dish.
10. Black Pudding
St. Helena Black Pudding is based on English black pudding flavoured with pig’s blood to create a unique and delicious meal that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. It is a very popular and delicious sausage that is not to be missed.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Caribbean Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.