Barbados is known for its cultural dishes full of flavour from African, English and Indian inspirations and over the years some recipes has been tweaked, but the original methods are preserved. For many years, Barbados has been called “the Land of Flying Fish” and is the National Symbol of Barbados due to the abundance of flying fish swimming in the warm Caribbean Waters. The national dish is Cou-Cou and Flying Fish which is usually served on Fridays and Saturdays. The ingredients are yellow cornmeal, water, okras, butter, salt and pepper to season and hot pepper sauce which is optional. For the gravy: butter, diced tomatoes, onions, sweet pepper, fresh herbs like thyme, chives, rosemary, water and ketchup along with other spices which are used for flavour. Barbadians usually roll their flying fish and add toothpicks to hold the flying fish in place but that too is optional. It is usually served hot with lots of gravy!
Another favourite delicacy is the famous Pudding and Souse. For those of you who have not heard about it, “Bajans love them some pork in their food”, whether it is pork chops, pork stew, or baked ham. Pudding and Souse is a favourite to all and is served on Fridays and Saturdays across the island. The souse is made from several cuts of pork and is cooked and pickled with cucumber, lime juice, onions, sweet pepper, parsley, celery, red peppers and seasoned with salt and pepper. The pudding is made from grated sweet potatoes cooked on a low heat. This goes well with another favourite ground provision; Breadfruit, which can be prepared in many ways such as roasted, grilled, fried or even in as a cou-cou. Pudding and Souse is one dish every visitor to Barbados needs to try.
Conkies is a traditional dish that dates back to the Independence of Barbados in November 1966. Conkies are made from the same cornmeal we use to make cou-cou. Ingredients found in conkies are cherries, raisins, pumpkin, sugar, spices, dry grated coconut and cornmeal. Most of these are traditional and have been passed on from generation to generation. Banana leaves are washed and wrapped with the filling and placed in a saucepan of boiling water. The excess banana leaves are placed at the bottom of the saucepan as a cradle for the filled conkies to be cooked until firm.
Sea Eggs is a dish that can be eaten in its raw form or seasoned and fried. It is usually complimented with white rice. Sea Eggs are very rare on the island and are usually found on the South Coast of Barbados. It is illegal to pick sea eggs before the harvest season and persons found doing so are liable to a fine or imprisonment.
If you have never eaten a Fish Cake, you have never experienced the real Barbados! Fish cakes are tremendously popular in Barbados, and can be used for breakfast, as an appetizer or even late at night. It is made from a batter consisting of flour, cod fish or salt fish, hot peppers, herbs, baking powder and oil for frying. After the batter has been fried, fish cakes are a delight to eat especially with ketchup and hot sauce. Some Bajans enjoy a ‘bread and two’ which is salt bread and two fish cakes.
An all-time favourite for Barbadians is Great Cake also known as the Bajan Black cake. In Barbados this is especially made or bought around Christmas time. Bajans love anything sweet to eat and when alcohol is involved it becomes a delicious recipe. Some of the ingredients found in great cake are cherries, currants, prunes, raisins, orange rind and of course the alcohol which is usually any rum of your choice. When making a black cake or great cake recipe, nothing is better than to taste the alcohol in every bite you take... and guess what? Alcohol also helps preserve the cake. Most people who make black cake usually leave back some of the mixture from the year before because the longer the alcohol is in the fruit mixture the more fermented it becomes. This type of cake is used for special occasions like weddings, anniversaries and birthday parties.
Coconut Bread is another delicacy and is usually called Sweet Bread. This is quite popular across the island and is made from grated coconut, shortening, cherries, raisins, sugar, spices, yeast, water, salt and flour. After placing in a pan and baking in the oven the crust of the coconut bread is hard like a rock, but the inside is nice and moist if served warm. Every bite feels like it is melting in your mouth with the right amount of sweetness and the rich flavour of the coconut in the centre of the bread. This traditional bread is definitely worth a try.
