These are the Best Street Foods in the Caribbean

By: - December 10th, 2015

While the Caribbean has many superb fine-dining restaurants, sometimes we just want something quick, inexpensive and portable to nosh on the fly. And when we do, these are these street foods are our go-tos.

By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

bokit

GUADELOUPE’S BOKIT You can find every deep-fried pita pockets sold from food trucks all over the island. Stuffed with any combination of fish, merguez, chicken, conch or lobster; topped with scrambled egg and shredded cheese; and then dressed with ketchup, mayonnaise and peppery sauce, the bokit is probably the best sandwich you’ll ever taste.

fat

TRINIDAD’S DOUBLES Every doubles vendor offers their own particular variation of this essential Trini edible, which is made with two (hence the name) rounds of fried dough called barra filled with curried chickpeas or channa. Cucumber slaw, mango chutney and the coolantro-based sauce shado beni are essential embellishments.

conch

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS’ CONCH SALAD The tourist hub of Providenciales is home to the world’s only conch farm and one of our favorite places to enjoy this ceviche-style preparation of raw conch with chopped green peppers, tomatoes onions and citrus juices.

bread

BARBADOS’ BREAD AND TWO Food trucks and gas stations do a roaring trade in this Bajan breakfast favorite, which consists of two deep-fried flying fish balls sandwiched between doughy slices of fresh-baked (curiously slightly sweet) salt bread.

cassava

ST LUCIA’S CASSAVA CAKES If you’re driving from one end of St. Lucia to the other make a stop at Plas Kassav, a tiny lean-to hillside bakery in the village of Canaries. They’re rightfully famous for their organic cassava bread rounds, available in both savory flavors (try the saltfish) and sweet.

patty 

JAMAICA’S BEEF PATTY Tastee and Juici are the most popular brands of Jamaicans’ favorite fast food, so you have to taste one of these beef, veggie or chicken-filled flaky pastry pockets and decide for yourself which one’s best. (We’re #TeamTastee, FYI.)

limber

PUERTO RICO’S LIMBER When we’re in San Juan and craving a sweet treat, this Puerto Rican version of the popsicle, made in and eaten straight from a plastic cup, fits the bill. We get our fruity fix from limber (pronounced “limbel”) king Eddie Rosado, who’s been selling as many as 70 a day out of his Old San Juan home for 45 years.

News

Melia Braco Village Coming to Jamaica

The new Melia Braco Village is eyeing a January opening. The Spanish hotel company’s first hotel in Jamaica is now taking bookings for stays beginning Jan. 23, according to the company’s Web site. The all-inclusive resort will include five a la carte restaurants along with an international buffet, along with a spa called YHI. It […]

News

In Abaco, A Focus on Art

 abaco

You might say the Bahamas is a work of art itself. But the natural beauty of the 700-island archipelago has also inspired some spectacular artwork, some of which will be on hand at this weekend’s Art for the Parks festival. The festival, produced by the Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour Marina, aims to support […]

News

Jamaica’s Latest Tourism Push Will Focus on Kingston

When it comes to Jamaica’s tourism market, the country’s capital, Kingston, has long been an afterthought. The vast majority of tourism development has come in beach areas, most significantly Montego Bay. Now, however, Jamaica’s government says it is looking to change that. “Kingston is being repositioned as a creative city, offering great insights into our […]

sean penn

Sean Penn Has a New Plan to Reforest Haiti

 It’s no secret that Haiti’s forest cover has been decimated in recent years. But a new coalition is looking to reforest the country with an initiative called “Haiti Takes Root.” Spearheaded by Sean Penn and his J/P Haitian Relief Organization, along with funders including former French Presidential Candidate Segolene Royale, the plan seeks to reforest […]

This Caribbean Airline Keeps Expanding

 InterCaribbean Airways is launching new service to both Santo Domingo and Tortola out of Antigua’s recently-redeveloped VC Bird International Airport. The new flights, which begin Thursday, are the latest expansion for the Turks and Caicos-based air carrier. Flights will operate between Santo Domingo and Antigua on Saturdays, with Antigua-Santo Domingo flights on Mondays and Thursdays. […]

This $300 Million Caribbean Resort Project Is Now Underway

 It’s no secret that Haiti’s forest cover has been decimated in recent years. But a new coalition is looking to reforest the country with an initiative called “Haiti Takes Root.” Spearheaded by Sean Penn and his J/P Haitian Relief Organization, along with funders including former French Presidential Candidate Segolene Royale, the plan seeks to reforest […]

Air Canada Sees Big Boost in Latin America, Caribbean Traffic

 Air Canada is showing strong growth in the Caribbean. The carrier posted 420 million revenue passenger miles to the region last month, a 12.3 percent improvement over November 2014. Air Canada also reported a 2.7 percentage-point increase in load factor to the region, and an 8.5 percent increase in available seat miles in Latin America […]