Food is the thing Trinidadians and Tobagonians are proudest of, and with good reason. The cooking here is the product of centuries of migration: Indian cooks brought curry, flatbread and chickpeas, African and Creole traditions shaped soups, stews and one-pot rice dishes, and Chinese and Syrian-Lebanese communities added their own touches. The result is a cuisine that is spicy, generous and cheap to eat well. This guide explains what to try, where it fits into a trip and how to order without embarrassment.
Start with doubles
Doubles are the national street breakfast: two soft fried flatbreads called bara folded around curried chickpeas, then topped with chutneys and, if you ask for it, pepper sauce. They are sold from roadside stalls and busy counters, mostly in the morning, and they cost little. Ask for them with slight pepper, medium or none, and expect to eat them standing, one-handed, with a napkin. The Trinidad nighttime food tour is the easiest way to meet doubles and many other dishes with a guide.
Roti is a meal
A Trinidadian roti is a soft flatbread wrapped around curried filling, often chicken, goat, shrimp, potato, chickpeas or vegetables. It comes in several styles, from a thin wrap to a torn-up version served alongside the curry, and a vegetarian version built on potato, pumpkin and chickpeas is common. Roti shops range from simple counters to busy sit-down places, and every local has a favourite. Eat it with your hands if it is the torn-up type, and ask whether the curry is spicy.
Bake and shark at Maracas Bay
The classic beach meal is fried shark, tucked into a bake, a puffy round of fried bread, and then dressed at a counter with a long line of toppings and sauces. It is a Maracas Bay institution, and the vendors will show you how to build it. If you do not eat shark, ask what alternatives are available. Plan it as a beach lunch and bring cash.
Tobago specialities
On Tobago, look for crab and dumpling, a curried crab dish served with soft dumplings that is associated with the island. Fresh fish is easy to find in the fishing villages on the Caribbean side, and the tourism site notes that visitors can buy fish directly from fishermen at Parlatuvier. Store Bay's food stalls and the restaurants of Crown Point serve Creole food, and a long lunch in a village after a beach morning is one of the best ways to spend a day.
Other things to try
Pelau is a one-pot dish of rice, pigeon peas and meat, often cooked with caramelised sugar and coconut, and it is common at family gatherings. Callaloo is a thick green soup made from dasheen leaves and okra, often with crab or pigeon peas. Pholourie are small fried split pea balls served with tamarind chutney, and aloo pie is a fried pastry filled with spiced potato. For something sweet, look for local cakes, coconut sweets and the Indian-influenced sweets sold at Divali and in the markets.
What to drink
Cold coconut water, cut open from the fruit by a vendor, is the best thirst quencher on a hot day. Sorrel, made from hibiscus and spices, is a seasonal favourite around Christmas, and mauby is an acquired taste made from tree bark. Local beers and rums are widely available, and bars range from rum shops to beach bars and Ariapita Avenue in Port of Spain. Ginger beer and fresh juices round out the list. Always drink bottled or treated water if you are unsure, and ask your hotel.
How to order and eat
Pepper sauce is part of the culture, and a stall owner may add it generously, so say how hot you want it. Street food is cheap, so carry small notes. Eat where there is a queue, because it usually means fresh food and a loyal clientele. Vegetarians and vegans eat well, since chickpeas, split peas, pumpkin, spinach and bread feature in many dishes. If you have allergies, say so clearly and ask what is in a dish, since English is widely spoken.
Fitting food into your trip
Eat doubles for breakfast, roti for lunch in Port of Spain, bake and shark at Maracas Bay on your beach day and a long seafood lunch in Tobago. Pair the food tour with the steelpan evening for a full night out, and keep room for dinner on Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook. Guides and drivers appreciate a tip, so keep a little cash in the local currency.
