The Taste of Local Life 

Barbados, the most Eastern Island in the Caribbean, has a authentic approach to Bajan cuisine - blending old and new to deliver a culinary experience which both intrigues and delights those with the opportunity to sample it. With strong British influence shining through (Barbados was colonised by the British in 1627 and later gained independence in 1966) you may just recognise some of names of the dishes, though ingredients and cooking methods are often very different and mostly always have a tradition or story behind them. Traditional Bajan dishes are always made with fresh ingredients - local produce and home grown herbs and spices can be found at food markets such as the Millie Ifill fish market in Weston where a colourful array is on display daily. Fruit and vegetables which compliment most dishes are freely grown on the island while surrounding oceans provide plentiful amounts of fresh fish and seafood including swordfish, yellowfin tuna, red snapper, shark and of course, flying fish, which accompanied by cou cou, is the national dish of Barbados.

The fish, which is seasoned with spices is either steamed or fried and served alongside the cou cou which is made from cornmeal and okra.The warm waters of Barbados create the perfect environment for flying fish. They are in such abundance that the Island has adopted the name ‘the land of the flying fish’ and has made the sea creature their national symbol. On Thursdays, oldtimers head to Martins Bay, a village in the east coast parish of St John to enjoy a fish lunch. Upon retirement, citizens of Barbados are granted a red ID card that allows free travel on all public transport. Groups of friends often catch the bus down to the bay to chase away the afternoon with a fish lunch and a Banks beer. The coastline of Martins Bay is rugged which makes it the ideal location for lobster fishermen and as with most places in Barbados, there is no shortage of beautiful views. While fish dishes are served week long here, Thursdays are famed for the choice of seafood on offer - especially at Bay Tavern, a restaurant renowned for its deliciously fresh platters of shellfish where Bajan’s bring their families for an afternoon lime (a time spent relaxing with others) On Friday evenings, crowds gather in the glittering bay of Oistins, a town famous for its fishing, to eat freshly grilled fish that is cooked to order in front of them. Being at Oistins really evokes a sense of celebration around food - the atmosphere is full of energy and seating is informal and plentiful. Locals chat and play dominoes on the rustic benches while a live band plays in the background and visitors dance the night away.

A plate of fish and a bottle of beer costs less than 35 barbadian dollars (£14/$18) and is served from 7pm - though any Bajan will encourage you to head to Oistins early to catch the hazy sun set over the bay. Saturday lunch is often a native dish of pudding and souse, a tantalizing combination of tender meat and sweet potato. Traditionally dating back to the era of slavery, the souse, which is pickled pork, would be made from the waste meat of the pig. Ears, snout and trotters were the most used parts of the animal for this and for some, the offal is still the main ingredient used to create the meal today. More commonly though, the dish is made with lean cuts of the meat and is served with onions, peppers and parsley.

The pudding, made from sweet potato and chillies, is stuffed into the intestines of the pig like a sausage which is then boiled and served on the side. Sunday is quiet in barbados and Bajan’s tend to only eat at home with family but a trip to a bakery is often part of the day. In one of the many bakeries on the island you will find fresh salt bread, a golden savory bread roll that can be filled with any product to make a ‘cutter’. Most commonly the bread is filled with cheese to make a ‘cheese cutter’ or warm fish cakes from one of the nearby street vendors.To appease the sweet tooth, tamarind balls are a beloved treat made from the pulp of the tamarind fruit which is then rolled into small balls. The fruit tends to have a sharp, sour taste so the balls are rolled in sugar to give them some sweetness. Sugar cakes are another popular treat - sugar and water is boiled together before grated coconut is added to thicken the mixture and then baked to set like a cookie. A healthier option would be conkies, a mixture of flour, coconut, pumpkin, spices and raisins which is wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. The sweets are available all year round but eaten more commonly during Barbados Independence day on 30th November. In the colonial times, conkies were eaten as part of Bonfire Night celebrations.

Of course the Barbadian culinary experience wouldn't be complete without a rum punch.. or four! The traditional recipe consists of five ingredients - a mix of dark rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, bitters and spice. A well known rum punch poem; ‘One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak, a dash of bitters and a sprinkle of spice, serve well chilled with plenty of ice’ ensures that no fan will ever forget the measures needed to create the perfect punch. Rum, originally name kill-devil by the distiller that made it, is truly a product of the island and throughout Barbados, you’ll likely find that most establishments that serve rum will always offer Mount Gay. This dark rum, created by the island’s oldest distillery is pretty much a national treasure. Made from the Barbadian sugar cane, its roots can be traced back three centuries to 1703, making it the oldest spirit in the world. The blend is an art form for Mount Gay passed on by generations of master distillers. You’ll be hard-pushed to find a rum shack or bar that doesn’t serve the celebrated spirit and locals will almost always have a bottle to hand. www.visitbarbados.orgwww.mountgayrum.com