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My Barbados Foodie Wish List

19/5/2015

 

Barbados is high on my foodie radar... If you're planning a trip to Barbados, foodie treats like these sweet, salty, and savoury meals should be on your list.

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Barbados foodie: A plate of garden salad and a fried fish sandwich Picture
It doesn't take much convincing to tell me I want to be a Barbados foodie. Photo used with permission from http://myviewfromthemiddleseat.com/
Barbados first really hit my radar at the beginning of the year, when I did a post about the best places to travel in 2015. Barbados got a glowing review! But funnily enough it was another warm weather destination that convinced me I had to ramp up my travel plans. Our March visit to Hawaii reminded me of how much I love to connect with the ocean, with the gardens, and - of course! - the food in tropical locations.

Our winter escape to Hawaii was so wonderful that I was immediately planning our next trip and I couldn't imagine a better spot than Barbados. Since it never hurts to start planning a trip in advance, I thought it wise (purely in the name of research, you understand) to start compiling a list of the best food the country has to offer. Consider me a Barbados foodie in the making!

Flying Fish

Fried fish on a white plate with a side of rice Picture
Image courtesy boards.cruisecritic.com under creative commons licensing.
Fish is one of my favourite things to order when I travel. All food tastes best when it's local and this is especially true of fish. If you're lucky, you can buy it directly from the fishermen (and fisherwomen!) at the dock. There's no better deal or better taste around! 

But I'm also a bit picky about fish. I don't like it in chowders, stews, or curries. I really just like it served fairly plain - either grilled or baked or fried with some simple seasonings like lemon or herbs. 

And that's why I'm putting Barbados' famous flying fish on my foodie wish list. It's perfect in it's natural state and tastes fantastic. I can't wait to eat it in every possible way! My friend Christina has a great blog post here about some of the best places to find flying fish - I can't wait to try them all!

Of course, no main dish is complete without some succulent sides and, in Barbados, there are plenty to chose from. Christina recommends cou cou and macaroni pie. Macaroni pie is pretty self explanatory. It's like a kind of seasoned baked macaroni and cheese. Some recipes call for ketchup in the sauce that binds it all together. This rocks in my books, as I'm a firm believer in putting ketchup ON mac and cheese. Putting it IN the mac and cheese is even better!

Cou-cou is an entirely new dish to me. A mixture of cornmeal and okra that is cooked together with the assistance of a special stirring stick, it's the preferred side dish for flying fish and (so I'm told) ideally served with a lot of gravy!

Tamarind Juice

A mason jar and a drinking glass both half filled with tamarind juice Picture
Image courtesy www.robinskey.com under creative commons licensing.
Tamarind has been one of my favourite flavors for a while now. In the form of sauce and chutney, it's been my go-to condiment at Indian food restaurants - the perfect thing for dipping your poppadoms! Its tangy, savory, sweet and sour taste is absolutely delicious and for the longest time I couldn't imagine eating it any other way.

But all of that changed when I first had tamarind juice in Myanmar. It was offered to us as a welcome beverage at a guest house and, after a hot and dusty day, it was the most refreshing thing imaginable. It was cold, tart, and tangy, with just the perfect amount of sweetness to make it drinkable. 

In Barbados, tamarind juice is mixed with other flavors, like apple and cherry, and a generous amount of sugar is added before being served up to visitors as a great road side treat. Sounds perfect after a long day in the sun!

Roasted Corn

Two ears of roasted corn on a blue patterened plate
Photo courtesy grillgirl.com under creative commons licensing.
Of all the foodie treats in Barbados, the one that I'm most hesitant to try is roasted corn. I've seen it all over the world (most recently just in Istanbul)  but I've only tried it once. That time was in Malawi, over 10 years ago, and I actually HATED it! So why do I want to give it another go?

I think part of the reason why I hated my first ear of roasted corn is because I didn't know what to expect. I'm a huge fan of boiled corn on the cob (and specifically the sweet, buttery, salty favors) and I assumed roasted corn would taste similarly. Instead, it was dry, tough, and burnt tasting. Nope!

But lately I've considered giving roasted corn another try. People rave about how good it is in Barbados and I've seen roasted corn all around the world. Can such a huge part of the population be wrong? And roasted corn would make for a very affordable snack - always a plus in our book. I think it's time roasted corn and I got reacquainted.

Broasted Chicken

Wicker basket filled with broasted chicken Picture
Image courtesy www.famouscitybistro.com under creative commons licensing.
There's an awesome restaurant in Ryan's home town of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, called "Muio's". And Muio's is famous for serving broasted chicken. No, that's not a typo -I don't mean roasted (or baked-roasted or breaded-roasted or broiled-roasted). Broasting refers to a cooking method using a pressure fryer and it tastes delicious! 

Turns out that broasted chicken isn't just a Sault Ste Marie thing- it's all over Barbados too! Chefette's is a great place to pick some up, but there are plenty of independent shops as well. And for bonus points, the best way to wash down some authentic Barbados broasted chicken is with Banks beer. I'm not a beer fan but Ryan definitely is and he will absolutely appreciate testing a famous local brew.

PS - If you get a chance to visit Muio's, make sure to leave enough room for pie. Their chicken is great but the homemade pie is divine! 

Yep, I think Barbados is my kind of place....

Beautiful ocean side beach with palm trees
Image courtesy Wikipedia under creative commons licensing.
There's a reason I love dreaming about travel and planning a trip nearly as much as the trip itself. It's one delicious past time! I can't wait till we take off to Barbados and I'm not even sure we should wait for the cold weather to return. All that food isn't going to eat itself!

What's your favourite food to eat in the Caribbean? 

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Stacey
20/5/2015 07:39:45 am

Broasted chicken? That sounds fantastic!

Vanessa
24/5/2015 03:01:02 am

It's delicious!

Laura Lynch link
22/5/2015 06:11:52 am

You can't go wrong with Roasted Corn. It's always delicious. Don't forget to try the Macaroni Pie!

Vanessa
22/5/2015 06:19:05 am

Hungry at the very thought of it!

Lesley link
23/5/2015 05:38:47 am

Broasted chicken! It's only 9:38 am but I want some.

Vanessa
24/5/2015 03:01:34 am

This is a bad post for triggering cravings :-)

Karina Noriega link
23/5/2015 12:51:12 pm

Here is one advantage to roasted corn: It's easy to eat. I am a big fan of street food that I can hold in one hand, so I can have a drink in the other. Grant you, roasted corn IS much different then boiled, but it shouldn't be too charred - just subtly. Perhaps the first time you had it it was a little too burnt? Good luck with your next roasted corn experience =)

Vanessa
24/5/2015 03:03:16 am

I think I'll keep an eye out for corn that is just very lightly charred - you're right, my first time it was much darker than the corn in the picture and I think it got all dried out.

Jennifer @ Made all the Difference Travel Blog link
23/5/2015 12:58:00 pm

That food looks amazing. Barbados is on my list of places to go for other reason but food is now another reason.

Vanessa
24/5/2015 03:03:56 am

I feel the same way. I used to just think about the weather and the beaches but now I have an entirely new reason to visit.

Tanj from A Travelogue link
23/5/2015 01:41:20 pm

The food looks soooo delicious! Broasted chicken is always a good idea.

Vanessa
24/5/2015 03:04:18 am

Agreed!

Meg Jerrard link
23/5/2015 01:47:46 pm

I'm a massive fan of seafood though I've never eaten flying fish - will be adding this to my foodie bucket list and will have to get myself to Barbados!!

Vanessa
24/5/2015 03:05:04 am

I love that you can have it so many ways - grilled at a fancy restaurant, fried in a sandwich from a street vendor. Sounds fantastic!

Amanda Zeisset link
23/5/2015 02:21:21 pm

This post just made me so hungry! In Colombia they have a chain called American Broasted Chicken, it took me a while to figure out what it was.

Vanessa
24/5/2015 03:05:40 am

The word "broasted" had be confused for a long time as well - but once you try it there's no going back.

annette jones
24/5/2015 12:39:12 pm

You may wish to try our fish at Oistins town, our fried seacat cant be beat either and our roti which is a curry sauce which comes in a wrap also a favourite of the locals from chefette.

Vanessa
24/5/2015 02:36:28 pm

Annette, those are such delicious suggestions! How did you know I LOVE all things curry?!


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