Barbados- Food

It is no secret that the Caribbeans are known for tasty seafood dishes. While this was true in Barbados, I was quite disappointed when I learned that Lobster was not a big deal for them. Well actually not me per-se, Hubby was. Bajans have very unique taste buds it seems and have their own spin to Caribbean dishes. We had the pleasure of sampling some Bajan delights.

This was the first dish we had at Fish Net Grill in Oistins. Pictured: Two grilled red snappers, a side of mac pie, cole slaw, rice, fish cake and potatoes. This is as Bajan as it gets according to the locals. The fish was the best thing on the plate then the fish cakes and mac pie. Mac pie is Bajan's version of mac and cheese. Don't get me wrong the entire plate was very delicious but those were my favorite. Fish Net serve other types of fish, shrimp and lobster.

I know this does not look very appetizing but trust me it was good. Pictured: A large Swordfish (Another Bajan favorite), fries and cole slaw from Pat's place in Oistins. Didn't really care for the fries and cole slaw but the Swordfish was quite good considering this was my first Swordfish. Swordfish is very meaty almost the texture of steak. It does not taste like fish at all. You can find Swordfish on almost all the menus in Oistins.

Pictured: A bowl of mac pie, fried chicken livers and fried chicken gizzards from St. Lawrence Gap. The gizzards were the best thing on that table. The gizzards were fried to the perfect texture. It was crunchy yet soft and not too chewy. Not a fan of the texture of liver so didn't care for it. Hubby loved it though so if you like liver, i would say to try it. And as for the mac pie, I have had better.

Pictured: One chicken patty and 1 beef patty from the Patty hut in Worthing on Rendevous rd. Patties are were made popular by Jamaicans. It is often eaten as a snack but sometimes as a full meal because it is heavy. The Patty hut claims to serve the best Patties in Barbados straight from Jamaica. I must admit, it was very good and quite filling. The pastry crust was buttery but not greasy and crunchy at the same time. It was delightful. The filling was equally as good and had a spice kick to it. I don't think I have ever had a spicy patty prior to this before. It goes very well with beer.Two patties will set you back 11 bds or so. I thought it was expensive but it was worth it. You must try it.

Pictured: A bowl of rice & peas, fried jerk chicken, fried plantians and cole slaw from Rude Boy. We read that Rude boy had the best jerk chicken on the island and we completely agree since we did not get to try other jerk chickens on the island. It was not as spicy as we expected but nevertheless it was very good and worth all the trouble we went through to get there.

Pictured: A plate of Pig tails with barbecue sauce from Rude Boy. Pig tails is a local Barbados dish so of course we had to try it. I usually do not eat pork but "when in Barbados, you gotta eat what they eat." It was quite good but it didn't taste like pork instead it reminded me of Ox tails. The meat was very soft and fell right off the bone and melts in your mouth. You gotta it!

Pictured: A bowl of flying fish with breadfruit coucou in a tomato sauce with fried plantains and vegetables on the side from Round House. This pretty meal is the national dish of Barbados You will find flying fish on almost every menu. Breadfruit coucou is can be compared to mashed potatoes but with a bit of a thicker consistency than traditional mashed potatoes. It is creamy and texture is a bit grainy. It actually reminds me of African fufu and soup. I do not eat fufu so this was not a hit for me at all. It is an acquired taste but you may like it.

Pictured: Coconut cream pie with coconut rum raisin ice cream from Round House. This was the best dessert I had on the island. It hit the spot especially after the dissapointment with the coucou.

Pictured: Shrimp and potato Roti from the restaurant at the Animal flower caves. It was okay. The potatoes kind of ruined it for me. It did have a generous amount of shrimps too. It was quite filling too. Spices and sauce were on point but could have done without the potatoes.

Pictured: Fish cakes from the restaurant at the Animal flower caves. Some restaurants in Barbados serve their fish cakes rolled into balls and some scoop them into a plate like pie. Either way it is one of the best Bajan dishes I had. I really enjoyed these fish cake balls with their mango chutney sauce. The seasoning on them were on point and they really do give you a lot. It is one to try if you end up there.

Well that's all folks! Do not forget to try coconut bread from the local vendors that set up in Oistins at night. They are delicious! Rum cake is also a must try. You have not had rum cake unless you try it in the Caribbeans. Happy traveling!