10: Coconut Bake
09: Curried Crab and Dumplings
08: Fish Broth
Fish broth is a flavorful Trini soup made with vegetables, fresh herbs, fish, and either pasta or dumplings. It is believed that the broth tastes even better the next day when it gets reheated. The dish varies from one household or restaurant to the next one, since the flavor of the broth depends on how the fish is marinated and seasoned.
Fish broth is traditionally served as a main dish, unlike other countries where soups are typically served as a starter.07: Saltfish buljol
Saltfish buljol is a spicy Trini dish made by soaking and boiling pieces of salted fish, then blending them with tomatoes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, onions, and oil. The dish is most commonly enjoyed as a hearty breakfast, when it is placed into a type of bread called bake, creating a sandwich in the process.
Saltfish buljol is often paired with provisions (Trini term for boiled root vegetables) on the side, and the dish is often garnished with sliced scotch bonnet peppers.06: Curry Duck
Curry duck is a popular Caribbean dish, especially in Trinidad and Tobago. Duck used in this type of curry is the Muscovy, which is typically raised by many village folks on the island. The meat is traditionally marinated in a combination of salt, pepper, cumin, curry powder, hot peppers, cilantro, scallions, onions, and garlic.
Once prepared, curry duck is usually served with either rice or roti on the side. There are also numerous local curry duck competitions in the island, testifying to the popularity of this flavorful dish which is heavily influenced by Indian cuisine.05: Soursop Ice Cream
04: Doubles
Doubles is a staple of Trini street food, a sandwich that consists of two fried flatbreads (bara) filled with curried chickpeas (curry channa). It is believed that doubles were invented in 1936 in Princes Town, and nowadays they are consumed for breakfast or as a late-night snack.
The dish can be additionally enriched with ingredients such as pepper sauce, tamarind sauce, or green mango pickle with amchar masala, known as kuchela. In Trinidad and Tobago, doubles are typically sold wrapped in paper.03: Angostura Bitters
Angostura is a concentrated bitters made with herbs and spices. It was developed in 1824, when a German doctor Johann Gottlieb Benjamin Siegert, who was a surgeon general for Simón Bolívar, used a secret blend of botanicals, including angelica, cinchona, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and orange peel, to create an antifebrile tonic.
The drink was an instant success and was later mainly used as a flavor enhancement because of the fairly high alcohol content of 44.7%. Due to political turmoil, Siegert relocated his company from Venezuelan city of Angostura (Ciudad Bolivar) to Trinidad and Tobago, where it still operates.02: Bake and Shark
Bake and shark is a unique Trini street food item that is especially popular at concerts, festivals, and celebrations. It consists of marinated or seasoned pieces of shark meat, sauces, chutneys, and vegetables in a flatbread known as bake.
The dish is often associated with Maracas beach which is filled with numerous bake and shark street stalls.01: Trinidad pelau
Pelau is a savory Trini dish consisting of meat such as beef or chicken combined with rice, vegetables, fresh herbs, and coconut milk. Meat is traditionally browned in sugar before it gets mixed with other ingredients. The dish is usually cooked in one pot, making it ideal for festivities and picnics.
It is often served with salads, hot sauces, or chutneys on the side.