caribbean food and drink
Haiti
US Virgin Islands
gombo
Cashew
food
fruit
plant
3 comments
Barbados
Bahamas
Trinidad & Tobago
US Virgin Islands
gooseberry
The tree and fruit of Phyllanthus acidus. The intermediate sized tree produces small, flattened, multi-lobed, berries with a high acid content. The tart yellow berries are edible raw, but most often stewed with sugar, ginger and other spices.
food
fruit
plant
45 comments
Suriname
goudblad boom
A round fruit about the size of a tennis ball. It has a glossy leathery skin that is either green, purple, or some combination of the two colours. Inside is a purple and white milky flesh that exhibits a distinct star pattern. The fruit is sweet and eaten raw
food
plant
fruit
1 comments
St. Vincent
gouti
Small rodents related to guinea pigs.
animal
food
1 comments
Grenada
Montserrat
Trinidad & Tobago
governer plum
The fruit of the Flacourtia indica which is a species of flowering plant native to much of Africa and tropical and temperate parts of Asia. The fruit itself is a pome about an inch thick and red ripening purple. It is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layered carpels. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tang. It is eaten raw or made in to jelly or jam. It can be fermented to make wine.
fruit
food
plant
14 comments
Dominica
grafted mango
A named mango cultivar that was made popular in the Caribbean. the cultivar is likely to have originated in Jamaica. The fruit is small, averaging less than a pound in weight at maturity. Skin color is green with some crimson blush. The fruit has a somewhat unique shape that is ovate with a distinctive flattened side. The flesh is juicy and not fibrous, with a deep yellow color and a very rich flavor. The tree is famous for its small dwarfing growth habit.
food
fruit
plant
Suriname
granaki apra
Pomegranate. Botanical name Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between 5 and 8 m (16 and 26 ft) tall
fruit
food
Jamaica
grater cake
A baked dessert made from sweetened grated coconut. It is often decorated with red food colouring. The coconut used is 'white' since it is peeled or scraped to remove the brown outer layer.
food
5 comments
Puerto Rico
Trinidad & Tobago
green passion fruit
A fruit related to the passion fruit, but with a hard green skin. They are significantly sweeter than passion fruits.
food
1 comments
US Virgin Islands
greenie
Heineken beer
food
1 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
greens
Watercress
plant
food
Bermuda
greeze
Food.
food
Trinidad & Tobago
grog
White rum
food
Puerto Rico
Trinidad & Tobago
grosella
The tree and fruit of Phyllanthus acidus. The intermediate sized tree produces small, flattened, multi-lobed, berries with a high acid content. The tart yellow berries are edible raw, but most often stewed with sugar, ginger and other spices.
food
fruit
plant
7 comments
Dominica
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
US Virgin Islands
ground provisions
Any starchy agricultural product used as food. Examples include, but are not limited to, yams, potatoes, bananas, cassava, pumpkins, and breadfruit.
food
17 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
gru gru
Is a yellowish-green drupe 2.5-5 cm in diameter, containing a single, dark brown, nut-like seed 2.5-5 cm diameter, which is very tough to break. The inside is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste when eaten. Found on a species of palm native to tropical regions of the Americas, from southern
fruit
food
Jamaica
St. Vincent
grung provision
Any starchy agricultural product used as food. Examples include, but are not limited to, yams, potatoes, bananas, cassava, pumpkins, and breadfruit.
food
1 comments
Jamaica
guava doasie
A candy made from guava paste or puree that has been boiled with sugar until thick, cooled, then cut into squares or shapes.
food
Antigua & Barbuda
guineos enanos
A banana variety known for small sweet fruit.
food
plant
fruit
4 comments
Antigua & Barbuda
Bahamas
Belize
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
St. Kitts & Nevis
Cayman Islands
US Virgin Islands
guinep
Ovoid green fruit that grows in bunches on trees up to 30m high. The fruit typically ripen during the summer. The fruit is related to the lychee and have tight, thin but rigid skins. Inside the skin is the tart, tangy, or sweet pulp of the fruit covering a large seed. The pulp is usually cream or orange coloured.
fruit
food
plant
56 comments
Jamaica
gully bean
A small green, bitter tasting berry. It is sometimes eaten alone after boiling or cooked with saltfish
plant
food
4 comments
Jamaica
gungo
Pigeon peas.
food
plant
US Virgin Islands
gutu
Parrotfish
animal
food
Jamaica
hairy
A commonly found mango cultivar with fibrous flesh. It is abundant and less highly valued than other mango cultivars.
food
fruit
hallaca
A dish consisting of mixed meat stewed with capers, olives, raisins and prunes, wrapped in cornmeal, then wrapped in banana or plantain leaves and boiled.
food
Grenada
hamadili
An armadillo
animal
food
Jamaica
St. Vincent
hard food
Any starchy agricultural product used as food. Examples include, but are not limited to, yams, potatoes, bananas, cassava, pumpkins, and breadfruit.
food
14 comments
Jamaica
honey banana
A banana variety known for small sweet fruit.
food
plant
fruit
2 comments
Jamaica
hoogly
A citrus fruit native to Jamaica known for its ugly appearance. It is similar to the grapefruit, but has a sweeter, less bitter taste. The skin is also more loosely attached to the flesh inside.
food
plant
1 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
hops
Bread that is crusty on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside
food
Cuba
huevo vegetal
Blighia sapida; A fruit of the soapberry family native to West Africa that was introduced to the Caribbean. It is the national fruit of Jamaica, and features prominently in Jamaican cuisine where it is an ingredient in the the national dish 'ackee and saltfish'. The fruit changes in colour from yellowish-green to a reddish orange as it matures. When ripe, the pods open to reveal two to three fleshy white or cream coloured arils. The arils are the only edible part of the fruit. The fruit must be allowed to open fully before harvesting as unripe and unopened fruit is poisonous and may cause ackee poisoning or Jamaican Vomiting Sickness (toxic hypoglycemic syndrome).
food
plant
Antigua & Barbuda
ice pop
A homemade frozen pop popular with children. It is made by pouring mixed drinks into small transparent plastic bags, tying the bags to seal them, and freezing. They are normally consumed by sucking a small hole bitten in one corner of the bag.
food
Jamaica
icicle
Any frozen, non milk-based, drink bar on a stick
food
Jamaica
icy mint
A green or bluish green peppermint candy
food
1 comments
Belize
ideal
A homemade frozen pop popular with children. It is made by pouring mixed drinks into small transparent plastic bags, tying the bags to seal them, and freezing. They are normally consumed by sucking a small hole bitten in one corner of the bag.
food
Grenada
Jamaica
ilaloo
Aramanth - an edible green leafy vegetable resembling spinach. It is typically prepared by steaming, often with saltfish
plant
food
rastafarian
1 comments
Jamaica
irish
Potato
food
plant
1 comments
Haiti
irish potato
Potato
food
plant
Belize
Grenada
Jamaica
St. Kitts & Nevis
ital
Describes a style of food preparation that is in accordance with rastafarian beliefs and practices. In its strictest interpretation it means cooking without salt, meat, artificial flavourings, preservatives or additives. More relaxed interpretations involve cooking without meat and additives such as MSG. In some relaxed interpretations fish (but not shellfish) is allowed.
food
rastafarian
Belize
ital food
Any starchy agricultural product used as food. Examples include, but are not limited to, yams, potatoes, bananas, cassava, pumpkins, and breadfruit.
food
Jamaica
jackass corn
A very hard, flat, semi-sweet biscuit made with coconut, flour, sugar, and spices.
food
1 comments
Dominica
Jamaica
Trinidad & Tobago
jackfruit
The tree and fruit of Artocarpus heterophyllus. It is related to the breadfruit and breadnut. The tree produces the worlds largest tree borne fruit - up to 80lbs and 3 feet long. Much of the fruit is starchy and fibrous. However, the seeds are surrounded by a sweet, pleasant tasting flesh. The seeds themselves are also edible after roasting or boiling.
food
fruit
plant
26 comments
Guyana
Trinidad & Tobago
jalebi
A fried sweet made from flour. They are usually bright orange or yellow, but can also be made white. It has a chewy texture, with a crystallized sugary crunch. The sugars get partly fermented, which is what adds flavor to the dish.
food
1 comments
Barbados
Guyana
Trinidad & Tobago
jamoon
Fruit, the size of an olive and purple in color. It can be eaten raw and is used to make refreshing drinks. It can also be eaten with sugar. It stains very easily.
food
fruit
plant
13 comments
Jamaica
janga
Shrimp, particularly freshwater shrimp
animal
food
1 comments
Jamaica
jankro batty
An extremely potent overproof rum with a fearsome reputation. It is sold under-the-counter (illegally) and usually available during sugar harvest time.
food
Jamaica
jb
An extremely potent overproof rum with a fearsome reputation. It is sold under-the-counter (illegally) and usually available during sugar harvest time.
food
Jamaica
jelly
A young coconut where the flesh has not completely hardened.
food
plant
Jamaica
jelly coconut
A young coconut where the flesh has not completely hardened.
food
Jamaica
jelly water
The liquid inside a coconut
food
Jamaica
jerk
A style of cooking where meat, wet marinated or dry-rubbed, is slowly cooked over a smoky heat source. The seasoning is traditionally very spicy and features pimento and scotch bonnet peppers as primary ingredients.
food
1 comments
Jamaica
jew plum
Ambarella. An edible fruit growing on large trees up to 30m. The fruits have thick, sometimes leathery skin and dendritic (fibrous or hairy) seeds. While unripe, the flesh is crisp and firm with a tart acidic taste. As it ripens, it turns yellow, becomes soft and develops a sweet taste and fragrant smell. Both ripe and unripe fruits can be eaten raw. It is also often prepared by juicing, stewing with ginger and sugar, pickling with peppers and spices, or made into chow.
food
2 comments
Belize
Dominica
Jamaica
St. Kitts & Nevis
US Virgin Islands
jimbilin
The tree and fruit of Phyllanthus acidus. The intermediate sized tree produces small, flattened, multi-lobed, berries with a high acid content. The tart yellow berries are edible raw, but most often stewed with sugar, ginger and other spices.
food
fruit
plant
76 comments
Belize
Jamaica
St. Kitts & Nevis
US Virgin Islands
johnny cake
A fried bread typically made from baking powder leavened dough.
food
3 comments
Bahamas
johnny come quick
A fried bread typically made from baking powder leavened dough.
food
Bahamas
Jamaica
ju ju
A gelatinous candy.
food
3 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
St. Vincent
jub jub
A gelatinous candy.
food
9 comments
Barbados
jug jug
A traditional dish made primarily from green pigeon peas. The peas are cooked with salt meat (beef or pork). The stock is poured off, then the peas and meat are minced. Seasonings and small amounts of corn flour are added, then the mixture is cooked again. The resulting casserole is often served with butter and is popular around the Christmas holiday season.
food
1 comments
Guyana
juice down
A homemade frozen pop popular with children. It is made by pouring mixed drinks into small transparent plastic bags, tying the bags to seal them, and freezing. They are normally consumed by sucking a small hole bitten in one corner of the bag.
food
1 comments
Bahamas
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Vincent
juju
Ziziphus Mauritania; A small round berry about 3/4 inches in diameter. The fruit is green and turns yellow as it ripens. Ripe fruit may occasionally develop a rust brown colour and a cracked texture. The unripe fruit is firm and slightly acidic, and grows softer and mushier when it ripens. The berries have a single hard seed.
food
plant
1 comments
Jamaica
Trinidad & Tobago
julie
A named mango cultivar that was made popular in the Caribbean. the cultivar is likely to have originated in Jamaica. The fruit is small, averaging less than a pound in weight at maturity. Skin color is green with some crimson blush. The fruit has a somewhat unique shape that is ovate with a distinctive flattened side. The flesh is juicy and not fibrous, with a deep yellow color and a very rich flavor. The tree is famous for its small dwarfing growth habit.
food
fruit
plant
2 comments
Bahamas
Belize
Jamaica
St. Kitts & Nevis
Cayman Islands
St. Vincent
june plum
Ambarella. An edible fruit growing on large trees up to 30m. The fruits have thick, sometimes leathery skin and dendritic (fibrous or hairy) seeds. While unripe, the flesh is crisp and firm with a tart acidic taste. As it ripens, it turns yellow, becomes soft and develops a sweet taste and fragrant smell. Both ripe and unripe fruits can be eaten raw. It is also often prepared by juicing, stewing with ginger and sugar, pickling with peppers and spices, or made into chow.
food
fruit
26 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
kaimit
A round fruit about the size of a tennis ball. It has a glossy leathery skin that is either green, purple, or some combination of the two colours. Inside is a purple and white milky flesh that exhibits a distinct star pattern. The fruit is sweet and eaten raw
food
plant
fruit
6 comments
Jamaica
kamranga
Carambola; A fruit with a star shaped cross section. As it ripens it turns from green to yellow. The fruit has a tart taste and is a good source of vitamin C.
food
plant
fruit
9 comments
Belize
kanizte
Canistel; A bright yellow ovoid fruit with a pointed tip. It is related to the sapodilla and is edible. The flesh tends to be dryer than other sapodillas and the texture is similar to that of a hardboiled egg yolk.
food
plant
1 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
katchouri
Spicy, fried chick pea fritters.
food
Antigua & Barbuda
Bahamas
Belize
Dominica
Haiti
St. Kitts & Nevis
Trinidad & Tobago
US Virgin Islands
kenep
Ovoid green fruit that grows in bunches on trees up to 30m high. The fruit typically ripen during the summer. The fruit is related to the lychee and have tight, thin but rigid skins. Inside the skin is the tart, tangy, or sweet pulp of the fruit covering a large seed. The pulp is usually cream or orange coloured.
food
fruit
plant
65 comments
Aruba
Bonaire
Curacao
Puerto Rico
kenepa
Ovoid green fruit that grows in bunches on trees up to 30m high. The fruit typically ripen during the summer. The fruit is related to the lychee and have tight, thin but rigid skins. Inside the skin is the tart, tangy, or sweet pulp of the fruit covering a large seed. The pulp is usually cream or orange coloured.
fruit
food
plant
6 comments
Guyana
Trinidad & Tobago
kitchree
A meal of mixed dhal and rice.
food
Haiti
kleren
A rum like spirit made from sugar cane juice.
food
1 comments
Belize
Grenada
Trinidad & Tobago
St. Vincent
klim
Dried, powdered milk
food
2 comments
Suriname
koba
The tree and fruit of Artocarpus heterophyllus. It is related to the breadfruit and breadnut. The tree produces the worlds largest tree borne fruit - up to 80lbs and 3 feet long. Much of the fruit is starchy and fibrous. However, the seeds are surrounded by a sweet, pleasant tasting flesh. The seeds themselves are also edible after roasting or boiling.
food
fruit
plant
1 comments
St. Lucia
koko coolie
Ziziphus Mauritania; A small round berry about 3/4 inches in diameter. The fruit is green and turns yellow as it ripens. Ripe fruit may occasionally develop a rust brown colour and a cracked texture. The unripe fruit is firm and slightly acidic, and grows softer and mushier when it ripens. The berries have a single hard seed.
food
plant
1 comments
Belize
kotobrute
A sweet treat made from diced coconuts, sugar and spices. The mixture is boiled until thick enough to set and harden when cool, then spoonfuls are dropped onto banana leaves or other flat surfaces.
food
St. Lucia
kouzou
Passion fruit
food
fruit
Belize
kraabu
A fruit tree, the yellow berries of the tree (Brysonima crassifolia).
food
fruit
plant
7 comments
Belize
kriol bread
Breads or cakes made with coconut as a primary ingredient
food
4 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
kurma
Dessert made with flour and coconut milk, fried and dipped in a sugary liquid.
food
1 comments
Grenada
kusu
Cashew
food
fruit
plant
4 comments
Suriname
kusuwé
The fruit and plant of Bixa orellana, commonly known as anatto. It is important for its seeds which are used to produce spices, and bright red/orange food colourings and dyes.
plant
food
St. Kitts & Nevis
kwachimelon
Otaheite apple; Pear shaped fruit with red skin and white flesh. Typically, they contain a single large seed. However, they may occasionally be seedless. The fruit is sweet and is usually eaten raw or used to make drinks.
food
fruit
plant
1 comments
Suriname
kwi kwi
An edible species of armour plated catfish that grows up to 24.0 centimetres in length. Males grow to a larger average and maximum size than females and, during the reproductive season, develop fat deposits in the pectoral fin and an elongated recurved pectoral spine that often assumes a reddish colour.
animal
food
2 comments
Guyana
laba
A paca, a small rodent.
animal
food
1 comments
Haiti
labrapen
Seeded breadfruit
food
Guyana
lakto
Dessert made with flour and coconut milk, fried and dipped in a sugary liquid.
food
6 comments
Grenada
lamuwhe
Fish dried and salted for preservation. The fish is usually the Atlantic or Pacific cod, however, pollock and haddock are sometimes used. Preparation typically involves an initial step of soaking in water overnight or boiling to remove the excess salt.
food
Haiti
lamveritab
Tree and fruit native to the Pacific Islands and Malaysia that was brought to the West Indies in the 18th century. The fruit is large with a rough green skin with small hexagonal markings. Some varieties have a spiky exterior. The flesh is white, cream coloured or yellow and has a high starch content. It is eaten boiled, roasted, or fried as a staple food.
food
plant
fruit
1 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
lappe
A paca, a small rodent.
animal
food
17 comments
Trinidad & Tobago
laylay
Small red fruits of the Cordia collococca tree, that grows in bunches. They can be sweet, but have a stainy taste and an astringent effect.
food
8 comments
US Virgin Islands
lechon
Pork - the flesh of swine.
food
Puerto Rico
lechoza
A torpedo, oval, or pear shaped fruit. The fruit bears on a large leafed tree up to 10m tall. When green, it is cooked as if a vegetable. The flesh contains an enzyme named papain that serves as an effective meat tenderiser. When ripe it is yellowish-orange in colour. The flesh is bright orange, soft, and sweet. The insides are hollow containing a lots of seeds with each seed contained in a small liquid filled sac. The seeds and the fluid surrounding them have a bitter taste.
food
plant
fruit
Trinidad & Tobago
left han dumplin
Dumplings made with the left hand in an obeah ritual with the intention of trapping a man in a romantic relationship.
food
2 comments
Jamaica
leggins
A bundle of carrots, pumpkin, turnips, and other ingredients packaged to make a single pot of soup.
food
Dominican Republic
limoncillo
Ovoid green fruit that grows in bunches on trees up to 30m high. The fruit typically ripen during the summer. The fruit is related to the lychee and have tight, thin but rigid skins. Inside the skin is the tart, tangy, or sweet pulp of the fruit covering a large seed. The pulp is usually cream or orange coloured.
food
plant
3 comments
Belize
lob
Any form of porridge (Banana, Cassava, Flour, Rice, Cornmeal).
food
2 comments
Jamaica
locust
Inga feuilleei is a legume that produces a podded fruit with a smooth textured, sweet, edible white pulp surrounding the seeds.
food
fruit
plant
10 comments
St. Lucia
love apple
Otaheite apple; Pear shaped fruit with red skin and white flesh. Typically, they contain a single large seed. However, they may occasionally be seedless. The fruit is sweet and is usually eaten raw or used to make drinks.
food
plant
fruit
Trinidad & Tobago
lychee
Lychee - a sweet fruit native to China. It is similar in structure to the guinep. The outside is covered by a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily removed. The inside consists of a layer of sweet, translucent white flesh, rich in vitamin C, with a texture somewhat similar to that of a grape.
food
plant
fruit
10 comments
Guadeloupe
maamee
Round fruit between 5 and 9 inches in diameter. The fruit has rough brown skin and contains a single large seed. The flesh of unripe fruit is hard and becomes soft when fully ripened. The fruit is edible with tastes ranging from sour to sweet and reminiscent of apricots.
food
fruit
plant
Jamaica
macca fat
Is a yellowish-green drupe 2.5-5 cm in diameter, containing a single, dark brown, nut-like seed 2.5-5 cm diameter, which is very tough to break. The inside is a dry white filling that has a vaguely sweet taste when eaten. Found on a species of palm native to tropical regions of the Americas, from southern
fruit
food