The Caribbean, a place associated with laid-back
living, raucous parties and resort holidays, doesn't
immediately leap off the map as a top foodies' destination.
Yet anyone stepping off the beach or out of their
hotel will discover a region fiercely proud of its
rich tradition of cross-pollinated cuisines.
Merrilees Parker takes a hop across
the islands of Puerto Rico, St Kitts, Guadeloupe
and Trinidad in search of
the tastes that give the Caribbeans their unique spirit.
In Puerto Rico she finds the colonial influence still
alive in the islanders' love of coffee,
while St Kitts has capitalised on its history by converting
its plantation houses into gourmet restaurants.
Here she cooks up a local catch, spiny
lobster. On Guadeloupe she savours the
truly international Creole cuisine,
a combination of Indian, Chinese, French, Spanish
and African influences, as well as the identifiably
French flavours of its pastries and
rum. The menu ends in Trinidad where
she samples Trinni street food favourites like roti,
corn soup, pelau and rum at
its mind-blowing world famous carnival.
FOODS
FESTIVALS
