Taste of Caribbean

What to Eat in the Caribbean – Top 50 Foods

Caribbean cuisine is a vibrant mix of African, Indigenous (Taino), European (Spanish, French, British, Dutch), Indian, and Chinese influences. Each island has its own specialties, but shared staples include plantains, rice and peas/beans, seafood, Scotch bonnet peppers, and one-pot stews. Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Barbados are especially rich in iconic dishes.

Caribbean Feast: Jerk Chicken, Curry Chicken, Festival and Jerk Pork

Dishes Common Across the Caribbean

1. Rice and Beans – Rice and Peas (Jamaica), Moros y Cristianos (Cuba), Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rico) — rice cooked with beans or pigeon peas, often in coconut milk.

Moros y Cristianos (Black Beans and Rice)

2. Fried Plantains (Tostones and Maduros) – Twice-fried green plantains or sweet, caramelized ripe ones, served with almost everything.

3. Whole Roast Pig (Lechón) – Spit-roasted pork with crackling skin, a celebration dish in Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

4. Curry Goat – Slow-cooked goat in curry spices, loved in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and across the islands.

Curry Goat

5. Pickled Fried Fish (Escovitch / Escabeche) – Fried fish topped with vinegar-pickled onions, carrots and peppers.

Escovitch Fish

6. Grilled and Stewed Seafood – Lobster, snapper and shrimp — grilled, stewed

7. Ceviche - is a traditional cold dish consisting of raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus and seasonings.

8. Conch Fritters – Fried batter studded with chopped conch (Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and beyond).

   
   

   

   Conch fritters, ceviche

9. Leafy Green Stew (Callaloo) – Greens simmered with okra and coconut, sometimes with crab.

10. Fried Dumplings (Johnny Cakes / Festival) – Fried or baked dough, slightly sweet in Jamaica.

11. Baked Macaroni and Cheese (Macaroni Pie) – A sliceable Sunday staple in Barbados, Trinidad and the Bahamas.

12. Scotch Bonnet Hot Sauce (Pepper Sauce) – Fiery homemade sauces on every table.

    
    

Specialties by Country

Jamaica

12. Jerk Chicken – Spicy, smoky chicken marinated with Scotch bonnet and allspice, grilled over pimento wood.

    
    

    

    Jerk Chicken

13. Ackee and Saltfish – Jamaica’s national dish: ackee fruit with salted cod.

14. Braised Oxtail – Oxtail slow-braised with butter beans.

15. Brown Stew Chicken – Chicken stewed in a rich brown sauce.

16. Jamaican Beef Patty – Flaky golden pastry filled with spiced meat or vegetables.

17. Cassava Flatbread (Bammy) – Often served with fried fish.

    
    

Trinidad & Tobago

18. Curried Chickpea Sandwich (Doubles) – Fried bara bread filled with curried chickpeas.

19. Curry Flatbread Wrap (Roti) – Flatbread wrapped around curry chicken, goat or vegetables.

20. Fried Shark Sandwich (Bake and Shark) – Fried shark in fried bread with sauces and toppings.

21. One-Pot Rice with Meat (Pelau) – Rice with meat, pigeon peas and coconut.

22. Curry Duck – A festive, river-lime favorite.

23. Split-Pea Fritters (Pholourie) – Fried fritters with tamarind sauce.

    
    

Puerto Rico

24. Mashed Plantains with Garlic (Mofongo) – Fried green plantains mashed with garlic and pork cracklings.

    
    

    

    Mofongo

25. Stuffed Fritters (Alcapurrias) – Fritters stuffed with meat or crab.

26. Roast Pork Shoulder (Pernil) – Garlicky roast pork with crispy skin.

    
    

    

    Pernil – slow-roasted pork shoulder

27. Plantain Packages (Pasteles) – Plantain or yuca dough filled with meat, a Christmas classic.

    
    

Cuba

28. Shredded Beef in Tomato Sauce (Ropa Vieja) – Cuba’s national dish.

Ropa Vieja

29. Midnight Sandwich (Medianoche) – The Cubano on soft, sweet egg bread.

30. Cuban Sandwich (Cubano) – Pressed sandwich with roast pork, ham, cheese and pickles.

    
    

    

    Cuban sandwich (Cubano)

31. Cassava with Garlic Mojo (Yuca con Mojo) – Boiled yuca with a garlic and sour-orange sauce.

32. Spiced Ground Beef (Picadillo) – Beef with olives, raisins and tomato.

    
    

    

    Picadillo with rice

Dominican Republic

33. Hearty Meat and Root Vegetable Stew (Sancocho) – Multi-meat stew with root vegetables.

    
    

    

    Hearty Meat and Root Vegetable Stew (Sancocho)

34. Mashed Plantains (Mangú) – Often with eggs, salami and cheese for breakfast.

35. Rice, Beans and Meat (La Bandera) – The everyday “flag” lunch plate.

    
    

    

    Rice, Beans and Meat (La Bandera)

36. Fried Pork (Chicharrón) – Crispy fried pork chunks or rinds.

    
    

Other Islands

37. Flying Fish and Cornmeal (Cou-Cou) – Barbados’ national dish, cornmeal and okra with flying fish.

38. Fried Marinated Pork (Griot) – Haiti’s citrus-marinated fried pork with pikliz.

    
    

    

    Griot with pikliz

    
    

39. Black Mushroom Rice (Diri ak Djon Djon) – Haiti’s dark, earthy rice.

40. Cracked Conch – Tenderized, battered and fried conch from the Bahamas.

    
    

Desserts & Sweets

41. Rum Cake – Moist cake soaked in rum.

42. Coconut Pudding (Tembleque) – Silky coconut milk pudding from Puerto Rico.

43. Sweet Potato Pudding – Dense, spiced Caribbean pudding.

44. Coconut Drops – Chewy coconut and ginger candies.

45. Caramel Custard (Flan) – Spanish-influenced baked custard with caramel.

Caribbean Flan

46. Bread Pudding – Often served with rum sauce.

47. Tamarind Balls – Spicy-sweet tamarind candy.

48. Cassava Pudding (Cassava Pone) – Dense baked pudding of grated cassava, coconut and spices.

49. Guava Pastries (Pastelitos de Guayaba) – Flaky turnovers filled with guava paste.

50. Tropical Fruit Ice Cream – Mango, coconut, soursop, guava and passion fruit flavors.

    
    

    

    Tropical fruit ice cream – mango, coconut and berry

    
    

Tips: Start with jerk in Jamaica, doubles or roti in Trinidad, mofongo and pernil in Puerto Rico, and ropa vieja in Cuba. Plantains and rice-and-peas appear almost everywhere. Heat levels are often high—ask for mild if needed. Street food and roadside grills are excellent.