Breakfast dishes Popular breakfast foods include
doubles, made with two
baras (flat fried dough) and
curried channa (
chickpeas). They are usually served with toppings such as
pepper sauce,
kuchela,
tamarind,
mango,
pommecythere,
cucumber, and
bandhaniya chutneys. Doubles are one of the most popular breakfast foods eaten on the islands, but are commonly consumed throughout the day. A traditional Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian breakfast consists of
sada roti, a type of unleavened bread made with flour, baking powder and water. The dough is rolled out and cooked on flat, cast-iron skillet called a
tawa. The cooked dough is cut into quarters and served with a variety of fried vegetables,
tarkaris or chokhas. Sada rotis are usually eaten with
baigan chokha (roasted and mashed
eggplant),
damadol chokha (roasted and mashed
tomatoes) and pepper
chokha (roasted and mashed peppers). Other common dishes include
aloo chokha (boiled, roasted, and mashed
potatoes),
karaili chokha (roasted and mashed
bittermelon) and
murtani or
upar ghar (combination of roasted and mashed eggplant, tomato, pepper, and okra); fried or
curried bodi (
long beans), aloo (potatoes),
ochro or bhindhi (okra),
seim (
hyacinth beans); fried or curried
karaili (bittermelon),
saijan (
drumstick) and
lauki (
bottle gourd), pumpkin or
kohra tarkari (pumpkin simmered with spices and seasoning); and
bhaji (made with young
dasheen bush (taro) leaves,
spinach leaves, saijan (drumstick) leaves, or
chaurai (spiny amaranth) leaves), and fried
plantains.
Fried bake (a fried
unleavened bread) is usually served with fried shark, saltfish (
dried and salted cod),
buljol (saltfish with fresh
sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and sometimes
boiled eggs),
sardines,
herring (smoked, salted, and dried fish),
bacon, fried plantain,
brown stew chicken, or
corned beef with
onions and tomatoes. Coconut bake (coconut bread) is usually served with fried accra (saltfish
fritters), buljol,
black pudding, butter, cheese paste (a mixture of cheese, butter, mustard, grated onion, mayonnaise and green seasoning) or stewed meat, like chicken.
Bake and shark is a popular breakfast dish at local beaches, like
Maracas Beach (Trinidad) and Store Bay (Tobago), especially on the weekend. Other breakfast foods include tannia cakes (fried
dasheen cake), and boiled
cassava with
butter. Common hot drinks consumed for breakfast include cocoa tea (hot chocolate) made from homemade cocoa balls, cornmeal porridge and farine (an Amerindian treat).
Lunch and dinner A nationally well-known dish with African roots is
callaloo, a
side dish made of young dasheen or taro leaves, okra, crab or pigtails, pumpkin, onions,
coconut milk,
pimento, and green seasoning like
chives,
cilantro and
culantro. Callaloo is often served with
cornmeal coo coo, plantain, cassava,
sweet potatoes, dumplings, rice, and curried crab. However, Trinidad callaloo is not prepared or served the same as Jamaican callaloo.
Pelau is a well-known rice-based dish in Trinidad and Tobago typically prepared as a one-pot meal by caramelising sugar and browning meat before simmering rice, pigeon peas, and coconut milk together. Other frequently served rice-based meals include
dhal and rice, and rice and
stewed chicken, pork, ox-tail, fish or lamb. Also common are breadfruit
oil down and
macaroni pie, consisting of
pasta baked with eggs and
cheese, and a variety of other potential ingredients. One of the best-known Trinidadian dishes is curried duck served with either roti or rice. An array of fish and seafood can be bought at local merchants throughout Trinidad and Tobago, such as
flying fish, king fish,
carite,
prawns and shrimp,
sapatay, red fish,
bonito,
lobster,
conch and
crab,
tilapia and seasonal cascadura. Tobagonian food is dominated by a wide selection of seafood dishes, most notably curried crab and
dumplings. Tobago is also known for dasheen, sweet potato,
eddoe, cassava,
yam,
soups and
stews, also known as "blue food" across the country. "Fish broth", a soup made in the style of
bouillabaisse, is frequently served as a main or side dish. Another local dish is the rare
cascadura, a small freshwater fish. The fish is curried and served with lagoon rice and cassava and yams. There is a local legend in Trinidad that anyone who eats cascadu will return to Trinidad to end their days.
Condiments Trinidadians accompany their meals with various condiments; these can include pepper sauces, chutneys and pickles and are often homemade. Pepper sauces are made by using
Scotch bonnet or other hot peppers, either minced or chopped and other spices. It can sometimes include lime or lemon as well as other vegetables, and come in many variations and flavours. The murtanie ("mother-in-law") is another popular condiment that is a coarsely chopped spicy medley of Scotch bonnet peppers, carrots,
karaili (bittermelon), and other spices.
Chutneys are frequently used as well and often include chaltar (
Dillenia indica),
mango,
tamarind,
cucumber,
pommecythère,
bandhaniya,
dhaniya,
tomato, and
coconut. They are most commonly eaten with
doubles,
aloo pie,
saheena, baiganee,
kachori, and
pholourie. There are a variety of commonly eaten pickles known locally as
achar.
Kuchela is a grated spicy version, usually made from mango but sometimes made from pommecythère. Other version of achars are made from mango, pommecythère, tamarind,
amla, lemon, lime, and
chulta. Green seasoning is a very common cold sauce based on culantro or chadon beni, pureed with green onions, garlic, pimento, vinegar, and other herbs; it may be used as a table condiment or marinade.
Street foods Popular freshly prepared
street foods include: •
Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian foods like
doubles,
aloo pie,
pholourie, saheena, baiganee,
bara, and
kachori are popular street foods throughout the country. • Another popular Indo-T&T street food is
wrap roti, (usually
paratha or dhalpuri). It is served with fillings like curried vegetables, channa (chickpeas), aloo (potatoes) and chicken.
Indian sweets are frequently served with curried fish, goat, shrimp, beef, duck, conchs, and soya, especially around
Hindu holidays. •
Bake and shark (most popular at
Maracas Beach along the north coast of Trinidad) is a fried dish that is topped with fresh fruit like pineapple; vegetables like cucumber and salad; and a variety of sauces and seasonings. • Souse is made from pig, cow or chicken feet or cucumbers. This is seasoned with onion, garlic, salt, pimento, scotch bonnet peppers, lemon and chadon beni. Mostly served warm or slightly chilled, it is also rumoured to be a cure to hangovers. Other common street foods include
wontons,
corn soup,
geera (cumin) pork and chicken,
kebabs,
gyros,
pasteles, raw
oysters (usually served with a spicy sweet/hot sauce with
cilantro,
bandhaniya, shadon beni or culantro). Along with pows (Cantonese steamed buns filled with meat, typically
char siu pork),
fish, cheese and
beef pies.
Sausage rolls are also eaten as midday snacks and are available at stands usually found along the nation's streets. When in season, roast and boiled corn on the cob can be found any time day or night. On festive occasions (Carnival, Borough Day and most public holidays), street foods also include wild meat such as deer,
iguana, manicou (
phalangeriformes), tatou (
armadillo), and
agouti, to name a few. These are prepared either as a creole or curry dish, and served with a wide choice of local pepper sauces. On hot days, locals enjoy
ice cream,
snow cones (served in various colours, flavours and shapes, often sweetened with
condensed milk),
ice pops,
kulfi, freezies, sucker bag,
coconut slushies,
coconut water, and fresh
coconut jelly.
Festival foods meal consisting of curry channa and aloo, curried mango, bhaji,
karhi, rice, mother-in-law and
paratha roti. Special
Christmas foods include appetisers like
pastelles (called
hallaca in
Venezuela where they originated),
pholourie, saheena, baiganee,
kachori, and chicken or pork pies. Entrees include garlic ham (''carne vinha-d'alhos'', a
Portuguese dish), baked
ham,
turkey or chicken,
macaroni pie,
fish pie and garlic roasted potatoes. As well as grilled or barbecued meats,
corn,
pigeon peas and Christmas (i.e. Spanish or festive) rice. Also enjoyed are
fried rice,
chow mein,
lo mein, roasted chinese chicken, curried meat and vegetables and
roti . Desserts include
fruitcake,
blackcake (rum cake), sweet bread, cassava pone, coconut drops and sponge cake. Along with chocolate cake,
dundee cake, raisin/currants roll,
khurma, and
gulab jamun. Drinks include
coconut water,
ginger beer,
ponche crema,
egg nog,
cocoa tea, and
sorrel. Traditional
Diwali and other
Hindu festivals and prayers foods include appetizers such as
pholourie, saheena, baiganee,
bara, and
kachori. Main dishes include
roti (most commonly dalpuri and
paratha) and
karhi and rice served with condiments such as
achar or anchar,
kuchela, mother-in-law (pickled vegetables),
pepper sauce, and dishes such as
curried mango, bhaji (
dasheen bush or any spinach), pumpkin or kohra tarkari (pumpkin), curry channa and aloo (
chickpeas and
potatoes), fried or curried
baigan (
eggplant), fried or curried
bodi (
long beans), fried or curried
seim (
hyacinth beans), curry
eddoes, curry chataigne or katahar (
breadnut), and other
tarkaries (
vegetarian curries). Desserts include
mohan bhog (parsad),
lapsi and suhari,
burfi,
khurma,
gulab jamun,
pera,
rasgulla, batasa,
gujiya,
gulgula, roat,
kheer (sweet rice),
laddu, and
jalebi. It is traditionally served on a
sohari (
Calathea lutea) leaf. Special
Eid,
Hosay, and other Muslim festival foods include
curry goat, curry channa and aloo,
sawine,
burfi,
rasgulla, sirnee,
maleeda,
halwa, and
baklawa.
Sweets Popular local sweets include cassava or coconut pone, stewed
guavas,
sweetbread and
paw paw balls. Common
Indian sweets and desserts include
kheer (sweet rice or
meetha bhat),
sawiyan, khurma,
gulab jamoon,
laddu,
jalebi,
halwa,
mohan bhog (parsad) and
lapsi. Indian sweets like
rasgula,
gulgula,
rasmalai,
pera,
modak,
gujiya and
burfi are also popular. ==Beverages==