JAN 2015
COU COU & FLYING FISH
B
arbados’ national dish is coucou and flying fish. This
dish which is also another corn meal product
like conkie, was traditionally served on Fridays or Saturdays.
Packaged cornmeal can be purchased at any supermarket in
Barbados, while you can find the okras from a street vendor
or outdoor market.
our coins, in artwork and is part of the official logo of The
Barbados Tourism Authority. In addition, the Barbados Coat
of Arms shows a Pelican and dolphin, with the dolphin
representing the flying fish.
The coucou is stirred continuously with a coucou stick (a long
stick which resembles a small replica of a cricket bat). It has
to be stirred vigorously to ensure all lumps are out so that you
can have a smooth, fluffy meal. However if you run into
difficulties when cooking it, add more okra water if the
cornmeal gets too tough and if it is too soft, allow it to
continue cooking until the right texture is reached.
but that they use their fins to propel themselves when moving
through the waters. This is particularly useful when they are
trying to get away from predators. The flying fish is one of
Barbados’ most desirable delicacies. Any place where you
would find Barbados nightlife e.g. Oistins, Baxters Road you
are sure to find this fish.
Traditionally coucou was served in an oval form. To obtain
this shape it was placed in a round enamel bowl or in a
calabash shell. Calabash is a large ball shape fruit of a tropical
American tree. It has to be eaten while hot, but be cautious
because it can burn you. Breadfruit, yam and green
banana which are grown locally in Barbados can also be used
to make coucou.
Barbados was called the ‘land of flying fish’ because of the
plentiful amount of flying fish found in Barbados’ waters and
now the flying fish is Barbados’ national fish. Its symbol is on
The flying fish got their name not because they actually fly
Ranked No. 3 on National Geographic’s Top 10 National
Dishes
Described as: “a polenta-like cornmeal and okra porridge, coo
-coo pairs perfectly with flying fish – once abundant but now
overfished and scarce – which is either steamed with lime
juice, spices, and vegetables or fried and served with a spicy
sauce.”
Let’s face it, besides the good taste of coucou, here’s one
more reason why we should be always proud of our national
dish.
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