Cuisine
Cuisine
Vistors coming to TCI often crave foods that are authentically Turks and Caicos. The cuisine has unique power to stamp a way of doing, a way of being, a way of knowing and a way of preserving what is essentially ours. For decades, the main dishes of the TCI had a fish base, both scale and shellconch- converted into sumptuous spicy conch fritters, conch salad and conch stew; lobster transformed from the clear mollusk to white delicious broiled or baked dish. Fish is a“ regular” for most people and tourists are always happy when they can sample some delicious grouper, snapper, bone fish and the like. While these are native dishes, the lobster is seasonal as the once abundant source has been depleted through poaching and bad fishing practices. These are served alongside peas and rice, okra and rice, cabbage and rice, fried plantain and avocado pear. Yesteryear saw an abundance of buds and rice, more commonly called pear bush and rice. There is also the well sought after crab and rice or crab soup, even among the locals. Breads are baked, including the infamous potato bread coming out of Middle and North Caicos. Johnny cake goes well with hot spicy pork or chicken spouse. These were the traditional dishes that have stood the test of time, however, it cannot be overlooked that a number of the country ' s traditional dishes are gradually being replaced by more international foods.
Photo Credit: Nikita( Chef Nick) Skippings, TCI Culinary Ambassador
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