Food & Drinks

The people of Trinidad and Tobago come from different backgrounds. This has helped in developing one of the richest food destinations here. The recipes of people from different parts of the world provide a long list of options. The food is mostly influenced by Indian recipes which is excellent.

The food in Trinidad and Tobago is hot and spicy. So, if you cannot eat spicy food it is better to tell the chef before he/she starts cooking.

The main attraction in food is the roti which is one of the traditional Indian breads. The rotis are served in many forms like stuffed and plain. They are stuffed with vegetable mixtures, spices and at times meat pieces. A plain roti is like a nan and can be eaten with curry and vegetables.

Phoulourie, another Indian snack can be easily found on the road side stalls. It includes a ball shaped hollow fried flour which is filled in with spicy water.

‘Doubles’ is a tasty snack which contains two fried breads containing a mixture of vegetables and curried chick peas in the middle of two breads. ‘Ali’s Doubles’ are popular throughout the island. Callaloo is a mouthwatering soup containing many vegetables and pigtail and is served with different condiments.

Bake and shark is a must try delicacy of this island which is served in the northern part of the island. The sharks are deep fried and cut into pieces and served with baked breads.

If you are looking for international foods then Trinidad and Tobago is not going to disappoint you. It has famous food chain outlets like Pizza Hut, Subway, Burger King and KFC. Other franchised restaurants in Trinidad and Tobago include Ruby Tuesday and TGI Friday’s. Mario’s and Pizza Boys are the local pizza chains of the island. However, the taste of pizza is quite different from those of Pizza Hut and Dominoes.

You can easily find Chinese food at many places but they use local spices to them to give them a unique taste.

All the food items served in TT are served hot and spicy. The locals would pour in more hot peppers to the already spicy food but you do not have to do that. They have been eating this kind of food from quite some time and your body may not tolerate so much of spicy food.

Drinks

Non Alcoholic

The best drink to cool off in a sunny day is the very cold and delicious Mauby. It is prepared from the bark of Mauby tree along with some spices and cinnamon. Coconut water comes in many varieties and are most readily available.

Sorrell, a drink prepared from flowers of Roselle is served during Christmas season.

Alcoholic drinks

Trinidad and Tobago as an imperialized colony used to grow sugarcane. That is why rum is the famous alcoholic drink of Trinidad and Tobago. Some popular brands of rum include Vat 19, Black Label, White Oak and Old Oak. Puncheon is a special type of rum which contains around 75% of alcohol. You can buy a whole bottle of rum or half at bars.

Carib and stag are two popular brands of beer.

Drinking at public places is not prohibited in Trinidad and Tobago. However, it is illegal if you engage in disorderly act in drunken state.

Culture

The culture of Trinidad and Tobago is a beautiful blend of cultures of people from different parts of the world including Indian, African, British, Chinese, French, Amerindian and Spanish and Portuguese to some extent. The official language of the islands is English. People of this island live in religious harmony with each other festivals like Christmas, Eid and Diwali are celebrated with equal enthusiasm.

Music is very popular among the natives and the island has developed many different forms of music over the time. Soca, Chutney and Calypso are some popular music forms.

Facts and Figures

Capital: Port of Spain

Currency: Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TT$

Area: 5,128 square kilometer

Population: 1,065,824 (July 2006 est.)

Language: English, Hindi, French, Spanish and Chinese