Jerk chicken is popular in the Caribbean. Don’t let the name fool you; it is not mean or rude at all. Jerk is a traditional dish made with spicy and seasoned meat. Chicken is most preferred.

Many other popular dishes have rice as the main course with beans, sauces or even plantains on the side. Fried seasoned chopped meat and dough is also very popular in Caribbean, especially in Bahamas. This dish is called Conch Fritter. Another popular dish is roti. It is a flatbread served with potatoes, chickpeas, meat or seafood. The most commonly used is the ground split peas roti, also called dhalpourie roti.

Because of the location, many different kinds of fish make the Caribbean cuisine even more delicious and appealing. Grouper and flying fish are the most common used. The flying fish is the national fish of Barbados. If you visit Jamaica, try their national dish for breakfast. It is ackee and salt fish. It looks and tastes like scrambled eggs, but ackee is actually a fruit. One last popular dish is Callaloo and fungi used mostly in US Virgin Islands. Callaloo tastes like spinach. It can be cooked with a spicy sauce and crabs. Fungi on the other hand have the consistency of grits or sometimes cornbread, depending on the way it is cooked.

The diverse cultures in the Caribbean have an influence in cooking. African and Indian influences are seen in many Caribbean dishes. It is hard to find a Caribbean dish where seasonings, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables are missing.