Article written by Lisa Kadane.
When we travel, our family loves to try cuisine from the country or island we’re visiting. Not only do new foods expand our taste buds, they expose us to cultural traditions that help us better understand the place we’re exploring. Over the years, we’ve had the most fun on food tours because we get to try lots of different dishes, and a guide is there to explain the history behind each one. Turns out, we’re onto something—food tours are surging in popularity, driven by a shift toward experiential travel and the desire to see where the dish is coming from and why it’s on the menu.
Food is such a cultural bridge that you’ll find cuisine tours throughout the Caribbean, from Antigua to Saint Martin. Here are a few drool-worthy adventures that will introduce you to the flavours of four unique islands.
‘Culture on a Plate’ in The Islands of The Bahamas
You can’t visit The Islands of The Bahamas without trying a conch fritter, and the pillowy, savoury, deep-fried balls at Bahamian Cookin’ restaurant are some of the best in Nassau. My daughter and I gobble up the delicious snacks, which are made with minced veggies and meat from the Queen Conch, a large marine sea snail.
“There are criteria to a good fritter,” explains Bre Smith, a guide with Tru Bahamian Food Tours. “It needs to be ‘conky.’ It can’t just be dough—there has to be pieces of conch in it.”
Next we try coleslaw over peas and rice, plus baked macaroni and steamed chicken. Other foodie stops on the Bites of Nassau walking tour serve up crispy caramelized plantains, hearty conch chowder, rum punch, and a non-alcoholic drink called ‘switchie,’ which is limeade made with tart key limes and sweetened with simple syrup.
“We like to take our culture and put it on a plate,” says Smith, explaining that many of the simple, tasty dishes are holdovers from the slavery era, which lasted until 1834 when it was abolished throughout the British Empire.
More than a cuisine crash course, the tour also educates us about the Bahamas’ history, from its pirate problem in the early 1700s up to independence from the United Kingdom in 1973. It’s an interesting and delicious way to get our bearings in a new place and kindle our appetite at the same time.
Food tours are surging in popularity, driven by a shift toward experiential travel. Here are a few more drool-worthy adventures that will introduce you to the flavours of unique Caribbean islands.
Spice Up Your Vacation in Grenada
On the Caribbean’s Spice Island of Grenada, immerse in the intoxicating scents of cinnamon and nutmeg at the Grand Anse Craft & Spice Market, the first stop on a Sights and Bites Tour with Spice Foodie Tours. The morning tour kicks off with a local market breakfast of savoury salt fish served with fry bread, eggs and ‘fruitti moss’ (a fruit infused sea moss beverage), and ends with a local lunch in Grenville. In between, participants try everything from fresh coconut water from the husk, to roasted corn, a traditional street food.
The tour also takes in local sights and experiences, including a refreshing stop at thundering Annandale Falls, and a visit to Carlton Cocoa Station in St. Andrews. At this cocoa bean collection point, participants get a lesson in curing cocoa beans, and the chance to taste the country’s famous chocolate.
For more foodie fun, travellers can check into Mount Cinnamon Beach & Wellness Resort and sign up for the Garden Tour and Chef Cooking Demo. The boutique hotel grows everything from pumpkin and okra to basil and cilantro on site, and the culinary team uses this bounty to create dishes like creole barracuda and callaloo, a hearty, coconut-milk based soup.
“We are very lucky in Grenada that we have so much freshly grown produce as well as fresh seafood,” says executive chef Jason Joseph. “We want guests to see where the food comes from and show them how to get the best from the ingredients.”
Ride a Moke to Anguilla’s Favourite Foodie Stops
Regularly dubbed the “Culinary Capital of the Caribbean,” dreamy Anguilla boasts renowned international chefs, fresh seafood, and excellent seaside dining. To take in the island’s stunning white sand beaches while tasting some of its celebrated dishes and learning about its history and culture, join the Island Sights & Bites Food Tour with Quest Experiences (consider upgrading to a moke, which is an open-air buggy).
The three-course food crawl visits both popular and hidden gem spots where participants usually try the national dish of peas and rice with fish, and a tropical dessert like coconut cake. Goat—an animal that does well on drought-prone Anguilla—is often on the tasting menu, too, paired with a twist on a piña colada.
“Anguilla’s food scene is developed through the love for quality meals made from fresh ingredients,” says Quest Experiences manager Clemvio Hodge. “Our ‘fast-food’ is home cooked so you feel like family wherever you dine.”
Tour A Farm or Take a Cooking Class on Tortola
There are a couple different ways to experience the local flavours of the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
On Tortola, visit Good Moon Farm and enjoy bush tea, cassava bread and seasonal fruit before joining founder Aragorn Dick-Read for insight into the history of agriculture in the British Virgin Islands. He guides guests through the regenerative organic farm and explains the “Good Moon” planting philosophy, which includes composting, no-dig farming techniques, the importance of earthworms, and other sustainable practices that support healthy soil and crops.
For a more immersive experience, learn to prepare traditional dishes like Johnny cakes or conch fritters at The Brick Oven. Led by chef and owner Shyril Smith, classes include a demonstration of brick oven baking and stories about the island’s culinary heritage, before digging in and then taking home the recipe.
“The BVI’s culinary scene is built on traditions passed down through generations, with families and local cooks continuing to share the flavors, stories and techniques that make our food culture so special,” says Natasha Chalwell, Deputy Director of Tourism for the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission. “From tender stewed goat to freshly baked coconut bread, food tours offer guests an authentic taste of BVI cuisine.”
Food is such a cultural bridge that you’ll find cuisine tours on most Caribbean islands, from Antigua to Saint Martin. For more ideas, check out the Sugar City Express trolley food tour on St. Kitts and the Soma Garden tour on Dominica. Happy eating, drinking and island hopping!
Article by Lisa Kadane.
Lisa Kadane is an award-winning Kelowna, B.C.-based travel and lifestyle journalist specializing in adventure, accessible travel, and health, with bylines in AFAR, BBC Travel, and The Toronto Star. She covers family adventures and specialized topics like autism, inspired by her son. Kadane has over 25 years of experience.
