Cuisine of Antigua and Barbuda

The national dish of Antigua and Barbuda is fungie (pronounced "foon-jee") and pepper pot. Fungie is a dish very similar to the Italian Polenta, and is almost completely made from cornmeal. Other local dishes include ducana, season rice, Saltfish and lobster (from Barbuda). There are also local confectionaries which include: sugarcake, fudge, raspberry and tamarind stew and peanut brittle.

Although these foods are indigenous to Antigua and Barbuda and to some other Caribbean countries, the local diet has diversified and now include the local dishes of Jamaica (e.g. jerk pork), Guyana (e.g. Roti) and other Caribbean countries. Chinese restaurants have also begun to become more mainstream. The supermarkets sell a wide variety of food, from American to Italian. Meals also vary depending on social class.

Lunches here typically include a starch, like rice/macaroni/pasta, vegetables/salad, an entree (fish, chicken, pork, beef etc.) and a side dish like macaroni pie, scalloped potatoes or plantains. Local drinks are mauby, seamoss, tamarind juice, raspberry juice, mango juice, lemonade, coconut milk, hibiscus juice, ginger beer, passion fruit juice, guava juice soursop juice ginger beer etc. Adults favor beers, malts and rums, many of which are made locally, including Wadadli beer (named after the original name of the island) and the award winning English Harbour Rum.

Sunday is the main day most go to church in the country and is the day when the culture is mostly reflected in the food. For breakfast one might have saltfish, eggplant (aka troba), eggs and lettuce. Dinner on Sundays is eaten earlier (around 2:00 pm) because parents are usually off from work and can stay home and cook. It may include pork, baked chicken, stewed lamb, or turkey, alongside rice (prepared in a variety of ways), macaroni pie, salads, and a local drink. Dessert may be ice cream and cake or an apple pie (mango and pineapple pie in their season) or Jello.

External links

* [http://www.caribbeanchoice.com/recipes/countryrecipe.asp?country=Antigua+and+Barbuda Recipes to many Antiguan dishes]