ST KITTS
Spicy blood pudding, salt fish stew and moringa juice
If you’re in St Kitts on a Friday afternoon, head to downtown Basseterre’s Bay Road. High-decibel reggae provides a thumping backing track, and every corner hosts a smoking barbecue, with charcoal and meat aromas heavy in the thick, tropical air. Ribs, pork, chicken and lobster and lamb shawarma spit angrily as molten fat meets white-hot coal.
St Kitts naturally divides itself into three sections: the mountainous north with its black volcanic shores; the busier centre enlivened by beach-based tourism; and the south-eastern peninsula, where sweeping bays and swathes of pale sand are undisturbed by developers. The cuisine has a magpie-like quality to it, borrowed from various places: fiery jerk from Jamaica, curries of lobster, prawns, chicken, beef and vegetables from Tobago and conch chowder from the Bahamas.
Follow the locals to find the real deal. Mr X’s Shiggidy Shack on Frigate Bay plates up essentials such as spicy blood pudding seasoned with herbs and eaten with bread, sugar cane prawns and ribs. Eat at buttercup-yellow tables on the beach as you enjoy the sunshine and soak up a soundtrack of steel drums.
When you’ve had your fill of street food, head to Salt Plage to watch the sun go down. The stylish furniture and comfy booths are reminiscent of chic Mediterranean bars but here beer and rum are paired with fish tacos, ceviche and delicate lamb chops.
The national dish is salt fish stewed with onions, garlic, tomatoes and thyme, served with boiled green banana and dumplings. The best places to taste it is El Fredo’s restaurant on Newton Bay Road in Basseterre. Run by the husband-and-wife team of Jasmine and Ken Francis, it relies on fresh ingredients sourced from the market each morning. There’s always a bubbling vat of soup, curries and stewed chicken and beef, along with grilled lobster, oxtail and salt fish.
St Kitts was one of the last islands to produce sugar (the final harvest was in 2005) and people are used to living off the land. Ital Creations on Fari Organic Farm is a real education in simple, healthy eating. Rastafarian Judah Fari and his wife Yayah run this vegetarian restaurant. Try roasted breadfruit with green sauce, brown rice and hemp seeds. Don’t miss a glass of moringa juice, a superfood that residents swear by.