Saint Lucian cuisine
Saint Lucian cuisine is a combination of French, East Indian and British dishes. Before colonization, the Caribs and the Arawaks occupied the island, surviving on its various natural fruits and vegetables like mangoes, oranges, tangerines, avocados, and breadfruit.
Specialties
St Lucia is known for its national dish consisting of green bananas and saltfish locally known as "green figs and saltfish"; breadfruit and saltfish is an alternative favourite among the locals.Other speciality dishes include bouyon, a thick red beans one-pot soup meal made of meat, ground provisions and vegetables. Other popular local dishes include callaloo soup, accra, green fig salad, cocoa tea and bakes among others.
The island's British and Indian influences are seen in the variety of spices used in its cuisine, which include garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, parsley, cloves, and allspice. A wide range of local fruits like golden apples, mangoes, starfruit, and tamarind are used to make juices, although lime juice seems a more popular choice to be enjoyed in conjunction with the local specialties.