ExploFood · North America
What to eat in Trinidad and Tobago
Five dishes to try in Trinidad and Tobago, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Trinidad and Tobago
Doubles
Two pieces of fried flatbread filled with curried chickpeas and sauces.
How to have it: A breakfast staple from roadside vendors; ask for 'slight pepper' unless you like it very hot.
Bake and shark
Fried shark fillet in a puffy fried bread, loaded with sauces and salad.
How to have it: Eat it at the stalls by Maracas Bay and pile on tamarind and shado beni sauce yourself.
Roti
Flatbread stuffed with ground split peas, wrapped around curried chicken, goat or shrimp.
How to have it: Choose dhalpuri or 'buss up shut' (torn paratha) at roti shops; a full wrap makes a big lunch.
Pelau
One-pot rice cooked with caramelised chicken, pigeon peas and coconut milk.
How to have it: A Sunday and beach-lime favourite; eat it with coleslaw and a dash of pepper sauce.
Callaloo
Thick soup of dasheen leaves, okra and coconut milk, often with crab.
How to have it: Traditionally part of Sunday lunch, served alongside macaroni pie and stewed chicken.
What to eat next door
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Questions
What food is Trinidad and Tobago famous for?
Doubles (two pieces of fried flatbread filled with curried chickpeas and sauces) comes first on our list, followed by Bake and shark, Roti, Pelau and Callaloo.
What is the national dish of Trinidad and Tobago?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Trinidad and Tobago is Doubles: two pieces of fried flatbread filled with curried chickpeas and sauces. A breakfast staple from roadside vendors; ask for 'slight pepper' unless you like it very hot.
Which dishes in Trinidad and Tobago are vegetarian?
One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Doubles. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Trinidad and Tobago?
Doubles (two pieces of fried flatbread filled with curried chickpeas and sauces) and Bake and shark (fried shark fillet in a puffy fried bread, loaded with sauces and salad).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Trinidad and Tobago
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.