Antigua and Barbuda cuisine

Antigua and Barbuda cuisinerefers to the cuisines of theCaribbeanislandsAntiguaandBarbuda. The national dish isfungee(pronounced "foon-jee") and pepperpot.Fungee is a dish similar to Italianpolenta, made mostly with cornmeal.Other local dishes includeducana, seasoned rice,saltfishandlobster(from Barbuda). There are also local confectioneries which includesugar cake,fudge, raspberry andtamarindstew, andpeanut brittle.
These foods are indigenous toAntiguaandBarbudaand to some otherCaribbeancountries, the local diet has diversified and includes local dishes ofJamaica, such asjerk meats, orTrinidad, such asroti, and specialties of other Caribbean countries.
Breakfast dishes include saltfish,eggplant(also known as troba),eggs, andlettuce. Lunches typically include a starch, such asrice,macaroniorpasta, withvegetablesorsalad, an entree (such as fish, chicken, pork, or beef) and a side dish such as macaroni pie, scallopedpotatoesorplantains. On Sundays, many people in the country go to church and afterward prepare a variety of foods at home. Dinner on Sundays is often eaten earlier (around 2:00 pm) because people are often off work. Dinners 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, apple pie (mango and pineapple pie in their season), or gelatin. Antiguan butter bread is also a main staple of Antiguan cuisine, a soft buttery loaf of bread that needs no butter added once baked. Many locals enjoy fresh-baked butter bread and cheese for breakfast and throughout the day. There are many homes in neighborhoods all over Antigua that have small bakeries built onto them, where locals can go and purchase these fresh-baked loaves. They are coupled with cheese, sardines, and/or a bright red sausage that locals sometimes call salami, as well as many other foods. Most meals also include what is called "provisions" usually a root or starch like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, or eddo. During Carnival, souse, a type of soup made very spicy with pigs' feet, knuckles, and tails with many onions, is a popular snack, sold by vendors on the side of the road. Black pudding, also known as blood sausage, is a well-seasoned sausage made with rice, meat, and blood that is also enjoyed by locals in Antigua. In the countryside, locals roast fresh picked corn for sale, usually in the husk, on makeshift grills. TheAntiguan pineappleis a very small fruit, but often juicy and sweet. There are small pineapple crops throughout the island.
Local drinks includemauby,seamoss,tamarindjuice,raspberryjuice,mangojuice,lemonade,coconut milk,hibiscusjuice,ginger beer,passion fruitjuice,guavajuice,soursopjuice andgingerbeer, asoft drink. Alcoholic drinks includebeer, malts andrums, many of which are made locally, includingWadadlibeer (named after the original name of the island) and the award-winning English Harbour Rum. Many locals drink bottled sodas that they call soft drink. One popular flavor is punch. The locals also enjoy Red Stripe beer, Malta, Guinness stout and Heineken beer. For the Christmas holidays a special celebratory alcoholic drink that is very popular in Antigua is called Ponche Kuba Cream Liqueur, a thick, creamy tan colored drink that is also very sweet and high in alcohol content.