After arriving in Tobago the previous night, I got up early to go on an all-out breakfast food tour of the island! I’d have some familiar dishes like doubles and pies, as well as a rustic Caribbean breakfast at a popular spot on the island!
My friends Chef Jason Peru, Candice Mohan, and David from Foodie Run TT and I would be exploring Crown Point on the southern tip of the island. We’d be starting with some doubles at Debe Delights!
Debe Delights sell doubles, aloo pies, and cheese pies, which are all popular Caribbean breakfast food items on the island. I watched them fry up the baras, which are fried flatbreads that make up the base for doubles. I’m always amazed at how quickly they cook!
They add chana, mango chutney, chadon beni, and roasted pepper to the bara.
The doubles were so tasty and savory. I loved the mango chutney and the roasted pepper. The chadon beni added a nice earthiness. We enjoyed them with some Solo cherry soda, which is customary with doubles.
Next was the crispy aloo pie and a baigan pie, or eggplant pie. They were beautiful and golden brown. I liked the eggplant more than the aloo!
David and I picked up Jason and Candice on our way to get some coffee. Tobago seemed like an island paradise. There was a lot of colonial architecture.
From there, we drove to The #1 Dirt Oven, where we met a woman named Angela. It was beautiful, cozy, and rustic. They had aloe plants and a garden outside. This place is as beautiful and traditional as it gets!
They also had calabash shell bowls, and even masks made from calabash. First, Angela brought us a soursop smoothie. I watched the cook make pancakes from cassava and coconut.
Our second Caribbean breakfast of the day began with a thick, sweet, and milky smoothie with cinnamon and nutmeg. They also cooked potato hash, steamed bhaji, smoked herring, saltfish buljol, coconut bake, fried shark, jack fish, and more.
Angela grows lots of peppers but can’t handle them. But she likes to experiment with the different ingredients. They offer lots of amazing pepper sauces!
They also have lots of unique knicknacks around, including maracas, masks, cricket bats, old-school typewriters from the 1960s, and a bit of coral from the reef.
We started with a bread platter of cassava pone, pumpkin bread with cranberry, and sweet bread. The cassava pone contained coconut and almost reminded me of banana bread.
The pumpkin bread contained flaxseeds and sunflower seeds as well as cranberries. It was fluffier and more neutral. It was fresh, smoky, and artisanal.
The sweet bread had a harder feel and denser texture. It also contained flax, sunflower seeds, and dried fruits, as well as vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sweet breads are an essential part of Caribbean breakfast in Tobago!
Then, we got some cassava flatbread, coconut bake, shark, and fry dry herring, smoked herring, bhaji, the saltfish buljol, and cocoa tea.
The cocoa tea was milky and flavorful! I loved that Angela had grated some fresh cocoa on top. The fry dry herring contained small bones and a slight breading. It was really nice!
The fried shark filet was very meaty and moist, and the coconut bake with pulled smoked herring was really flavorful. I also really liked the saltfish with the coconut bake, too! Saltfish is popular throughout the Caribbean, including islands like Grenada and Barbados.
The salted cod was better than the other fish. We added some salad and tamarind chutney to the crispy cassava-coconut flatbread, which blew me away. Everything was so fresh.
Adding a mix of everything on top blew my mind. I loved the papaya chutney, which also contained ginger, turmeric, tomato, and garlic.
Then, I tried the spicy chutney, which hit me right away! The cocoa tea cleansed my palate, and the roasted pepper chutney was maybe a 6 or 7 in terms of heat.
Breaking up everything and eating it with my hands was the best! Then, I saw that Angela has a guesthouse where people can stay, as well as her garden. Many of the ingredients in our incredible Caribbean breakfast came from right here!
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