After trying lots of more common Trinidadian foods, I took a walk on the wild side with some exotic dishes that many would consider weird food in Caura, Trinidad!
My friend Chef Jason Peru and I headed to Caura in the rainforests of northern Trinidad for this unique food experience. I heard I might get a taste of unique bush meats like iguana and armadillo, so I was excited to get the day started!
The thing about so-called weird food is that, nothing is actually weird. Every country and culture has foods that are common to them that are less common and seen as less appetizing in other parts of the world. It all depends on which foods are considered socially acceptable in that particular country. I always advocate for trying foods that are foreign to you when you travel. There’s no better way to expand your mind and your palate!
We met up with some friends, who showed us all the fruit trees nearby. They had lime, grapefruit, tangerine, mango, coconut, and guava trees. There are over 200 types of fruit trees here!
I started with an unripe guava, which was a little sour but sweeter near the center. The tangerine was also amazing. Then, a guy climbed a tree and got me a coconut, which I drank the water from.
It was so refreshing! Next, Jason and I tried a sweet and sour clementine and a vibrant and tart grapefruit. Then, I had a fruit that was a unique cross between a lime and an orange!
Next was a pomerac, which is a waxy apple- or pear-like fruit that grows throughout the Caribbean. I followed that with some wild chadon beni (cilantro). But as much as I enjoyed the fruit, I was here for the weird food, which I knew would be delicious!
Next, it was time to cook! The guys here were making fish broth, curry goat, chicken pilau, curry iguana, and curry armadillo! A lot of people might say iguana sounds like a weird food, but did you know that reptile meat is popular in many parts of the world? People eat everything from alligator to snake to turtle!
Back at the house, we had fish, pork, and chicken, as well as soup cooking. They added spices to the goat curry, which smelled amazing.
They had some kingfish broth, which contained noodles, carrots, sweet potatoes, dumplings, garlic, celery, lime, onions, pimientos, peppers, and other vegetables. While it cooked, we took some shots of alcohol and watched them cook duck, chicken, a rich-looking pilau, potatoes, and more.
Then, I watched them chop up the iguana! He floured it to clean it and then rinsed it before adding garlic, pepper, ginger, chadon beni, and tomatoes.
Next, I headed down to the river to see how the iguana was cooked. They added garlic, pepper, ginger, chadon beni, onions, and tomatoes to it. They steamed it in a pot over stones by the river.
Nearby, they were getting ready to cook the armadillo in another pot over stones. First, they toasted cumin seeds, green habanero peppers, pimiento, onion, garlic, jeera, saffron, and curry powder.
Then, they added water, let it reduce, and then added the armadillo meat. The curry was tasty and light. Adding coconut milk really enhanced it and tied it all together!
The iguana meat was tasty, gamy, and muscular, and the flavors were amazing. Next, they prepared some snapper with the spices and ingredients.
The armadillo was also very muscular. The meat was creamy, and I loved the dry roast. It was too good. I loved the fat layer under the shell!
Both of them were unreal. They’re both some of my favorite exotic foods I’ve ever eaten. Next, we headed back up to the house to try the tippy tambo, which are little waxy potatoes and a local fruit called peewah.
The curry goat was fatty and meaty, with so much flavor. I also loved the pilau. It reminded me of Latin-American rice dishes I’ve had.
I loved the brown sugar, pigeon peas, and chicken in it and mixing in the gravy from the curry goat was amazing. The curry goat was so great, I had to get more!
I finished with some chewy and spongy goat belly curry, and a tender, buttery, and light steamed snapper with tomatoes! I couldn’t get enough of how tasty everything was. It just goes to show you that something you think is a weird food may wind up being amazing!
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