Kittitian Cuisine

Browse All Kittitian Recipes: Kittitian Appetizers | Kittitian Soups | Kittitian Salads | Kittitian Vegetarian | Kittitian Meat Dishes | Kittitian Snacks | Kittitian Desserts

Overview of Kittitian Cuisine History
Saint Kitts and Nevis are a group of island located in the Caribbean Sea. Saint Kitts and Nevis neighbors are Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago. Former British colony, Saint Kitts and Nevis gained their independence in 1983. Saint Kitts and Nevis cuisine is typically Caribbean which profound British and Trinidad cuisine influences with a West Indian tendency. The main source of protein for the islands inhabitants is fish and seafood. The fruitful soil provides a great variety of exotic fruits and vegetables like yellow squash, avocados, cassava, calabash, spring onions, pineapples, tomatoes, peas, chili, peppers a great range of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, bananas and plantains, sweet potatoes, yams and mangoes. The main ingredients for most of Saint Kitts and Nevis dishes are coconut, plantain, cassava, yams. Numerous exotic seasonings such as mint, curry, chili, parsley offer the local dishes a special flavor. People from Saint Kitts and Nevis prefer light and spicy meals, abundant in vegetables and fruits salads.

Cuisines of Saint Kitts and Nevis


There are many Saint Kitts and Nevis which are made after Puerto Rican recipes and with Puerto Rican ingredients such as sofrito a condiment mix based on onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, cilantro, recao and garlic. Meat is usually seasoned with adobo, a mix of salt, Onion garlic, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. The most common dish in Saint Kitts and Nevis is white rice with beans usually served with seafood. British culinary style marked the islands cuisine, while ingredients like sweet potatoes and European desserts. There are plenty West Indian dishes which are very popular in Saint Kitts and Nevis like those which include curried Chicken, Potato, shrimp, and goat, Duck or Beef. These spicy dishes regularly come with the added options of curried mango, chataigne, channa (chick peas) pumpkin or mango kuchela. Local dishes are prepared with a variety of vegetables, tropical fruits and greens, and more likely with seafood or fish.

Preparation Methods for Kittitian Cooking
Saint Kitts and Nevis cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbors and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for Saint Kitts and Nevis cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Saint Kitts and Nevis cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential – either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Saint Kitts and Nevis is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in all of Saint Kitts and Nevis’s regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Saint Kitts and Nevis dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.

Special Equipment for Kittitian Cooking
Ranging from cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers and portioners, food pans and food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets and accessories, the Saint Kitts and Nevis cuisine needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated Saint Kitts and Nevis dishes. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items that will come handy while cooking Saint Kitts and Nevis food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers and strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking "arsenal

Kittitian Food Traditions and Festivals
In Saint Kitts and Nevis are celebrated a great number of festivals and traditions. Saint Kitts and Nevis national day is on the nineteenth of September. Other national holidays include New Year’s Day ( January 1), Easter, Labor Day ( May 1), Emancipation Day (August 1), Thanksgiving Day, Boxing Day( December 26) and Christmas Day(December 25). On holidays it is usually served rice and pigeon rice, pastels and roasted Pork. During the traditional holidays there are served traditional Saint Kitts and Nevis desserts such as jam cake or mango chutney.

People in Kittitian Food

 * Are you into Kittitian Cooking and would like to be interviewed?

There are many chefs who creatively use the basic ingredients and cooking method for traditional Saint Kitts and Nevis dishes and create original and delicious food variations. Saint Kitts and Nevis chefs are passionate about their traditional dishes and they enjoy presenting them to foreigners who have never tasted them before. Whether they are cooking dishes that go back in time for centuries or brand new, modern dishes, Saint Kitts and Nevis chefs take pride in what they do, and this is readily noticeable in the unforgettable taste of their cooking