Anguillan Cuisine

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Overview of Anguillan Cuisine History
Anguilla is a territory in the insular Central America, more precisely, in the Caribbean Sea. The island’s relief is full of mountains and volcanoes, with various tropical forests. Some of the most important economical incomes are provided from the breeding of animals, such as cattle, and fishing, but also from agriculture, as sugar cane and cotton represent wide plantations.

Due to the fact that Anguilla is one of the islands that have been for a long time a British territory, the English influence in the local cuisine is very much felt. Besides this, Anguilla has a rather multi-cultural society, as many Europeans live on the island, along with the natives. This is another reason why Anguilla cuisine includes French and Italian or Spanish aliments and traditional dishes. The Antiguan and Barbuda cuisine also resembles to the general Caribbean one, as it includes a wide range of light meats, like fish, seafood and Chicken, which are mostly grilled or roasted and served with the local plants.

Cuisines of Anguilla


Anguilla basically contains Anguilla Island, Sombrero Island and a few others which are unpopulated, so the regional cuisines refer only to these 2 inhabited territories. In The Valley (the centre of Anguilla), there are many tourists all through the year and the cuisine includes a wide range of meals especially made for their delight. In the Valley, the tourists are familiar with the crispy vegetable spring rolls, the vegetable salads with sauces like soy sesame and Peanut lime. Also, chunky gazpacho is served with plum tomatoes, shallots, cucumbers, red peppers and lime juice and topped with a crème fraiche. There are many lobster cakes, which are considered delicacies by the tourists – they contain mixed greens and tomato tartar sauce. Even more sophisticated meals include the Jamaican jerk shrimp, with rum and cinnamon bananas and cranberry. In other more rural areas, people prefer to eat home made food, like the traditional mahi mahi and local breads.

Preparation Methods for Anguillan Cooking
The cuisine of Anguilla 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 Anguilla cooking, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Anguilla 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 Anguilla 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 Anguilla’s regions. Meat is one of the main elements of most Anguilla dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.

Special Equipment for Anguillan Cooking
From cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers & portioners, food pans & food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets & accessories, the Anguilla cuisine needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated Anguilla 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 Anguilla food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers & strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking "arsenal".

Anguillan Food Traditions and Festivals
Most of the people are settled on the busy islands of Sombrero and Anguilla, where the atmosphere during celebrations and festivals is very joyful and intense, as the inhabitants enjoy celebrating their culture and religion. A very traditional meal is the mahi mahi – this dish is also frequent in most of the cuisines of the Caribbean Sea islands. Mahi mahi is prepared with roasted red onions, rice, tomatoes and with a sauce of mustard and capers. The meals served on special occasions also include the breast of cinnamon crusted Chicken, which is also served with rice and mushrooms. The preparation of these meals takes a long time and also, a lot of knowledge, but the Anguilla people enjoy the preparations for their holidays.

People in Anguillan Food

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Many chefs creatively use the basic ingredients and cooking method for traditional Anguilla dishes and create original and delicious food variations. Anguilla 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, Anguilla chefs take pride in what they do, and this is readily noticeable in the unforgettable taste of their cooking.