St. Lucia

With its fertile volcanic soil, the Caribbean island country of St. Lucia abounds with local vegetables and fruit. The surrounding waters supply seafood such as tuna, snapper, dorado, crab and lobster.

St. Lucian cuisine has a Creole influence with such dishes as spicy pepper pot stew simmered with any combination of garlic, yams, crabmeat, scallions, hot peppers and callaloo, a dark green, leafy vegetable.  Other fare includes barbecued chicken, macaroni and cheese, salt cod fritters and grilled conch. The Friday Night Fish Fry in the small village of Anse La Raye is vibrant with great food and local bands.

Desserts may be fresh, local fruit, including mango, papaya or pineapple, or something more decadent such as banana cake. Popular beverages are local rums and the local beer, Piton, named after the pair of mountain peaks.—Leska Tomash