Story by Harmony Alexander, The Nutmeg Princess

The month of March was about all things culinary. Grenada with its sister islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, is the World’s first Culinary Capital recognised by the World Food Travel Association. Savvy food-loving travellers are adding Grenada to their bucket lists for unique and memorable food and beverage experiences.

In this article:

Grenadian Chefs dazzle dignitaries at Destination Grenada in Barbados

Mt. Moritz West Indian Breakfast takes the spotlight

David’s Been Here eats his way around Grenada

As part of the promotional visit to Barbados, the GTA hosted a Destination Grenada showcase at The Sands, Barbados to exhibit Grenada’s finest products. The event was held in the presence of the Hon. Lennox Andrews, Minister of Economic Development, Planning, Tourism and ICT, Creative Economy, Agriculture and Lands, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Chairman of the Grenada Tourism Authority, Randall Dolland; CEO of Grenada Tourism Authority, Petra Roach and Marketing Manager of GTA, Nikoyan Roberts and Marketing Executive, Samantha Thomas.

The key ingredient of the dinner was chocolate. Chocolate is a versatile ingredient in the culinary world. It can be used in a variety of sweet and savory dishes, such as cakes, brownies, truffles, mousse, chili, and even in marinades for meat. As one of the main producers of cocoa in the Caribbean, Grenada has a unique spin on cooking with chocolate.

Heading the preparation of the dinner were Chef Ramces Castillo of Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel and Chef Aaron Johnson of True Blue Bay Resort. Chef Ramces Castillo marries his latin roots with Grenadian flavour profiles to create magic in the kitchen – his take on contemporary dishes is nothing short of culinary art. Chef Aaron Johnson is a seasoned Grenadian culinary master whose work speaks for itself!

Chef Ramces and Chef Aaron with Magdalena Fielden, founder of Grenada Chocolate Fest

The menu, A Taste of Grenada Chocolate Fest, was a gastronomical treat for the senses: Cacao and Maiz soup (with chocolate from The Grenada Chocolate Company): braised tomato broth with grilled avocado, tempura okra and sour cream. Slow Braised Beef Shortrib with Cocoa Butter Mashed Potato (with cocoa butter from Belmont Estate and cocoa nibs from Crayfish Bay Organics): ripe plantain puree, crispy curly kale, caramelised pawpaw and Ancho-Dark Chocolate Demi Sauce. For dessert, churros dusted with organic cane sugar and Grenadian cinnamon with a cocoa tea from Jouvay Chocolate.

Speaking of cocoa tea, one of the staples of a traditional Grenadian breakfast, the Mt. Moritz Community Development Organisation West Indian Breakfast has become a must-do when in Grenada.

The breakfast has gained popularity in recent years and is lauded for not only its part in keeping Grenadian tradition alive but as a unique culinary experience in and of itself. Amongst its sumptious offerings, the Mt. Moritz Breakfast includes Grenadian style fishcakes, fried and coconut bake and saltfish souse.

Patrons are entertained by the best live bands on the islands and some of the most popular DJs. Happening every first Sunday of the month, the Mt. Moritz Breakfast has attracted many food bloggers.

Recently, popular food and travel enthusiast, David Hoffman of David’s Been Here took a Culinary Tour of Grenada. He started with visiting the bustling capital of St. George, tasting lesser known Grenadian fare like Honey and Ginger Roasted nuts from “The Nuts Man” and perusing local spices and produce in the city’s Market Square. A rum factory walkthrough is always a must try and David most certainly tried. He got to feed the huge furnace at River Antoine Rum Factory! This furnace is part of the age old practice of making rum the traditional way.

Oildown was another must for David, prepared by the capable cooks at True Blue Bay Resort. He went off the beaten path for a river side vegan cooking demonstration with local vegan culinary sensation, Joachim. The pair created a plant based split pea-corn soup that was to die for. Further into the interior, David met Ras Ginga, a viral social media personality who is loved for his simple living and amazing cooking. Tri Island Chocolate also welcomed David to their farm, where CEO and Chocolatier Aaron Sylvester, along with Ras Atiba, gave David a true Roots-to-Bar experience.

River-side vegan split pea and corn soup with Joachim

A new culinary experience is that of Home Hospitality. Chef Kennedy Roberts takes you from Farm to Table in an immersive cooking lesson beyond anything you’ve ever tried. From his homestead, Chef Kennedy rears some of his own livestock and grows the vegetables that are then used in the cooking lesson and inevitably into your belly.

On the last leg of his Tour du Food, David made his way to Mt. Gazo for wild meat, specifically stewed manicou. Manicou, a Grenadian delicacy, is prepared by first roasting to get the fur off, you can then season to your taste and stew or curry the meat. David tried a lot of other local fare on this trip like roasted corn, pig foot souse and grilled lobster.

If you’d like to experience the culinary wonders of Grenada, the Grenada Chocolate Fest: Rum Edition is right around the corner! From May 16th to the 21st, 2023 you can enjoy chocolate in every form. Come witness culinary excellence in the First Culinary Capital of the World, Pure Grenada!