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What to eat in the Caribbean? Top 28 Caribbean Snacks

Last update: Fri Mar 21 2025
Top 28 Caribbean Snacks
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01

Flatbread

SANTO DOMINGO PROVINCE, Dominican Republic
4.5
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Yaniqueque or yanikeke is a Dominican fried bread with a crispy and crunchy texture. It is made with flour, salt, melted butter, and baking powder. The dough is rolled into thin circles with crimped edges, and it is then fried in hot oil until golden brown.


Yaniqueques are typically placed on paper towels in order to let out excess oil. They can be found throughout the country, on numerous streets and beaches. It is believed that this is a variation on the johnny cakes, and the dish was brought to the country in the 1900s by Afro-Caribbean immigrants. 
02

Street Food

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
4.4
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Aloo pie is a Trini dish consisting of fried dough that is filled with mashed potatoes which are flavored with onions, garlic, cumin, and bandhania. It can often be bought at food stands which sell another Trini favorite known as doubles.


These fried pies are said to taste the best when paired with chutneys on the side.

03

Street Food

PRINCES TOWN, Trinidad and Tobago
4.3
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Doubles is a staple of Trini street food, a sandwich that consists of two fried flatbreads (bara) filled with curried chickpeas (curry channa). It is believed that doubles were invented in 1936 in Princes Town, and nowadays they are consumed for breakfast or as a late-night snack.


The dish can be additionally enriched with ingredients such as pepper sauce, tamarind sauce, or green mango pickle with amchar masala, known as kuchela. In Trinidad and Tobago, doubles are typically sold wrapped in paper.

MOST ICONIC Doubles

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04
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Although pies filled with meat are popular in many countries throughout the world as a great way to turn cheap cuts of meat into savory bites and making sure that no food goes to waste, Jamaican meat patties are enhanced with unique African and Indian touches.


Derived from English favorites - meat pies, and Spanish pasteles, they are universally loved in Jamaica as a simple street food that can also be served as a main course. Jamaican patties are flat, baked in a half-moon shape, and coated with turmeric on the exterior, while on the interior there is a fragrant, aromatic filling usually consisting of finely ground beef meat, breadcrumbs, and a selected variety of spices such as thyme, onions, garlic, Scotch bonnet chilis, and a zesty curry powder. 

MOST ICONIC Jamaican Patty

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05

Street Food

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
4.2
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Bake and shark is a unique Trini street food item that is especially popular at concerts, festivals, and celebrations. It consists of marinated or seasoned pieces of shark meat, sauces, chutneys, and vegetables in a flatbread known as bake.


The dish is often associated with Maracas beach which is filled with numerous bake and shark street stalls.

MOST ICONIC Bake and Shark

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06

Snack

TRINIDAD, Trinidad and Tobago
4.1
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Baiganee is a classic Trini snack that can also be served as a side dish. This vegetarian treat consists of sliced eggplant or baigan (hence the name) that is coated in a spicy batter, then deep-fried to golden-brown perfection. It is typically sold by street vendors who often pair it with a tamarind dipping sauce or mango chutney.


Baiganee is also quite popular during festivities such as Divali.

07
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These Haitian delicacies consist of puff pastry that is shaped into small squares and filled with various types of meat such as beef, chicken, pork, or even fish. They are regularly served at numerous special events and celebrations, but Haitian patties can also be paired with rice and beans as a filling meal.


Although they can be made at home, these pastries can also be bought on Haitian streets where food stall vendors sell them freshly prepared.

08

Snack

PUERTO RICO
4.0
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Alcapurria is a Puerto Rican snack made with grated green bananas or taro root (or a combination of both) that are stuffed with meat, then fried. The stuffing is usually picadillo – spiced ground beef with tomatoes. If made with grated yucca, the fritter is typically stuffed with crab meat.


These tasty fritters can be found at numerous Puerto Rican beach kiosks and street corners.

MOST ICONIC Alcapurria

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09

Appetizer

TRINIDAD, Trinidad and Tobago
4.0
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Pholourie is a Trini appetizer or a snack that is traditionally prepared and served at religious gatherings or birthday parties. This fritter is made with a split pea batter that is seasoned with hot peppers and various spices. The batter is dropped into hot oil and fried until it develops a golden brown color.


Pholouries can also be found at numerous bakeries throughout the island. The snacks are typically served with sauces or chutneys on the side.

MOST ICONIC Pholourie

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10

Snack

PUERTO RICO
3.9
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Tostones is a traditional side dish that's popular throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in Puerto Rico. Unlike platanos fritos, where only ripe plantains are used, tostones are made with unripe, hard, very green plantains. They are sliced into pieces, fried on each side, then smashed or flattened and deep-fried one more time until they become golden.


Once prepared, the tostones are sprinkled with sea salt and served as a side dish to various dishes. They are often served with garlic mojo sauce (mojo de ajo), either on top of the tostones, or on the side as a dip.

MOST ICONIC Tostones

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Dessert
TOBAGO, Trinidad and Tobago
3.6
18
Snack
PUERTO RICO
3.4
19
Dessert
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA  and  3 more regions
2.7
20
Cake
JAMAICA
n/a
21
Snack
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
n/a
22
23
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25
Snack
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
n/a
26
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28

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Caribbean Snacks