Dating back to the times of slavery, when the law allowed each slave to have six quarts of cornmeal and six salted herrings weekly, fish and fungi remained a staple food of the British Virgin Islands and is the islands' national dish. Fungi, also spelled fungee and pronounced "foon-gee", are not mushrooms, but okra cooked into a thick mash with the addition of cornmeal and water.
The fresh, whole fish is seasoned with a Creole-style seasoning and fried until it develops a typical crispiness. After it's fried, the fish is topped with a sweet onion gravy. Fungi and fried fish are served on the same plate, piping hot and ready to be consumed.