Cayman Islands / Special Interests / Food and Cooking

Standards in cooking, and the ingredients that travellers expect to find when they go abroad have risen everywhere in the Caribbean in recent years. Cayman has attracted a number of excellent young chefs and many of them have contributed to a demand from local growers to deliver superior products to the market place. The range of locally grown and freshly available ingredients has expanded considerably from just plantains and the islands’ callaloo – a spinach-like vegetable. Visitors should try to taste ackee fruit – often served with salt fish – a traditional Caribbean dish often served up for breakfast accompanied by dumplings. Locally grown mangos are also a treat in Cayman – as fresh as they come.

Fresh ingredients – many of them organic are now becoming increasingly available with several restaurants establishing their own market-gardens.  Locally grown courgettes, okra, cucumbers and herbs are just a few of the organic products available from Joel Walton at the Sunday afternoon Garden Market at Plantation House (near Bodden Town). On Saturdays there is a Farmer’s Market at the Grounds in Savannah (east of George Town, t. 947 6501) – with a smaller version of this event held close to town at the Camana Bay development on Wednesdays (from 11a.m.-7p.m.)

January has become ‘Culinary Month’ on Grand Cayman and the Cayman Cookout is a week-long food festival hosted by Chef Eric Ripert at the Ritz Carlton with tastings, demonstrations and special dinners. For over twenty years the annual food fair – the Taste of Cayman – has been running at the end of January and features live music, wine tasting and sample dishes.