Oxtail, bullfoot, mutton, saltfish, callaloo, pate...the list goes on and on! Go to Cuzzins on Back Street on St. THomas, or the Petite Pump Room, or Victor's New Hideout...those are my favorite places for local food...OH! And Uncle Buddy's on Coki Beach for lunch! Best Ole Wife anywhere!

HEY, Thnx Marty! I know the conch is a shellfish (never tried it , but plan to), Oxtail i've had and I like it, Mutton(don't care for sheep or anything to do with a sheeps stomach), pate is prettty good.....................but what the heck is fungi, bullfoot, callaloo, saltfish, and Ole Wife?!?!?!? I'm pretty adventuresome on trying new stuff(hubby isn't at all), but I kinda like to know in advance what it isbefore I eat it (had a very bad experience w/ scrambled eggs and cowbrains when I was young, my mom's family are chronic hillbillies and I learned long time ago to look at what's in the pot before sticking it in my mouth) Clue me in please! Thank ya my man!

Tam

Hello Tam,

Conch is good. Whelks are too. There is a season for both so availablity depends on the season, particularly for whelks - which is similar to conch in consistency, a bit different in taste.

Fungi - its a side dish made with cornmeal and okra. The consistancy of mash potatos. Very good with boiled fish (fish soup). If you are offered hot sauce with the boiled fish, sample the hot sauce before adding it to your dish - some locally made hot sauces are really really hot :-).

Bullfoot Stew - its a stew or soup made of bull's feet, veges, dumplings.

Callaloo - a stew/soup made with pork, salted meat, sometimes fish, okra, spinach, onions, garlic, seasonings. It has a strong smell.

Saltfish - salted codfish (but it can be another type of fish salted to preserve it). It is served different ways. In a pate, stewed, mashed with potatoes, with johnny cakes.

Ole Wife - a type of fish.

You can also try Goat Water, a soup made of goat meat and seasonings - onions, garlic ect. Not the same as stewed goat. Or souse, which is made of boiled pig parts and seasonings.

Lots of great drinks and deserts; passion fruit juice (made with passion fruits, very sweet), peanut punch, maubi, sorrel (made with sorrel, ginger, sugar) guavaberry rum (if you are coming down around Christmas you might look for the last two - they are popular Christmas drinks)... coconut tarts, stewed tamarind, stewed cherry for deserts.

You can try some local fruits too depending on season. Coconut, mangos, genips, guavas, sugarapple, soursop, papaya, starfruit, mesple, hogs plum, figs... We have pictures with descriptions in our fruit section if you are intersted:

https://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/flora_fauna/fruit.php

--Islander

Well mutton doesn't have anything to do with a sheep's stomach. It's basically goat meat and very good, I must add.

Boy...i'm in trouble...none of that even sounds good! I guess I'll be dieting the whole vacation! (just kidding)
I'm sure there is *normal* food also! Or I'll be eating alot of fruit!

lol, my friends boyfriend in wales says one of the local specialties is some kinda stew stuff but it's actually cooked in the sheeps stomach.......EEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWW! can't remember what they called it, something like hagus i think.

Haggis is a Scottish dish traditionaly served on Burns Night to celebrate Robert Burns. Rather than a stew, it is similar to meat loaf but rolled oats replace bread crumbs.

Like any local food, to each his own. I always pass on the Haggis and drink the scotch malt myself.

You are forgetting the best part - Johnny Cake - sort of a doughnut without a hole.

Conch Fritters - if done right are incredible!
Whelks - poor man's escargot
Kallaloo - sort of like gumbo

And never forget the Cheesburger in Paradise!

Pamela.

Hello Sitter,

No dieting necessary - LOL. There are many restaurants that have steak and potatos, lobster & fish, chicken, salads, soups (without goat or pig :-). You should have no problem!

Tam, we have something similar to what you described its called Blood Pudding, Black Pudding or Boudin. Boudin in french creole means intestines. Its a sausage made with blood and seasonings. Its good, even better if you don't know what it is!!

--Islander

oh i know all about the blood pudding, something else i've watched my hillbilly relatives make and eat. haven't tried it and don't intend to, lol! that was during one of my visits when unfortunately it was slaughtering time, almost converted me to become vegetarian.

Hello,

Anyone know of any restaurants that serve roasted baby pig as an entree. We have
had it in Cancun, Hawaii and Arizona. Properly prepared it's delicious. Now don't get excited, we don't want to be served a whole pig, just a portion. Thank you in advance.

Grace

sitter,

Don't be afraid to try the traditional food. You'll probably like most of it.

Grace,

I've read that on the streets of Shanghai, you can get fetal pig on a stick.

Grace: Bonnie's at the Elysian has a Pig Roast on Sundays. They roast the whole pig, but you just get parts! 😉 The Lechon King at Gregerie Channel in Frenchtown has lechon- Puerto Rican style roasted pig...

Yuck....but I hope you all enjoy!

EastEnder,

Thank you for the info. Bonnie's and Lechon King are in St. Thomas? Are there any restaurants in St John that have Pig on their menu? We are staying in St. John and will be going over St. Thomas only one day and we already have plans to eat at Cuzzins or Victor's New Hideout. Can eat only so much, must leave room for drinks.

Any other suggestions in St John?

Thank you,
Grace