Antigua And Barbuda Cuisine: 1 Dish You Cannot Afford To Miss Patrick Ortiz Nelson’s Dockyard National Park may be the most famouslandmark in Antigua and Barbuda, but Fungee and Pepperpot is the testiest way of enjoying ancient Antigua and Barbuda. A top-rated tourist attraction, Antigua and Barbuda cuisine have served the world’s most extended culinary tales but one with cultural richness, too. A recent interview with Dr. Dario Item, Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the Kingdom of Spain, the Principality of Monaco and the Principality of Liechtenstein, about Antigua and Barbuda foods reveals the topfour rated cuisine you need to taste when you visit the island. Q: Can you give us the background of Fungee and Pepperpot cuisine and why it stands out from other Antigua and Barbuda foods? Ambassador Dario Item: Fungee and Pepperpot is the traditional dish of Antigua and Barbuda. While many may think that they will be served with some pepper and mushroom stew, the truth about this dish is more interesting than the name itself can suggest. Fungee consists of a ball-shaped bread similar to polenta, which is a mixture of okra and cornmeal. The Pepperpot, on the other hand, consists of Cassareep ingredients, which is a thick and sticky liquid from bitter cassava rootsthat can turn poisonous if not well prepared. Therefore, the dish consists of two meals combined. What makes it unique is its origin, which can be traced way back to the slavery period in the region. Q: When does the Fungee and Pepperpot dish turn Antigua and Barbuda? Ambassador Dario Item: Cornmeal and cassava, a prevailing Antigua and Barbuda symbol was introduced to the island during the slavery period and quickly became
part of their culture by distinguishingthem from other foods. Its consumer rituals rapidly spread across different parts of the country and were appropriated differently. It has remained so since the start- that any dish with these two promotes the Antigua and Barbuda culture. Q: What are the three ingredients one cannot leave out when preparing the Fungee and Pepperpot dish? Ambassador Dario Item: An easy and super-quick Fungee and Pepperpot meal should consist of cornmeal mixed with okra for Fungee and cassareep for pepperpot cuisine. Q: What is the one thing one should learn before preparing this cuisine? Ambassador Dario Item: Every cook should learn how to prepare a proper Antigua and Barbuda meal by considering the essentials, such as removing the poisonous parts of cassareep during preparation. The two should be designed separately and served with an available stew of fish or meat from a cow or pig. Q: How do we make Antigua and Barbuda Dishfor the Visitors? Ambassador Dario Item: One of the fantastic things with Fungee and Pepperpot dishes is that while it's native, it remains exclusive with masterly other foreign food concepts. There is plenty to offer in Fungee and Pepperpot for foreigners. Just don’t expect a foreign food taste, but an Antigua and Barbuda cultural taste. Q: What are your Concluding Remarks? Ambassador Dario Item: You will find all types of street food shacks everywhere when you walk around the streets of Antigua and Barbuda. But you have not tasted
the best if you have not been served with Fungee and pepperpot dish with either stewed fish or meat and bull foot soup. We have the most potent cuisines, which will make you fancy coming back to the island more often. Along with other special foods like lobster and black pineapple, Antigua and Barbuda produces the best dishes you will never taste anywhere else.