Self-catering on a small island cuts both ways. Buy imported things from a supermarket and it is expensive and disappointing. Buy what grows here, from the people who grow it, and it is cheap and excellent.
The difference is entirely in where you shop.
| Cheap and good | local produce, fish, ground provisions |
|---|---|
| Expensive | anything imported |
| Best source | market and roadside stalls |
| Plan around | Sunday, when it is all closed |
Where to shop for what
The market — fruit, vegetables, ground provisions, herbs and spices. Cheapest and best, especially early on the main market day.
Roadside stalls — whatever is in season near where it grew, often better than the market and with no journey involved.
Fishermen and fish markets — buy in the morning when boats come in. This is where the good fish is, not the supermarket.
Supermarkets — for the things you cannot get elsewhere: dairy, tinned goods, bread, cleaning things.
The rule of thumb: anything grown or caught here, buy from a person. Anything that arrived in a container, buy from a shop. Following that one line is most of the difference between an expensive week and a cheap one.
What things cost
Without quoting prices that will be wrong by the time you read this, the pattern holds:
- Local produce is inexpensive and seasonal
- Fish is good value bought directly
- Imported food carries the cost of getting it here, and some items are startlingly expensive
- Alcohol is cheap if local, dear if imported
The practical consequence: a week of cooking what the island produces costs very little; a week of trying to reproduce your home shopping list costs a great deal. That is the whole economics of self-catering here.
Seasons
Everything is seasonal, and the season is short and glorious rather than year-round.
- Mango season is overwhelming when it comes — mangoes everywhere, more than anyone can eat
- Different citrus, soursop, guava, passion fruit come and go through the year
- Breadfruit and ground provisions are steadier
- Fish varies with the season and the weather
Do not go looking for a specific fruit. Ask what is good this week and cook that — which is how everyone here shops anyway, and how you end up eating things you have never seen.
Kitchens, realistically
Holiday kitchens are variable everywhere. Locally, expect:
- Gas is common, and a bottle can run out — ask how to change it
- Equipment is basic. A sharp knife is the thing most often missing and most missed
- Fridges are small, so shop for a couple of days rather than a week
- Ants find anything sweet. Seal everything, without exception
- Water — ask your host about drinking from the tap
The ant point is not a joke and it is the most common self-catering complaint. An open sugar packet or an unwashed glass will be found within hours, and the answer is sealed containers and washing up straight away rather than any product.
Three easy things to cook
You do not need recipes, but these work with what you will actually find:
Fish, simply. Buy whatever came in that morning, season it with salt, pepper, lime and whatever green herbs the market had, and grill or fry it. Serve with rice and a tomato salad. Fifteen minutes.
Anything with fresh seasoning. Buy a bunch of the mixed green seasoning herbs sold at the market, blend or chop with garlic and onion, and use it on everything. This one purchase is what makes home cooking taste local.
Fruit for breakfast. Whatever is in season, cut up, with nothing done to it. On an island in season this beats anything you would make.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rule for shopping here?
Anything grown or caught locally, buy from a person. Anything that arrived in a container, buy from a shop.
Why is self-catering sometimes expensive?
Because imported food carries the cost of getting here. Reproducing your home shopping list costs a great deal; cooking what the island grows costs very little.
How should you plan meals?
Ask what is good this week and cook that, rather than going looking for a specific fruit — everything is seasonal and the seasons are short.
What is the most common self-catering complaint?
Ants. Anything sweet left open is found within hours — sealed containers and washing up immediately is the answer.
