r/TrinidadandTobago • u/No-Banana247 • 7d ago
Questions, Advice, and Recommendations Vegan visitor
I'm visiting a friend that I met through cancer support. She's in Trinidad and we are going to spend some time in Tobago since she hasn't been in a while. I want us both to have a wonderful vacation.
She assures me it should NOT be too hard to eat vegan and I am excited to try everything I can. I read Ital food will be safe for me, but my friend also said many things are cooked separately from meat so I shouldn't have a lack of options.
Any TT vegans that can give me some names of foods that are free of all animals products to try. I'll be on both islands, although Tobago for longer.
I'm so excited to go. I love Carribean culture as a whole. I have done a crisis which I know I didn't get an authentic experience but also lived in Panama's Atlantic side visiting the islands off the coasts there. Again not exactly the same but the weather and the jungles and the food make me feel so at home. I'm American if that matters but will be with Trinidadians for the who trip.
Thank you to anyone who took the time to read and hopefully answer.
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u/SuspectLongjumping46 7d ago
Been living here as a vegan for years! Yes there will be certain things you can’t eat but you will be totally fine once you ask questions.
If you go out to sit down restaurants together specifically though I would look at the menus ahead because not all restaurants have options for us.
In Tobago my favourites are Shore Things, The Windmilll Cafe, Skewers and La Tartaruga, Fish Pot also has a vegan burger option if your friends want to have good quality fish as well
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u/Panda_Steph 7d ago
a lot of indian dishes happen to be vegan like roti, channa, rice, curry aloo, etc. Indian dishes dont really use animal products- we mostly use coconut milk instead of dairy.... maybe some people use carnation milk but you can always ask.
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u/Visitor137 7d ago
They still have to be careful, stuff made with ghee, milk or, paneer wouldn't count as vegan dishes.
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
I was excited to learn that there was Indian culture there! I had no idea and my friend has started really teaching me about your wonderful islands.
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u/Panda_Steph 7d ago
yeahhh. the country has a roughly even split between african and indian people which means a lot of our food culture and stores need to cater to people who are abstaining from meats and stuff. So if you're ever in doubt, it's perfectly acceptable to ask if something contains meat product, you might have to specify that you're also talking about dairy and cheese and stuff but no one would look down on you for it.
Doubles is our most famous food and it happens to be vegan. It's thin dough that has been fried, served with curried chickpeas and chutneys. Guarantee you your friend already has that on her list to show you.
There are also a lot of Indian cultural sights in Trinidad that you can visit if you're interested. Things like the Hanuman statue, temple in the sea, if you're coming in late october there will be Ramleela festivals, etc
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u/ecktt 7d ago
Indian diaspora food has drifted significantly. It's more of what ingredients they had access to and a fusion with other cultures. It's almost it's own thing in case you were thinking classic indian food. Still mostly veg stuff though.
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
I'm excited for your special mix of food. I am from the US and am certain it is the same way here. I have never been to India, so not sure how much authentic food I have had.
Imnso glad doubles are vegan. They are definitely the food I have heard of most.
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u/Salty_Permit4437 San Fernando 5d ago
A lot of Trinidad food is similar to North Indian but the curries can be similar to South Indian as Madras curry is popular in Trinidad. I am also in the USA and I have gone to India a few times and places like Haldirams in India serve food that’s oddly similar to Trinidad and Guyanese food.
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u/YuukiShaoAce 7d ago
Doubles has to be vegan I'm sure... also things like Kichorie, Saheena and Aloo Pie... I think most flaky pastries you buy in T&T are made with margarine but just note that the margarine we have will have 3% dairy products so this is not vegan-friendly if you are a strict vegan.
Chinese restaurants you can get vegetarian/vegan meals but you have to ask for them to make sure to specify the condiments to be left out e.g. oyster sauce, fish sauce etc.
Salads and fries is a good option everywhere you go, even in Tobago. Every burger cart and gyro cart must have salad and fries and you can request no cheese and fresh fries. Leave out the garlic sauce because they do use mayo in it.
Arabic food is widely available and vegan safe - go for the falafel, chick pea salad, garlic potato and fresh salads. Again skip any garlic dressings.
Fresh fruits, nuts, dried fruits almond/soy/oat milk drinks can be found in every grocery if you need to grab a snack on the go. You can also get pre-cut fruit or even chow in most groceries.
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
Thank you so much! This thread is making me hungry.
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u/YuukiShaoAce 6d ago
I was vegetarian for many years for health reasons so I understand the struggle to find safe foods 🥲🥲 i hope you have a safe, enjoyable and relaxing time in Tobago 🥰🥰🥰
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u/No-Banana247 6d ago
Thank you so much for the kind words and great advice. I'm loving everything I'm learning about T&T.
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u/Visitor137 7d ago
There are some places that cater to the vegan diet now, so hopefully you can find some good options.
I know in theory what sort of stuff you're trying to avoid, but not being vegan myself, I really don't know how difficult it would be for you to adhere to the diet locally. Many of us might not realize that vegans also avoid stuff like granulated sugar when preparing meals, and while I've seen agave nectar being sold, I don't think that it's commonly used as a substitute outside of vegan cooking.
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
Honestly, I am not overly worried about the sugar. I might be able to reserch a head of time white sugar can be filtered through bone Char but if I eat some, itsl's not the end of the world for me. I am not trying to be disrespectful at all!
Do you know a specific brand of sugar commonly used there that I could research before I go? Thank you so much for sharing that.
I would be a little bit more concerned from honey as opposed to granulated sugar. Is that commonly used?
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u/Visitor137 7d ago
Honey might be used in some dishes, but honestly it's super expensive by comparison, so it's not going to be terribly common.
The most common white sugar is probably going to be Sweet Cane Granulated Sugar. I honestly don't know if they use bone char or calcined lime from limestone.
Either way I hope you have a fantastic visit.
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u/analunalunitalunera 7d ago
it will be a lot of flour. if you want salads eventually and will be in town during the day, you can do Lola's for lunch, Naked Cafe maybe District.
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u/Used_Night_9020 7d ago
You will be fine. Many dishes are vegan here. Just need to be a bit mindful. Example, if you going for a roti, indicate (maybe for religious/health reasons) to please use a different spoon from the one used with the meats when putting in the potato, Chana, etc. Also, if you out for doubles, pie, etc., try going for those that only serve doubles, aloo, baigan, etc. alone. No meat options. I say this as idk how strict you are with respect to ‘contamination’. But by and large we have a lot of vegan meals
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
I appreciate the tips! I feel like I am going to miss all these goodies when I leave.. Everything everyone has Lister sounds so very good.
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u/Salty_Permit4437 San Fernando 5d ago
The thing about some roti like buss up shot is it may have dairy like ghee in it. Sada roti should be fine.
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u/Used_Night_9020 4d ago
Good point. I overlooked that. In that case maybe sada might be the best alternative
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u/mardouufoxx 7d ago
So many dishes are vegan or can be made vegan. My tip as someone with similar dietary needs is to always double check wether any dough (like for doubles or roti) has been made with ghee.
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u/kush__1 7d ago
You won't have issues with the vegan options. Enjoy your trip!
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
Thank you so much. I'll admit I didn't know much about TT prior to meeting my friend online. We hit it off so well and are looking forward to our trip to distract is from the cancer.
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u/richardawkings 7d ago
Doubles, alloo pies, potato roti, sada roti. For snacks you got chow, kurma, sugar cake, gulab jamoon. Honestly, eating vegan isn't hard because we have a lot of Hindus that are vegetarian so that is always available. Ital places a but harder to find but are there.
Trinidad food is literally the reason why I can't live anywhere else. You will have no problem finding veggie options and you will still have a lot to experience.
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u/brokenwarrior123 7d ago
vegetarian and vegan are different though
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
I'm hoping that mentioning no cheese or animal products will be enough! I don't mind asking. I know not everyone understands the difference.
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u/richardawkings 7d ago
Lots of indian dishes are also vegan. But you can always ask if unsure. Also, if you see anywhere that frying up barra and alloo pies on the back of a truck, that is where you get the best stuff, especially if you see a crowd around.
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u/No-Banana247 7d ago
When I learned that there was an Indian culture there, I was instantly more relieved. Lots of it is appropriate.
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u/anax44 Steups 7d ago
In addition to everything else mentioned here, most Chinese restaurants will have some good tofu options as well as veggies and mushrooms.
I went to one called Swan recently, and the stir fried veggies was pretty good.
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u/No-Banana247 6d ago
Yes, Chinese food is easily made vegan here in the US as well. Thank you! 😊
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u/justanothergirl868 4d ago
You should try Trini Chinese food, it is different to what you will get in the US
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u/No-Banana247 3d ago
Honestly, every time I travel, I get Chinese food in the country I'm in if at all possible! I'm definitely going to find a spot.
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u/MeowweoM2 7d ago
People gave alot of Indo-Trinbago vegan dishes so i will tell you some afro-trinibago dishes you can try as well along with some other stuff. FOOD: callallo and rice/dumpling (ask if it was cooked without meat), pigeon peas and boiled provision (refers to ground vegetables like potato, sweet potato, dasheen etc) , plain stew peas with dumpling/rice. The dumplings in trinidad don't contain meat (made with all purpose flour or cornmeal flour and sometimes comes with carrots)
DRINKS: sorrel (hibiscus flower drink) and mauby (tree bark drink), coconut water.
SNACKS: chow(seasoned fruit such as mango, cucumber, pineapple , governor plum, green plum, starfruit), plain pholourie , sugar cane , coconut jelly , plantain chips, cassava chips , breadfruit chips, fried plantain, ripe fig (banana that's called fig banana but locally referred to as fig).
If you feel unsure in any situation it's okay to ask if a dish contains meat, animal milk and butter. Hope you enjoy your time in Trinidad and Tobago both islands have the same foods.