By Marybeth Dianne Dapadap
Travelling can really be an enjoyable yet exhausting experience, and one great way of regaining one’s strength is to E-A-T! Before you plan to hop on to the next flight to the islands of Turks and Caicos, let me give you a glimpse of the food that can really satisfy your palette, and a little knowledge about their culture wouldn’t hurt, right?
A Culinary Treat
Amidst its attachment for being a favorite tourist destination, the dining experience travelers feel are casual and laid-back. The food shops varies, from the small, family-managed shops, restaurants and some fine dining as well. As they usually say, to have a more intimate experience you have to eat in the small, local shops (that would be street foods in our country).
Just make sure that you have enough money to spend, for food is quite expensive in this part of the globe. The costs of the meals range from $5-$20USD! (Goodness, the lowest meal cost is even higher than a value meal in Jollibee!) If you can afford to pay loads to dine at a posh restaurant, reservations are needed. You may even need to dress up a little for that.
Definitely, there is an abundance of seafood in this island. Most of their food is imported , but they export seafood as well. One of their famous island dishes includes the conch, which has a lot of varieties: conch creole, curried conch, conch fritters, conch chowder, cracked conch, and even dried conch. Famous beverages include the rum punch made with Lucayan rum, coconut rum, orange and pineapple juices, and grenadine. Just be prepared for this drink really gives a punch on your systems.
Whichever part of the islands you may go, the food is simply amazing, just make sure you are prepared to pay for the bills (and sometimes they include the tip on your bill!) Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Share some artistic ingenuity
The local artists in Turks and Caicos are being celebrated by their own people. Their art has influences from the island’s natural beauty, and also from its neighboring islands, Haiti and Dominican Republic. The creation of local crafts is also widespread, which includes basket-weaving, net-making and making straw-hats.
Storytelling is another tradition that has passed on to them by their African ancestors. At this present day, there has been a resurgence of interest for this tradition.
The people here really love their culture. The islanders are really serious on preserving their arts and crafts to the next generation.
Groove and move
Music and dance are important throughout the people of the Carribean. The island’s music and dance have developed into very specialized and charismatic artistic forms.
The "Ripsaw" or "Rake'n Scrape” music really showcases its traditional ingenuity. Examples of the instruments used are saw, goatskin drum, hand accordion or "Constentina," hand-made maracas, and acoustic guitar.
Another style of music is"Combina" music. This new type of music infuses local Ripsaw music with international sounds like Jamaican reggae, calypso and soca styles.
Music comes hand in hand with dance. One of the most popular form of dance is known as "winin." Also referred to as"Wine-up" or"the Wine," this type of dance will really get your hips grooving, in tune with the music of rip-saw, soca, and calypso music.
Elder members of the community often prefer waltz-styled dances, such as the"Shati" and"The Heal and Toe Polka." The"Conch-Style" and"Shay-Shay" are two other popular styles.
Ready, set, go!
Turks and Caicos is slowly making it name known to all parts of the world. Truly, this island is really a wonderful gem in that part of the Caribbean. Prepare your passport and go save up for this trip, for it will truly be an amazing and breathtaking experience.
Hope you enjoyed our first “padyak around the world”!
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