Upward and Onward We Shall Go: Barbados' National Dish

Another National representation of Barbados that we wanted to showcase for this month is Barbados' National Dish, Cou-cou and Flying Fish. The dish may sound quite foreign, but to us Bajans it is quite simple, cou-cou is a cornmeal and okra based side (it is very similar to polenta) and it is served our traditional steamed flying fish and gravy. The creaminess of the Cou-cou and the spicy yet sweetness of the steamed flying fish works perfectly on the pallet - a perfect pair some say.  The recipe for Cou-Cou was passed down from the African slaves who came to Barbados in 1644, it requires you to constantly stir the cornmeal and okra mixture until it comes together to a smooth consistency and all the ingredients are evenly distributed. In order to get this smooth consistency, Bajans have invented a wooden tool with this one particular purpose in mind, it is called the cou-cou stick (very creative, we know) and resembles a small cricket bat!

Cou-cou and flying fish is not only loved by Bajans but Barbados' National Dish was recently featured as #3 in the Top 10 National Dishes from National Geographic. Pretty amazing if we say so ourselves! 

We would love to hear your comments and thoughts on Barbados' National Dish- Cou-Cou and Flying Fish!