Traditional GUYANESE FOODS

Traditional Guyanese dishes are consumed warm and are generally filling and can be enjoyed year-round. They pair well with Guyanese rum, beer or after an appetizer of delicious snacks.

Pepperpot

This popular Amerindian dish is a meat stew made with beef, pork, chicken or a combination The meat is slow-cooked with cassareep (a sauce made from cassava root (yucca) and spices and is best enjoyed with the traditional cassava bread (crispy, thin flat bread), or a piece of homemade bread, especially on Christmas morning.

Cook up Rice

A highly customizable one-pot dish that combines rice, peas, meat (optional) and coconut milk.

Curry and Roti

This dish has East Indian origins. The curry can be made with any meat - chicken, beef, fish, duck - or without - potato, chickpeas, pumpkin - cooked in a mixture of curry powder and masala. The sauce is eaten with roti (a soft flatbread), puri (roti stuffed with ground split peas), or rice.

Metemgee

Reflecting African heritage, this hearty, thick soup that involves boiling a combination of vegetables and root starches like plantain, cassava (yucca), and sweet potatoes with some meat in a coconut milk broth.

Bake and Saltfish

A typical breakfast dish consisting of a pillow-soft savory fried dough with sailfish sautéed with onions and peppers.

If you’re in the mood for something lighter, learn about popular Guyanese snacks and the Guyanese beers and rum that locals enjoy.