We are all still stuck in quarantine, probably getting tired of our own cooking. But that doesn't mean you can't daydream about delicious Caribbean cuisine, am I right?!
I ate my way through Grand Cayman when I visited the island for New Years. You may remember how much I love Island-style food from my post about the food in Niue, Curaçao, and other island countries. This post is a similar take on those foodie experiences. But it's Grand Cayman-style!
From coconut water to rum cake, Grand Cayman cuisine is similar to other island countries I've visited but it also has its own unique treats. So as you make your way through your non-perishables at home, make your way through this in-depth look at what I consumed over 5 days in Grand Cayman.
Grocery Store
I love checking out grocery stores in the countries I visit. There's no better way to assess the local fare than by looking at what locals shop for.
Ivana and I visited Kirk Market, a grocery store within a few minutes walk of our guesthouse. We went within the first few hours of setting foot on Grand Cayman. I had the goal of cooking us dinner at our guesthouse the next night. There's nothing like a home cooked meal with fresh, local ingredients. Although the prices were a little inflated, I made fresh, locally caught fish with a side of roasted potatoes, zucchini, and carrots.
I also had the goal of buying lots of local treats to try—stuff only made in Grand Cayman. At first, we had a difficult time finding anything that wasn't labeled from other countries. There were lots of food items that looked foreign but they were actually from England or Scotland or France. The reason was that Grand Cayman is a British colonized nation. So they get a lot of their food imported from Europe—especially from the United Kingdom.
Eventually, I realized that non-imported, Grand Cayman-produced food was marked "Local" on various shelves. Then I still checked the packaging to ensure it said “Product of Grand Cayman” directly on it.
There was also a small section of the store that seemed perfectly set up for tourists. It was designated solely for purchasing local, packaged favorites. Here are some of the locally made goods I found at Kirk Market, some of which I totally obsessed over!
Bulla Cake
I had no idea these were a thing until getting to Grand Cayman and finding them in the bread aisle.
I did not know what to expect. Made in Grand Cayman, I discovered bulla cake is sweet and spiced with ginger! We cut them in half and toasted them with a bit of salty butter on them and—holy heaven in my mouth! I don't know why but I obsessed over these.
I was so happy to have leftovers that I brought home and enjoyed for a week. I wonder if I can find them in a store here in South Florida...
Jars and Bottles of Stuff
In the touristy local section, there are lots of little bottles and jars of locally made goods like pepper jelly, hot sauces, vinegars, and honey.
Although I didn't try them, these are easy to pack up in a suitcase or backpack and take home with you. They make great little gifts or are a nice way to add to your home cooking as a fun reminder of your trip!
Rum Cakes
These are possibly the most quintessential and well-known food from the Cayman Islands. They are popular because of the cruise ship industry. The Tortuga rum cakes are the number one export of the Cayman Islands. In 2012, they were named the "Best Cruise Souvenir."
Since I knew I could easily get Tortuga rum cakes state-side, I went for the Black Beard brand. The Black Beard brand is made and sold only in the Cayman Islands! Black Beard included the traditional flavor as well as flavors like coconut and chocolate. I took one home with me and it was great served warm with a little coconut ice cream on the side.
Ice Cream & Gelato
Speaking of which, ice cream and gelato is another locally made good that you can pick up at the grocery store. We got some coconut ice cream which made for a great dessert served with a wedge of sweet coconut bar from the grocery store's bakery.
Alcohol
Alcohol and beaches go together like peanut butter and jelly. So of course most islands in the Caribbean have their own locally made alcohol. The following are the Grand Cayman-made beverages I tried.
Rum
We went up to the Tortuga Rum Distillery on our third day in Grand Cayman. There, we had the opportunity to taste test rum and rum cake for free! We arrived there at the same time as a tour bus. So I have no idea if the free taste test was happenstance because we looked like part of the tour group or if this is a thing you'd normally pay for. Oh well—didn't ask, just drank!
The rum here was very good. My favorite was the coconut flavored rum (are you seeing a theme here?). We bought a small bottle of this for New Years Eve and it went quick. But it didn't go quick because we drank a lot—we bought a bottle that was deceivingly only 2 shots-worth! Those tricksy little bottle designers!
Beer
While at the distillery, we also picked up a couple of unique beers to try. While I'm not a fan of beer, I still like to try them when I travel.
Presidente from the Dominican Republic is the most common beer of the Caribbean. I've now seen it in Curaçao and Grand Cayman. But Grand Cayman also has its own locally brewed beers.
One Grand Cayman beer called Caybrew tasted like a very typical light American beer (like a budweiser type).
I actually really enjoyed Mango Tango – another Grand Cayman beer which sounds exactly as it tastes! It's sweeter and fruitier than Caybrew, making it closer to my usual cider-drinking taste.
Fruit Stand
I can't wait to write in detail about our road trip around Grand Cayman. On that road trip, we found a fruit stand selling all kinds of fun treats. It sits at the corner of Frank Sound Road and Bodden Town Road.
In addition to fruit, there were little cakes and pockets of fruity goodness to try. Grand Cayman seems to really like cake.
What was fun about this stop was all the different types of fruit. I had never seen several of the fruit there. One of them caught my eye, dark red and pear-shaped. The man working the stand said "apple" to me and I was like—"This? This is an apple?"
Biting into it, it was more like a pear to me but softer and less textured. There is a pit inside and it was sweet but also kind of sour.
Not Local, But Popular
Popular dishes and restaurant foods include influences from surrounding Caribbean nations. You'll see Jamaican influences with jerk chicken on the menu, Cuban-style plantain sides, and rice and beans galore!
When on an island, I always order fresh fish and coconut-flavored everything. That's just me! But these foods are not unique to Grand Cayman.
A bit more specialized is the conch soup and turtle stew. I didn't try either one of these but they can be seen around the Caribbean.
One unique item I tried was "bread fries." I saw these on my first restaurant outing to Da Fish Shack and then spotted it on many menus thereafter.
Breadfries come from a fruit! It looks a little like the jackfruit but slightly smaller in size.
Breadfruit is actually more common in the South Pacific—such as in New Guinea and the Philippines. French and British colonizers brought it to the Caribbean later. Regardless, it's taken hold as a popular side in Grand Cayman.
They were good and reminded me of yucca fries!
Restaurant Recommendations
Da Fish Shack was within a 20-minute walk from the guest house where I stayed. The vibe was perfect with an outdoor back patio looking at the sunset.
After a long day of diving and exploring the beach, Ivana and I checked out Coconut Joe's across the street from the Comfort Suites. I also liked the vibe of this place. Many people there ordered fresh coconut water and then they asked to have it cut open to eat the flesh inside. I did too!
Duke's Seafood & Rib Shack was a great place to have a feast on New Years Eve. I got a big mixed seafood stew and washed it down with white wine. We arrived late, right before closing, because it was across the street from Calico Jack's. We went to Calico Jack's after to bring in 2020 with all the locals on the beach.
On the day we took our road trip, we ended on the North Side for a visit to starfish point and bio bay. As we waited for nightfall, before taking a nighttime kayak tour, we decided to get a light meal from Kaibo Restaurant and Beach Bar. I loved this spot for its great sunset views and relaxed vibe. The service was slow since we were there so late. But we enjoyed lying on the beach beds nearby after we finished eating.
We went to Kaibo after deciding against the BBQ buffet at Rum Point Club. Grand Cayman loves their beach BBQs! The BBQ was $50 per adult—and we weren't feeling that hungry. While we missed this, this came highly recommended to us by a few locals.
Lone Star was a bar and restaurant recommended by locals. We almost popped in there for lunch on our last day but I decided against it because of the sports bar feel to it. It's probably a fun place to go at night to meet locals and hang out!
Pepper Jack's was our stop of choice for lunch on our last day. I got my fill of a delicious coconut fish meal before hopping back on the plane home.
In Conclusion
Grand Cayman has both typical Caribbean foods while maintaining its own uniqueness. I enjoyed discovering new fruits, trying a less typical brand of rum cake, and finding a new love—bulla cake!
Yum! And now that I've finished writing this, I think I'll get back to quarantining and poor myself some rum...
