The U.S. Virgin Islands culture expresses itself in its unique cuisine, which has its origins in Africa, Puerto Rico, other West Indian islands, and Europe. Since many island recipes originate from times when imports were scarce, today's typical island fare includes locally grown and raised spices, tropical fruits, root vegetables, and meats.

Island Specialties
One favorite local beverage is maubi, a slightly fermented drink concocted from ginger root, yeast, herbs, and the bark of the maubi tree. Non-alcoholic ginger beer, bush tea, soursop juice, and the creamy sea-moss cooler are also popular. Although restaurants in the U.S. Virgin Islands feature international cuisine such as French, Japanese, Italian, and Chinese, we encourage you to try island specialties such as conch fritters, fried plantains, sweet potato pudding, and curried chicken. Other Virgin Island specialties include:

Kallaloo a simmering stew of okra, meat, seafood, local greens, and spices
Souse a lime-flavored stock of pig's head, tail, and feet
Fungi a cornmeal and okra side dish that accompanies fried or boiled fish
Johnnycakes a deep-fried delicacy of unleavened bread
Lobster, wahoo, grouper, mahi-mahi, tuna, and other daily catches are staple menu items as well. If you have room for dessert, you might try a coconut or guava tart, locally made soursop ice cream, or rich rum cake and bread pudding.