Guyana - Food and Drink
Food
The cuisine of Guyana has been greatly influenced by both its colonial history and its ethnic populations. As a result, the food of Guyana is incredibly diverse taking elements from Creole, East Indian, African, Portuguese, Amerindian, Chinese and European cuisines. Root vegetables like cassava and sweet potatoes are staples of the country’s diet. Seafood is also a major part of Guyanese cuisine as are fresh fruits. Green seasoning, a combination of herbs, onions, hot peppers and garlic are used to flavour many of Guyana’s dishes.
Popular dishes include:
Curry: The people of Guyana enjoy making a wide variety of curries that include chicken, seafood, goat, lamb and duck.
Metamgee: This is a dumpling dish that is made from cornflour, yams, plantains, eddos root and cassava that is cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with grated coconut.
Pepperpot: This is a stew dish that originally came from the Amerindians. It is made from cassareep, hot peppers and seasoning.
Cook up rice: A one-pot meal, this is a rice based dish with beans or peas. Chicken is sometimes added, while other versions include fish or salted beef tripe.
Drink
In Guyana, freshly squeezed fruit juices are incredibly popular taking advantage of the abundance of fruit found throughout the country. Mauby is a local drink that is made from the bark of a local tree which is boiled, strained and sweetened. The most popular rum in Guyana is Demerara while Banks Beer is the national beer and is available in a lager or a stout. It is advisable to drink bottled water when visiting Guyana. Not every establishment boils water so it is best to check before ordering drinks with ice.
Things to know:
10% is a standard tip in Guyana but this can sometimes be added to a bill as a service charge. If this is the case, than an additional tip is not necessary.
Drinking age:
18.
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