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Just Ripe Mangoes

“Do you always have those on the menu? They’re seasonal so not always but we keep our eyes out for fresh fruit; wherever possible. Well, where do you get them? A common request.” On the way back from collecting our fresh catch from the Oistins Fish Market, there’s a little road-side stand at the intersection by Providence Church.

Just ripe mangoes

By Roger Goddard

Following a light lunch of flying fish and plantain, Jenny was in need of a digestive: vanilla ice cream topped with perfectly ripe mango wedges. “Do you always have those on the menu? They’re seasonal so not always but we keep our eyes out for fresh fruit; wherever possible. Well, where do you get them? A common request.” On the way back from collecting our fresh catch from the Oistins Fish Market, there’s a little road-side stand at the intersection by Providence Church.

Tony’s Produce Stall has a great offering of fresh fruits and vegetables…and that’s not his only talent…a set of golf clubs sits in the corner for this champion of the Barbados Classic Golf Tournament. Tony’s stall is one of many convenient produce-stops around the island. The key is to go with an open mind and create dishes based on what is readily available. Strike up a conversation with these street-side vendors and they’ll help you create a soulful meal.

Vendors normally have some imported produce such as pears, apples and grapes but with some help from our neighboring islands, there’s a high comfort level as to the foods’ freshness and suitability to our Caribbean dining tables. Often, Barbados’ agriculture industry suffers low production capacity and considerable crop damage by monkeys. A trip to the Bridgetown market comes alive with spices from Grenada, avocados from St. Vincent, citrus from Guyana, peppers from Trinidad and ackee from Jamaica. Any and all produce quickly finds its way out across the island; making for easy shopping along the way. 

Roadside vending is a quirky part of our food culture – occasionally bothersome when vehicular coordination is lacking – but taken in the spirit of boutique access to healthy flavors it becomes an adventure worth developing. We encourage foodie lovers to send us their favorites so we can include them in future publications and online references.   

Here are some of our spots and their What3Words.com location reference: