Oil down is the national dish of Grenada. The preparation involves layers of breadfruit, salted meat (typically pigtail or salt beef), coconut milk, callaloo leaves, dumplings, turmeric, and other seasonings cooked in a single pot until the liquid absorbs completely. The dish derives its name from the cooking method where ingredients cook down in coconut oil. Traditionally families prepare oil down outdoors in large iron pots for weekend gatherings and festivals. The breadfruit must be green and firm when added. Some cooks include dasheen, carrots, or plantain depending on regional preference.
Grenada produces approximately one-third of the world's nutmeg supply, a statistic established before Hurricane Ivan destroyed substantial nutmeg groves in September 2004. Production has recovered but remains below pre-2004 levels. Grenadian nutmeg appears in local cooking across savory and sweet preparations. Vendors grate fresh nutmeg into rum punch at market stalls. Bakers incorporate it into sweet bread and cakes. The spice appears in ice cream sold in St. George's and hotel restaurants. Mace, the red lacy covering around the nutmeg seed, is harvested separately and used in preserved fruits and certain meat dishes.
River Antoine Rum Distillery in St. Patrick's parish operates continuously since 1785 using water-wheel power. The facility crushes sugarcane between rollers turned by a waterwheel fed by the River Antoine. Fermentation occurs in open wooden vats. Distillation happens in copper pot stills. The rum produced measures 150 proof, or 75 percent alcohol by volume, sold in recycled glass bottles without aging. Workers operate the distillery Tuesday through Friday when crushing cane. Tours show the complete production process from cane crushing through bottling. The rum is consumed locally and not typically exported due to alcohol content regulations in most markets.
Callaloo soup appears on Grenadian tables several times weekly. Cooks prepare it with dasheen leaves (also called taro leaves), okra, coconut milk, onions, garlic, thyme, and often crab or salted meat. The leaves must be chopped finely and cooked thoroughly to break down calcium oxalate crystals that cause throat irritation if raw. Some recipes include pumpkin or christophene. The soup is served hot as a starter or main course with bread or ground provisions. Variations exist across Caribbean islands but the Grenadian version distinctively uses more coconut milk than Eastern Caribbean neighbors.
Lambi refers to conch in Grenadian usage. Fishermen harvest queen conch from shallow waters around Grenada and Carriacou. Preparation requires tenderizing the tough meat by beating it with a mallet or bottle. Cooks then either curry it with potatoes and spices or prepare it as water lambi, a soup with dumplings. Conch season traditionally runs outside summer months when the species reproduces. Restaurants serve lambi on weekends more commonly than weekdays due to availability and preparation time required. Overharvesting has reduced conch populations, leading to seasonal closures and size restrictions enforced by fisheries officers.
Roti arrived in Grenada through the Indo-Grenadian community descended from indentured laborers who came between 1857 and 1885. The flatbread wraps around curried fillings, most commonly chicken, goat, or chickpea. Grenadian roti uses a dhalpuri-style bread with ground split peas incorporated into the dough layers. Roti shops operate throughout St. George's and other towns, serving lunch crowds from approximately 11:00 to 14:00. A single roti typically costs between 15 and 25 Eastern Caribbean dollars depending on filling and location. The food qualifies as a complete meal given portion size.
Grenada Chocolate Festival occurs annually in May over ten days. The festival started in 2014 to showcase Grenadian cocoa, which grows primarily in St. Patrick's, St. Andrew's, and St. Mark's parishes. Events include estate tours at working cocoa plantations like Belmont Estate, chocolate tastings, cooking demonstrations pairing chocolate with savory ingredients, and competitions for chefs and bartenders. The Grenada Cocoa Association and Hotel and Tourism Association coordinate programming. Several small-scale chocolate makers operate in Grenada, including Jouvay Chocolate, Crayfish Bay Organic Chocolate, and the Grenada Chocolate Company, which produces tree-to-bar chocolate using solar power at Hermitage Estate.