If the Caribbean had a national sport, it might be drinking. Find out which watering holes are serving your favourite contenders and what makes them so delicious...if the barkeeps will tell you.

In Trinidad & Tobago, conch is called “lambie.” This method of preparation could be considered a ceviche but because of the conch’s texture it must be cooked to soften it. Makes four to six servings.

Reprinted with permission from Ramin Ganeshram’s Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago (Hippocrene, NY)

This recipe is reprinted with permission from SOFRITO, The Essence of Puerto Rican Cuisine.

The area of Paramin, perched breathtakingly high atop the mountains of Trinidad's Northern Range, is the herb basket of the country. The steeply sloped hillsides and cool mountain air make the region ideal for growing herbs like shado beni, chives, thyme, and parsley. The Creole-descent farmers who cultivate these plants are the go-to guys for every Trinidadian cook, since their spices are an absolute necessity for the local pantry. The addition of shallots, onions, and vinegar, and the omission of oregano, makes it a bit different from standard green seasoning used elsewhere on the island, although you can substitute one for the other where any Caribbean recipe calls for green seasoning. Recipe reprinted with permission, from Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago by Ramin Ganeshram

Meat patties, or particularly beef patties, are largely credited to Jamaica, but they are made in most of the English-speaking Caribbean, using whatever particular mix of local spices is most liked. Annatto, locally called "ruku," gives the pastry it's deep yellow color. In Trinidad, for example, the version below features green seasoning with curry that gives these patties a totally Trini taste. They can be made with ground chicken, turkey, or beef. Recipe reprinted with permission, from Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago by Ramin Ganeshram

Forget jalapenos and ghost chiles—it's habaneros and Scotch bonnets that keep Caribbean cuisine hot, hot, hot. Isn't it time you discover the region's most popular peppers? Dave DeWitt, founding editor of Chile Pepper magazine and fiery-foods.com, suggests these spicy favorites.

This recipe is reprinted with permission from the REEF Lionfish Cookbook: Bahamas-based chef Tricia Ferguson and REEF director of special projects Lad Akins have gathered 45 delectable lionfish recipes for this glossy volume — lionfish fritters, orange ginger lionfish, lionfish seafood lasagna — you name it. $16.95 and available at reef​.org; proceeds support the foundation’s work in the Caribbean.

The Lionfish, a bright red, dramatic-looking reef dweller, can wreak havoc on an aquatic environment as an invasive species. First spotted in the Bahamas in 2004, this fast-reproducing fish was all over the Caribbean just a few years later. Environmentalists and Caribbean natives are now fighting back in an interesting way: By putting them on the plate. Turns out they go great with hot sauce and a beer!

Here in Negril, where no hotel can be built higher than the tallest palm tree, everyone can find the same fresh dishes, whether tourist or local, regardless of income or social status. When you eat on the streets of Negril, everyone is the same and food is the common denominator.

Jamaicans almost never share their family jerk secrets, but this recipe was given to me years ago (albeit reluctantly) by my Jamaican sous-chef, Chris, and I’ve tweaked it myself through the years. TIP: Wear gloves when handling hot peppers! 

This iconic soup is most popular in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The conch (also known as lambí) is combined with onions, celery, carrots and fresh herbs; add a dash of hot sauce for an extra kick. Recipe reprinted with permission, from Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago by Ramin Ganeshram