Green figs and salted cod

If you are looking at the photo of this dish wondering where the figs are, well… there aren’t any. Here in St. Lucia, they call green bananas “green figs”.

As always before any trip, we read about St. Lucian cuisine and traditional dishes, and this was one I really wanted to try. It sounded very interesting. It is to St. Lucia what the doubles is to Trinidad, a national dish, going back to the 19th century and the times of slavery. There were lots of green bananas available, and curiously enough, the salted cod was imported from Canada to serve as rations to the slaves. Salted fish is well preserved, and it stretches well, and a little goes a long way. Funny, I came to St. Lucia from Canada to eat Canadian salted fish on the island where fresh fish is easily available. :)

Where else to have this than at Chef Robby’s? See the earlier entry about this special place. Although green bananas don’t have a lot of flavour, the little fish flakes in sauce add a different dimension to it. I liked it, and I had it a few times after, although my husband says that this is an acquired taste.