ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 
CULTURE - TYPICAL FOOD - FESTIVALS
Antiguan/Barbudan culture is a wonderful experience. The majority of the population has African descent; descendants of African slaves who were brought to the Caribbean during the British colonization period, along with a small percentage of Europeans and Middle Easterners. Being a former British colony, the twin-island state is populated with Anglican churches (among other denominations), the largest of which is the St. John’s Cathedral. Located in downtown St. John’s, it is easily accessible and a popular tourist attraction. The local dishes are a treat if you wish to get away from the ordinary. The national dishes are Fungi and Pepperpot. Fungi is a polenta type paste made with cornmeal and okra which is cooked in a ball. Pepperpot is a type of stew that includes a variety of ground provisions such as pumpkin, green fig, plantain, sweet potato and also includes salt pork and beef. Other local exqu
No talk of culture regarding Antigua & Barbuda would be complete without mentioning the summisite dishes are Dumplings and Mackerel, Ducana and Saltfish, a mixture of grated sweet potato, coconut and cornmeal flavoured with spices and steamed in banana leaf served with stewed saltfish. Drinks are made from just about every fruit/vegetable grown on the islands including but not limited to soursop, coconut, mango, cucumber and okra. The annual Antigua International Food Fair in May/June is the perfect place to sample these local dishes along with those of the other islands. Market day is another unique experience for a visitor. Instead of going to the large supermarkets to buy over-processed fruits and vegetables and meat, locals flock to the market every Saturday morning to purchase unprocessed produce fresh from the garden and fish fresh from the sea. Truly, it is a sight to behold.
Barbuda. Both festivals occur in the summer months and last for a little more than a week. The festivals consist of nightly shows, parades and a lot of ‘jamming’ to the local bands i.e. partying in the city streets. The colourful display and size of the costumes and the huge support for the festival, has made Antigua’s Carnival the second best in the Caribbean behind only another twin-island state, Trinidad/Tobago. Carnival/Caribana evolved out of celebrations by the slaves upon receiving their freedom during the summer of 1834. The rhythms of the typical music of Antigua include calypso, steel drum and reggae. Calypso is the oldest form of music, used by slaves to communicate to one another while working the fields. Steel drum is an instrument made with a 55 gallon oil drum, played by several bands on island. The perfect place to listen to these bands is at Shirley Height, on Sunday afternoon, where people meet to dance under the stars and drinking delicious rum punch. Finally, if you love the sea more than land, there is another festival just for you: Antigua’s Sailing Week. This festival brings sailors from the world over at the end of April to participate in a week long sailing during the daytime and heavy partying during the nighttimes.