Turtle stew

Turtle stew  is Cayman Islands national dish. It is a true delicacy and perhaps the most traditional meal with older generations in the Cayman Islands.

As side dishes for the turtle stew are breadfruit, cassava, sweet potato, Caribbean pumpkin, and many locals prefer  with rice & beans or white rice! These days it can also be accompanied by a side of potato or breadfruit salad and fried ripe plantain, fresh veggies, cornbread.

‘Turtling’- or farming for turtles, dates back to the 17th Century when settlers would harvest and sell the meat also to passing ships. To this day it is a tradition and a favorite among locals and it was a high protein source for red meat. All turtle meat on Cayman Island comes from the Cayman Islands Turtle Farm where a certain amount is for retail, consumption and the majority for preservation and released back into the wild.