Culture of Grenada

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Grenada's French colonists brought along their culture, as did the African slaves they brought across the Atlantic for agricultural work. The combination of these cultures is what you will find on this island. Indians have also influenced the island culture in more recent years.

Importantly, many descendants of the first African Grenadians have maintained their own tribal knowledge. Many Grenadians are aware of the tribe from which their ancestors came, and their dance styles have been maintained throughout the island.

[edit] Cuisine

Local dishes are also a rich part of their heritage and culture, like the national dish of Oil Down, which is a combination of breadfruit, coconut milk, tumeric (misnamed saffron), and anything else (strong flavoured protein eg. saltfish, smoked herring, pickled pork, or just plain chicken) that can fit in the pot. It's often cooked in a large cast-iron pot with a banana leaf to cover it.

Other local dishes include rice and peas; blugoe (a variety of banana) green bananas and saltfish; the annual titiri (shoals of baby fish) which are cooked as fishcakes or served curried with rice; dumplins and (gungo)peas. Another favorite dish is the WATERS - fish stews with dumplins. Grenada has plenty of fresh fish. Inland hunting of armadillo and possum takes place during hunting season, which is a sport most young men do in villages throughout Grenada.

[edit] Music & Festivals

Music plays a huge part in Grenadian culture with the annual Carnival competition generating new soca and calypso material in August. The rest of the time soca, calypso, and reggae are the mainstay on the minibuses competing for the loudest and, unfortunately, sometimes fastest bus service. Zouk music has also been imported to Grenada from other French Caribbean islands recently. Other local celebrations include the National Dance Festival, and Independence Day.