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Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, these spicy conch and batter morsels are deep fried. While they’re traditionally served as first courses or snacks, light eaters can make a meal of them. Every cook prepares them differently, but the more conch the better.

You’ll find this tasty goat stew on the menu at only the most local of West Indian restaurants in the islands. Cooked with the same type of goat you see wandering along the roadsides, its other ingredients include onions, garlic, tomatoes, and the cook’s own special spices.

Conjured up in local kitchens, hot sauce adds extra bite to any dish. It’s made of fresh hot peppers, onions, and whatever else strikes the cook’s fancy. Every one is different; try several of them. A bottle keeps forever in your refrigerator even though the color may change.

The islands’ famous spicy soupkallaloo has as many spellings as ingredients. With greens, usually spinach or whatever’s available, as its base, the soup also includes a generous dose of okra, maybe ham or fish, and of course, whatever seasonings the cook likes to use.

Caribbean lobsters lack the claws of their northern cousins, but they’re still a sweet, succulent seafood, served in several ways in the Virgin Islands. The simplest lobster dish, just drizzled with melted butter and served in the shell, may be the best, but many people prefer it stuffed with crabmeat.

A spicy drink,maubi is fermented frommaubi bark with generous helpings of sugar, dried orange peel, cinnamon, and cloves added. It’s an acquired taste, and folks either love it or hate it.Maubi is found on the menu only at local restaurants.

Not the creamy meat dish made of goose or duck found in fine restaurants, Caribbean patés are turnovers stuffed with a spicy lobster, conch, chicken, or beef filling, then deep fried. Not for the cholesterol-shy, these delicious treats make great quick lunches or snacks.

Usually served boiled with onions and spices, ole wife is officially called triggerfish or moonfish. Most cooks just take a little of this and some of that to conjure up their version of this tasty catch of the day.

Found on just about all West Indian menus, this staple is simply a deep-fried, flattened biscuit (dumpling). Johnnycakes are usually served hot, but residents take them cold in their lunches. If you happen on an event with food demonstrations, you may see cooks rolling them out in the kitchen.

Tarts are the Virgin Islands’ word for one-crust pies, often filled with coconut, guava, or other fruits. A word of caution: Caribbean cooks have a heavy hand with the sugar, so tarts are often sweeter than you expect.