Guyana Food and Drink

The food in hotels and restaurants reflects the range of influences on Guyanese society. On the menus of most restaurants you will often find chicken, pork, steak and, most commonly, shrimp.

The best Chinese food in the country can be found in Georgetown. Guyanese food, just like the population, is a melting pot of influences from Britain, the Netherlands, India and Africa. Most of the ingredients used in Guyanese dishes and drinks are produced domestically as the country's climate is perfect for rice, livestock and root plants.

It is best to drink bottled water in Guyana as the tap water is known to be contaminated in some areas of the country. In Georgetown tap water is generally safe to drink, but bottled water is cheap, and it is better to err on the side of caution.

Specialities

• Foo-foo (plantains made into cakes and deep fried in oil until golden brown and crispy)
• Metagee (yam, plantain, breadfruit, cassava and salted meat or fish all slowly boiled in a creamy coconut milk with extra tomatoes, palm oil, hot chili, garlic and onions)
• Split pea soup (A pea based soup with bacon strips, split peas, animal fat, chicken stock, yams, peppers and eddoes)
• Pepperpot (a Amerindian meat stew with cassava extract and hot pepper sauce)
•Guyanese style rice (a local take on Chinese fried rice)

Things to know

Generally all foods are washed thoroughly prior to cooking in restaurants and hotels, however street food is not necessarily of the same quality.

Tipping

10% at hotels and restaurants is expected. For truly exceptional service 20% should be the maximum.

Drinking age

18

Regional drinks

• Banks (locally produced cask and bottled lager)
• Papaw Milkshake (frothy papaya milkshake with a creamy and very sweet taste)
• Mauby (bark-based fruity and spicy root beer, produced using a small amount of the original batch)
• Pineapple Wine (a fermented pineapple, mace, sugar and dried fruit mixture left to combine for 3 weeks before bottling)
• Peanut Punch (peanut butter, milk and sugar mixed to form a smooth thick liquid, often served at special events)