Over the last few days, my husband and I traveled to St. Kitts to explore this beautiful tropical island. We visited 31 years ago, and oh, how it has changed. But parts of it are still the same: lovely people, good food, and isolated beaches. Food was our main objective on this trip, along with rest and relaxation. Could we find plant-based foods in the Caribbean? Thankfully, the answer is yes, with unexpected time spent with three farmers, their farms, and learning the secrets to their plant-based habits.

Bliss Farm

Bliss Farm, a family-owned, all-vegan restaurant, Ital Creations, offered extraordinary food. My dish was a twist on local favorites, featuring mouthwatering barbecue tofu. They sell water bottles filled with antioxidant-rich moringa water, and locals come in and out, grabbing their daily fill. The manager/family owner led talks for cruise excursion groups about the health benefits of a plant-based diet and then gave us a free tour of her farm. Her presence was filled with gratitude, and she graciously offered to take us to her rainforest farm. Maybe next time we can spend more planned time with her and her family.

Their farm, petite in size but bountiful, offered us holy basil and oregano to take home. Their land is full of plantains, coconuts, herbs, bananas, and moringa trees. It’s a place we will never forget.

Coconut Farm

A little more research, and we might have realized that this coconut farm no longer serves the public. Its days of markets and flourishing coconut trees are no more. Since COVID, their water supply has been halted, with water only arriving from the government three days a week—not enough to get by. However, the manager graciously allowed us to tour the grounds and his personal garden. He cares for all the grounds and runs two Airbnbs. The farm is gorgeous, with coconut trees still lining the land. Bacchus, our Guyanese guide, is proud of his garden, full of okra, eggplants, and herbs. He battles daily with the monkeys trying to rob his harvest. There are more monkeys on St. Kitts than humans, by the way. While admiring his eggplants, I remarked about a dish I had the night before at a local Friday night festival. To my surprise, it was his recipe! He graciously gave me every detail to recreate this dish at home. I can’t wait to share it.

One day, the coconut farm will thrive again. The potential is grand.

Liamuiga Natural Farms

To the rainforest we went, to Liamuiga Natural Farms, which we discovered a few years ago. It’s an old sugarcane plantation growing coffee plants. With coffee in short supply in St. Kitts and very expensive—$10 for an Americano—the gift of producing their own coffee would be a godsend to the country. They still have a way to go, but their other organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs, dispersed throughout the farm, are mind-blowing. Every tropical plant you can imagine is found on a 1,500-foot mountain in the rainforest. Getting there is a feat—taking an old army vehicle on a military trail—but when we arrived, a farm-to-table experience awaited us with brunch, lunch, and turmeric shots in the woods. Our favorites from the trip included pickled turmeric (she shared her recipe), pickled pumpkin, and lemongrass/basil tea. The trip was a whirlwind, with a tour through the farm, explaining each and every plant on their 40 acres. I now know how to tell a banana plant from a plantain—it’s all in their trunk.

The return trip down the mountain was fun, with rum punch-filled bellies, new friends, and monkeys to spy on as we traversed the countryside again, learning how to tell a coconut tree from a “jelly” tree. Not so sure about that explanation—maybe the guide finished off our rum punch before descending to our car.

What We Learned and Hope to Share

The island felt familiar, the hosts were so welcoming, and the terrain a little different, but the waves still beckoned. We wish we could stay a little longer, but we will return. The lessons we learned include:

• Holy Basil and Lemongrass Tea: We often forget the health benefits of these herbs. They’re so common to us, but full of richness.
• Moringa Plant: I hope to find more of it—it’s full of all 8 amino acids and 46 antioxidants.
• New Eggplant Recipe: I’m excited to hone my recipe-creating skills and one day share this new dish. Roasted tomato is the key.
• Pickled Turmeric and Pumpkin: Who knew? White vinegar and your favorite pepper from the garden thrown in. This sounds like a great PBNSG (Plant-Based Support Group) lesson to share.
• Turmeric: I never thought about growing it myself. The farm grounds were filled with tropical plants and little turmeric tubers with their heads popping out. Indeed, our next garden adventure will include this.
• Hospitality: The island is so welcoming and willing to share. Young and old alike are dispersed, greeting outsiders and making us feel at home. We could all add a little dose of this to our lives.