The first time we sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the Caribbean I feel that I did a pretty good job at provisioning for the journey. We were comfortable the whole way across, enjoying good food and arriving with a bit extra.
Something I didn't do quite so well was stocking up on certain food items that would turn out to be very expensive or not available at all in Trinidad. Reflecting on that mistake, here's 12 supermarket items I would absolutely stock up on Gibraltar or Spain before crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
1. Coffee beans
Our boat runs on three things; wind, diesel and coffee! Like many Australians we are shameless coffee snobs; we have a barista style espresso machine with an accompanying smart grinder aboard so we can freshly grind our own coffee.
Before we sailed to Trinidad I mistakenly assumed that because it was near South and Central America, coffee beans would be easy to get... How wrong I was! Luckily we had a few packets of coffee from Spain and Gibraltar to tie us over until I could have some sent in, but it would have been cheaper and easier to have brought it with us.
2. Curry pastes
We really enjoy Thai and Indian curries, especially Thai Green Curry, Panang Curry, Massaman Curry and Korma. I had a small stash with me when we sailed across, but I wish I have bought a lot more.
While Caribbean curry spices are easy to get, Thai and Indian curry pastes are much harder to find and in Trinidad they're expensive. I've managed to make a passable substitute for Thai Green Curry using ingredients from the local market, but when a friend offered to bring some with her when she came to visit I jumped at the opportunity.
3. Specialty Japanese ingredients
A few years ago I spent six weeks living in Tokyo and during that time I fell in love with Japanese cuisine. Two of my favourites are gyoza and ramen, while Tynan loves a simple Katsu curry.
When I left Gibraltar I had a few bottles of Kikomen soy sauce, Kewpie mayonaise, miso paste and mirin with me, but that's almost gone now so it would have been better to bring more. Luckily though Trinidad happens to have an outstanding Japanese restaurant called Samurai.
4. Wine
The price of wine can really fluctuate depending on which Caribbean island you go to, but in Trinidad it is EXPENSIVE. If you're a wine drinker I would absolutely recommend checking out the wine prices for the islands you want to go to because it may be worth stocking up in Europe before you set sail.
5. Lamb
We're all meat eaters on our boat and personally I really enjoy lamb. It's possible to get on the islands but tends to be expensive as most of it is imported from countries like Australia and New Zealand.
The quality of the lamb chops in particular is quite good in Gibraltar so if I was doing it again I'd buy a few packet for the freezer to have when I had a strong craving. In Trinidad the best value lamb I've found is the leg roast from Blooms Imports.
6. Nando's products
If you haven't heard of them, Nando's is a fast food chain that makes Portuguese inspired cuisine. In some countries you can buy their sauces, spice mixes, marinades and condiments at the supermarket.
Before we left Gibraltar I bought 2 huge bottles of Nando's PERi PERi Medium Sauce and about 12 shakers of their Nandos PERi PERi Salt. The salt is long gone and we're now on the second bottle of sauce, but we won't be buying more; I recently saw it in a Trinidadian specialty store and it was 5x the price off Gibraltar!
7. Arborio rice
I LOVE RISOTTO. It is one of my go-to foods when I'm making dinner just for myself and if we're out for dinner and there's a seafood risotto on the menu there's no question what I'll be buying!
In Europe arborio rice was generally quite cheap whereas in the Caribbean it is difficult to find and tends to be expensive. Since it's the primary ingredient in risotto I tend to just suck it up and accept it's going to cost me to eat one of my favourite foods, but I would have saved time and money if I'd bought a few bags with me.
8. Chorizo
Spanish chorizo sausage is delicious but again it can be almost impossible to find in some Caribbean islands. We picked up a few in the Canary Islands on our way over but it was gone within the first two weeks and to date I've not seen it anywhere in Trinidad. Depending on which one you buy chorizo can have a long shelf life so future you might be grateful if you buy a few before setting sail from Europe.
9. Stock cubes
This is up to how fussy the chef is but I am particular about my stock powders and cubes. I find the Maggi ones available throughout Trinidad are weak in flavour so I wish I'd bought more of the European stock cubes with me. I'm sure I'll be able to get them once we relaunch and are able to sail to some of the French islands, so you can guarantee I'll be buying at least a years supply!
10. Italian herbs
I love Italian cooking and meals like Spaghetti Bolognese are a staple for us. The thing is, finding Italian herb mixes in the Caribbean has proven more difficult that I naively thought, and what I can find is in smaller packets when I really need huge shakers. If I crossed again I'd buy the biggest tubs of it I could find and store it in a dry place to save money, make my life easier and give the sauces the exact flavour I'm looking for.
11. Milk
Whether you drink normal UHT milk or a specialty milk, bring as much as you can with you. We go through a liter of full cream UHT every 2 days and in Trinidad it costs 3x what it did in Europe. Milks like almond milk and lactose free milk cost even more, so your bank balance will appreciate whatever you can bring with you.
12. Cider
We drink apple cider over beer but there's not much available in the Caribbean. If you're a cider drinker as well then bring yourself some to enjoy; we think it's the perfect sundowner at the end of a long day!
If you're ever in Slovenia or Croatia and spot a bottle of Malner Cider on the shelf be sure to try it! We met the family who started it while we were hauled out in Italy and they're a nice group of people who are using their family orchard to produce great cider.
Summary
Sailing around the world there's a bit of a trade off when it comes to ingredients; there's always new things to try but you can't always get what you want. If there's a certain brand of product you really like, it's well worth having a decent stash aboard!
Shopping in Trinidad was also a different experience to what you get when you're used to just going to the supermarket. Take a look at this video of the weekly cruiser trip to the Port of Spain Central Market to see where the best produce can be found.
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