Calling Shark and Bake a fish sandwich is like calling the bikini a swimsuit. Shark and Bake or Bake and Shark as the purist like to say, is a delicacy among tourist and locals at the number one beach in Trinidad, Maracas Bay. Shark and Bake can be a misnomer as it is sometimes served with some other fish fillet instead of shark, and the bake (bread) is always fried, not baked. What makes Shark and Bake a very tasty dish is that both the shark and the bake are deep fried, but only after a firm order is placed by the customer. The hot sandwich is then customized with any combination of over fifteen condiments from garlic sauce to pineapple chunks, but unlike Subway, the new sandwich owner puts the add-ons to his or her liking. Too many condiments contaminate the broth is the old wise saying and Shark and Bake is no exception. The secret to a good Shark and Bake is the garlic, shadon benny (cilantro), and pepper sauces. Almost anything else will take away from a perfect culinary experience. Restraint is the key.
Shark and Bake, like KFC and SPF 90 sun block, is not immune to steep price increases due to the world shortage of corn and a Shark and Bake now cost US$4.00, up from US$2.40 just over a year ago. This has not caused any decline in sales of this prized fish delicacy so a further price increase can be expected once customers remain willing. Shark and Bake is a unique dish to Trinidad and everybody has a favorite vendor at Maracas. Richard’s is the most popular and largest vendor at Maracas Bay but Tantie Rita’s is the tastiest. Shark and Bake has caused a stir on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods but I don’t know what is so bizarre about a simple fish sandwich.
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11 responses so far ↓
Shark and Bake - Not Bizzare // March 31, 2008 at 2:02 pm |
[...] admin wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Calling Shark and Bake a fish sandwich is like calling a bikini a swimsuit. Shark and Bake or Bake and Shark as the purist like to say, is a delicacy among tourist and locals at the number one beach in Trinidad; Maracas Bay. Shark and Bake can be a misnomer as it is sometimes served with some other fish fillet instead of shark, and the bake (bread) is always fried. What makes shark and bake a very tasty dish is that both the shark and the bake are fried, but only after a firm order is placed by the customer. The hot sandwich is then customized with any combination of over fifteen add-ons from garlic sauce to pineapple, but unlike Subway, the sandwich owner puts the sauces to his or her liking. Too many sauces contaminate the broth is the old wise saying and for Shark and Bake […] [...]
Global Voices Online » Trinidad & Tobago: Shark & Bake // April 1, 2008 at 10:18 am |
[...] Shark and Bake a fish sandwich is like calling the bikini a swimsuit,” writes This Beach Called Life, as he blogs about one of Trinidad and Tobago's favourite foods. Share [...]
Liane Spicer // April 6, 2008 at 10:43 am |
I heard about the show, but not the name. Bizarre indeed! I’d be highly offended if it didn’t take so much effort.
“…garlic, shadon benny (cilantro), and pepper sauces..”
Hello! You can’t leave off the tamarind sauce! Richard is my man, but I’ll make a mental note to try Tantie Rita’s next trip.
aka_lol // April 7, 2008 at 6:17 pm |
I use the tamarind sauce sparingly because it can become the dominant taste. I buy Natalie’s Tamarind Sauce at TruValu and it’s made at Maracas Beach
Liane Spicer // April 9, 2008 at 12:18 pm |
Wow! The things I discover on the net..
I’m stopping at TruValu today!
TP24 // July 29, 2008 at 4:55 pm |
Mmmm……that bake n’ shark was the best thing I ate in Trinidad. I really enjoyed it with all the toppings….but I will have to go back sometime and try it with a limited amount.
-Foodhogger
mika // August 11, 2008 at 1:57 pm |
re. Bake and Shark.
Please check out the excellent documentary Sharkwater. It will change your mind (as it did mine) about buying another shark-related item. Please spread the word about the slaughter of sharks. Even if you don’t care about the animal, you owe it to yourself and future generations to protect the sharks. When they get wiped out (and they are being killed at a dangerously high rate), our oxygen supply (and obviously, health) will be messed up, as well. There are plenty of other things for us to eat without screwing up our environment and future.
aka_lol // August 13, 2008 at 7:15 am |
I agree that sharks should not be slaughtered. I found some info on the documentary here:
http://www.sharkwater.com/synopsis.htm
omegarecs // August 19, 2008 at 8:11 pm |
What kind of shark was it!!!!!!
aka_lol // August 20, 2008 at 6:57 am |
Good question and I never thought to ask
Curried Shrimp Roti // September 13, 2009 at 8:34 pm |
[...] has more in common with Mumbai than some of its Caribbean neighbors. Granted, there's the Shark and Bake, but the curries and pickles have a remarkably Indian taste. This roti is really meant to be [...]