Turks and Caicos: Fish Fry Thursday

I have only been in Turks and Caicos for a few hours and I am already loving its vibe.

After a short three-hour flight, getting a rental car (which you NEED if you plan to leave your resort) and grabbing lunch at the resort’s beachside eatery, we finally got to sit on the beach. My Dad, sister and I are staying at the Ocean Club Resort in the Grace Bay area on the north coast of Providenciales Island. If you didn’t know, Turks and Caicos is composed of 40 islands, eight of which are inhabited.

We arrived on a Thursday, which apparently was beneficial because the island hosts a fish fry every Thursday night. The fish fry is basically a street fair of local eats and vendors and live music, set right next to a beach. It’s located on our side of the island, so finding it was not too difficult—especially with the long line of cars parked on either side of the road leading up to the event.

When we entered, we were impressed with how lively the event was. The area was packed with tourists looking for local culture. The fish fry is arguably the best demonstration of that.

Conch is the island’s trademark food, and it was sold in so many ways—raw, fried, in a sandwich, in chowder and so on. I wanted to give it a try and got it in burger form. It was basically chopped up, pressed together, breaded, fried and served on a bun with lettuce and a light mayonnaise and ketchup type sauce.

There were plenty of other options, such as chickens prepared various ways, burgers, pineapples filled with juice and liquor concoctions and coconut milk served different ways. I could have tried something from every stand, but the lines were too long!

The vendors sold a lot of handmade items, which I appreciated, such as natural soaps, glass decorations, bowls and jewelry.  I got a bracelet made of conch shell for only $10. I was glad to support local craft.

The music switched between a DJ and an acoustic band who played beachy songs such as

Bob Marley’s “One Love.” A cool surprise was a marching band from Atlanta, Georgia who marched in on our way out. I don’t know what a matching band from Atlanta was doing there, but I appreciated it!

I am definitely excited for the rest of this vacation after experiencing such a unique first night. Up next: swimming with all the fishies!