Main meals
Breakfast dishes
A typical Guyanese breakfast may feature bakes (fried breads) served with saltfish, known locally as bake and saltfish. Other options include fried rice or Guayanese chow mein, especially as leftovers. On Christmas mornings, families enjoy Guyanese pepperpot with homemade bread. The key ingredient in pepperpot is cassareep, a syrup made from bitter cassava that also serves as a preservative. [1]
Indo-Guyanese options include sada roti with fried eggs or dal. Porridges made from cornmeal or oats and dishes like plantain and eggs are common. [1]
Lunch and dinner
Lunches and dinners commonly feature curry and roti , such as dhalpuri , oil roti, and aloo roti. Curries are made with garlic, cumin, garam masala, and other spices. [1]
Creole dishes include cook-up rice, a one-pot meal of rice, beans, coconut milk, and meats such as pig tail or salted beef. Metemgee, a stew of root vegetables, plantains, coconut milk, and dumplings, is rooted in African and Amerindian traditions. [1]
Chinese influences are seen in Guyanese fried rice and Guyanese chow mein, adapted with Caribbean spices and ingredients. [1] Lo mein and other stir-fries are also popular. Colonial legacies include macaroni pie, baked meats, souse, and black pudding. [1]
Street foods and snacks
Common street foods include pholourie, egg ball, cassava ball, saltfish cakes, and doubles. Chinese-style snacks such as wontons and egg rolls are sold by roadside vendors. [1]
Festive foods
Christmas dishes include Guyanese pepperpot, garlic pork (of Portuguese origin), and black cake. During Eid al-Fitr, Diwali, and Phagwah, Indo-Guyanese communities prepare sweets such as sawine, gulab jamun , mithai, and parsad. Cook-up rice and soups are prepared for Emancipation Day and Old Year's Night. [1]