Suriname: Food and the National Dish

A cuisine genuinely built from five continents

Suriname's food reflects one of the most ethnically diverse populations in South America, with Indian, Javanese, African, Dutch, Chinese and Indigenous influences all genuinely present in everyday cooking rather than confined to separate communities.

The national dish: roti

Roti, a soft flatbread wrapped around curried potato, vegetables and meat, usually chicken or goat, is Suriname's national dish. Brought by Indian indentured labourers who arrived in the 19th century after the abolition of slavery, roti has become a genuinely nationwide dish eaten by Surinamese of all backgrounds, not only those of Indian descent, reflecting how thoroughly the dish has been adopted across the country's different communities.

Curry, cassava and a genuinely blended pantry

Curry spices, brought by Indian and Javanese indentured labourers, and cassava, a staple from the country's Indigenous and Afro-Surinamese Maroon communities, sit side by side in Surinamese cooking. Rice, plantain and a wide range of tropical produce round out a pantry shaped by contributions from nearly every community that settled the country.

History behind the wrap

After the Netherlands abolished slavery in Suriname in 1863, Dutch colonial administrators brought indentured labourers from India and Java to work the colony's plantations, each group bringing their own distinct food traditions with them. Roti's spread beyond the Indo-Surinamese community into genuinely nationwide popularity reflects how thoroughly these different culinary traditions have mixed in Suriname, rather than remaining separated along ethnic lines.

Dishes to know

Four more to recognise across Suriname:

• Pom — a baked casserole made from a grated root vegetable called

pomtajer, chicken and citrus, a genuine celebration dish.

• Moksi meti — a mixed meat dish, often combining chicken, pork and

beef, reflecting Afro-Surinamese cooking.

• Nasi and bami — Javanese-influenced fried rice and noodle dishes,

widely eaten across the country.

• Pastei — a savoury chicken pie, showing genuine Dutch colonial

culinary influence.

Drinks

Parbo, a locally brewed lager, is Suriname's best-known beer. Dawet, a sweet coconut and rice-flour drink of Javanese origin, and fresh tropical fruit juices are also commonly enjoyed.

Eating as a traveller

Vegetarians will find curried vegetable roti and rice-based dishes manageable, though meat is common across much of Surinamese cooking. Tap water is generally safe to drink in Paramaribo. Trying roti from a local shop, rather than a tourist restaurant, is a genuine way to taste the dish as most Surinamese actually eat it.

What to take from the table

Roti, brought by Indian indentured labourers and adopted nationwide, is the dish that best shows Suriname's real food story: genuinely blended from every community that has ever called the country home.