• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Taste for Travel

The world's most amazing food, drink and sun destinations

  • Home
  • About Us
    • News and Awards
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
  • Partner with Us
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About Us
    • News and Awards
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
  • Partner with Us
  • Contact
  • Destinations
    • Mexico
      • Mexico City
      • Cancun Riviera-Maya
      • Huatulco & Mazunte
      • Morelia
      • Oaxaca City
      • Puerto Escondido
      • Puerto Vallarta
      • Chiapas
      • San Miguel de Allende
    • Caribbean
      • Anguilla
      • Antigua and Barbuda
      • Aruba
      • Bahamas
      • Bonaire
      • Curacao
      • Dominican Republic
      • Grenada
      • Martinique
      • St. Kitt’s
      • Trinidad & Tobago
      • Virgin Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Panama
    • Europe
      • Cyprus
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • Canada & United States
      • British Columbia
      • Nova Scotia
      • Ontario
      • Florida
      • Hawaii
      • Kentucky
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfasts
    • Drinks
    • Desserts
    • Sauces & Salsas
    • Entrees
    • Soup
    • Guatemalan Recipes
  • Reviews & Tips
  • Types of Travel
    • Cruises & Boating
    • Food & Wine
    • Romantic Getaways
  • Destinations
    • Mexico
      • Mexico City
      • Cancun Riviera-Maya
      • Huatulco & Mazunte
      • Morelia
      • Oaxaca City
      • Puerto Escondido
      • Puerto Vallarta
      • Chiapas
      • San Miguel de Allende
    • Caribbean
      • Anguilla
      • Antigua and Barbuda
      • Aruba
      • Bahamas
      • Bonaire
      • Curacao
      • Dominican Republic
      • Grenada
      • Martinique
      • St. Kitt’s
      • Trinidad & Tobago
      • Virgin Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Panama
    • Europe
      • Cyprus
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • Canada & United States
      • British Columbia
      • Nova Scotia
      • Ontario
      • Florida
      • Hawaii
      • Kentucky
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfasts
    • Drinks
    • Desserts
    • Sauces & Salsas
    • Entrees
    • Soup
    • Guatemalan Recipes
  • Reviews & Tips
  • Types of Travel
    • Cruises & Boating
    • Food & Wine
    • Romantic Getaways
Home » Recipes » Sides » Chop-Up (Traditional Antiguan Vegetable Mash)

Chop-Up (Traditional Antiguan Vegetable Mash)

Posted January 15, 2022, Updated February 19, 2023 //  by Michele Peterson 10 Comments

We may earn income from links in this post. Please read this Disclosure for details.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
National dish of Antigua with text overlay for Pinterest.

Chop-up is one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most distinctive and delicious dishes! 

Made with pumpkin, eggplant, leafy green spinach (callaloo), onion and garlic, this traditional Caribbean vegetable mash is most popular for breakfast but it’s also a favourite for lunch, dinner and just about every meal as a side.

Easy to make and ready in around 45 minutes, you can enjoy this powerhouse of a vegetable dish any time of day. 

Overhead shot of Antigua Chop-Up in a white bowl with a wooden spoon.
Chop-up is one of the best dishes to try in Antigua and Barbuda. It’s also easy to make at home! 

What is Chop-up?

Also known as chop-chop, Antiguan chop-up is basically a vegetable mash or stew made of pumpkin squash, eggplant, onion and spinach leaf or callaloo, the large green leaves of the dasheen, taro or amaranth root.  

It’s somewhat similar to ratatouille, the French dish made with tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and eggplant.

Why We Love This Traditional Antiguan Recipe 

Antigua chop-up on a white plate for breakfast.
Antigua chop-up on a white plate for breakfast.
  • it’s so versatile, you can enjoy it any time of day.
  • it’s low in fat and high in fibre, vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamins A, B2, C, K and E. 
  • also known as ‘chop chop’ this recipe for chop-up is so easy to make it’s virtually foolproof. The name says it’s all – simply chop it up and cook it. 
  • it’s vegetarian, low carb and gluten-free. 
  • chop-up is a fabulous way to use up a bounty of seasonal vegetables from your garden or local market. 

Antigua and Barbuda’s Breakfast of Champions 

A collage of typical breakfast in Antigua and Barbuda.
Buffet items in a traditional breakfast in Antigua and Barbuda.

 A typical breakfast in Antigua includes some or all of the following:

  • Chop-up vegetable mash,
  • Sliced hard boiled egg,
  • Scrambled egg, 
  • Slices of plantain caramelized to golden brown deliciousness,
  • Slices of avocado,
  • Toast,
  • Salted fish – it’s made of salted cod (or other fish) flaked into pieces and sauteed with tomato and onion,
  • Fungi (pronounced  “foon-jee”), a cornmeal dish similar to polenta that’s considered the national dish of Antigua and Barbuda along with pepperpot, a spiced hearty stew.  
A traditional breakfast on the Caribbean island of Antigua.
A traditional breakfast on the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Super Short History About Traditional Food of Antigua 

Similar to other parts of the Caribbean, the cuisine of Antigua and Barbuda has diverse cultural origins. It’s influenced by West African, Spanish and British, Chinese, East Indian, Syrian, Lebanese as well as indigenous Arawak and Carib cuisine.

It features local ingredients drawn on the historical legacy of the cooking traditions of enslaved people who supplemented their meagre rations of cornmeal, meat,  lard and flour with fresh food grown in home or community garden patches. 

Many of the plants chosen were easy to grow and high yield — such as sweet potatoes, greens and squash. The gardens were designed to be as productive as possible on small patches of land.

Meals were often prepared and shared communally. 

Betty’s Hope – A Glimpse into Antiguan History 

Sugar mills at Betty's Hope on the island of Antigua.
Sugar mills at Betty’s Hope on the island of Antigua.

One of the top things to do in Antigua is to learn about its sugar plantation history and cultural heritage. At Betty’s Hope Historic Plantation, you can see the remains of the Great House.

Nearby are where small huts of perishable materials mainly wattle and daub (mud manure and dried sticks and grass) once housed enslaved workers.

An informative onsite museum is located within the restored Manager’s House. It shares the stories of Betty’s Hope, the history of sugar cane production and information on the 200 year history of slavery in Antigua and Barbuda until emancipation in 1834.

Check out our post on Antigua’s UNESCO World Heritage Site or discover more about the country’s rich history and culture at Visit Antigua & Barbuda.

Where to Find Chop-up in Antigua 

Chop-up in a white plate at BeachLimerz in Antigua.
Chop-up served as a dinner side at BeachLimerz restaurant in Antigua.

A great place to try authentic chop-up is at Beach Limerz, a  family-owned beach bar-restaurant located at Fort James Beach, Antigua.

It specializes in seafood and local dishes such as goat water (a savoury goat stew that’s the national dish of nearby Montserrat), red bean pigtail soup, curry conch, bake ‘n saltfish and curry goat. 

Come early to enjoy the beach — go paddle-boarding, swim — and toes-in-the-sand dining. Go for the Day Pass that includes lounge chairs, beach umbrellas, a complimentary rum punch or local Wadadli beer, lunch and dessert.

Or, make a reservation for cocktails and dinner. The fun decor, live music (such as steel pan orchestra) and entertainment (karaoke Thursday) makes this a fun night out in Antigua.

An evening at Beach Limerz is a great way to soak up some Antigua culture while enjoying local cuisine.  Note that after 5:30 there’s a dress code. Hours vary seasonally. 

The Perfect Chef Private Chef and Catering Service 

Kahyeme Benjamin of The Perfect Chef Private Chef and Catering.
Chef Kahyeme Benjamin leads up the team at The Perfect Chef. (Credit: The Perfect Chef Private Chef and Catering)

This delicious recipe was generously provided by skilled Antiguan chef Kahyeme Benjamin, the owner and creative force behind The Perfect Chef Private Chef and Catering Service in St. John’s Antigua.  

He honed his culinary skills at the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute (ABHTI), and then completed further studies in America at The Art Institute of Atlanta.

Chef Kahyeme served chop-up as part of a buffet breakfast at Tamarind Hills, a collection of prestigious villas and suites luxury villa set on a bluff overlooking Darkwood and Ffryes beaches.

I loved it so much I wanted to make it at home. This is Chef Kahyeme Benjamin’s recipe adapted by me with ingredient substitutions.

By the way, I highly recommend Perfect Chef catering services if you rent a villa or are hosting a special event in Antigua. In addition to being adept at creating a wide range of traditional Antiguan dishes, Chef Kahyeme offers an enticing array of other menu items.

Choose from chowders, lentil salads, berry crumbles, pizza, sushi and other creative selections made with fresh local seafood and produce. Be sure to request a dish featuring Antigua black pineapple, a local variety known for its exceptional sweetness. 

Email: perfectchef268@gmail.com

Ingredients for Chop-Up  

Ingredients for chop-up include pumpkin, eggplant, onion, garlic, butter and spinach also known as callaloo.
The ingredients for chop-up include pumpkin, eggplant, onion, garlic, butter and spinach also known as callaloo.

Pumpkin: Caribbean pumpkin is different than the pumpkin used in North America for pumpkin pie and Jack o’lanterns. It has a deep orange colour and dense, meaty flesh.

In Caribbean grocery shops and markets, pumpkin is often sold in large pieces. If you can’t find Caribbean pumpkin (often labelled Jamaican pumpkin) substitute buttercup or acorn squash. 

Pro Tip: If you have extra pumpkin, use it up in this recipe for Arepa di Pampuna – Pumpkin Pancake of Curaçao

Eggplant: This spongy, absorbent fruit is packed with vitamins A and C as well as antioxidants. It has a mild flavour and adds texture to this dish.

Bell-shaped, deep purple eggplant (often known as Italian eggplant) is the best type of eggplant to use for this recipe, rather than the long skinny Japanese or Chinese variety. 

Garlic: Freshly chopped garlic adds a mellow distinctive depth of flavour to chop-up. I don’t recommend using the pre-minced garlic sold in a jar. Not only does it contain additives but it has a bitter taste. Also look for garlic that’s not grown in China. 

Onion: White onion has a milder flavour than yellow and works best for this dish.  

Butter: Complements and enhances the flavour of the vegetables, making for a creamy, satisfying texture. For vegans you can substitute olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil. 

Spinach or Callaloo: In Antigua and many parts of the Caribbean, what’s known as spinach is quite a bit different from what we know as spinach in North America. 

Caribbean spinach is a member of the xanthosoma family and is the young green leaves of the taro, dasheen, tannia, amaranth, or yautia root. 

In  Grenada, it’s known as callaloo and is an important part of oil down, the country’s national dish.

In the Dominican Republic, you can find it blended with coconut milk in traditional Dominican callaloo soup. 

Amaranth growing in a garden in Toronto.
The confusing world of callaloo! We grew callaloo (amaranth) in our garden in Toronto last summer. While different in appearance from what I’ve seen in the Caribbean, the taste was similar. And it certainly was prolific!

For this recipe for chop-up, look for callaloo at a Caribbean grocer or market. If you’re in Antigua, head to the Saturday morning market in St. John’s. 

If you can’t find Caribbean spinach (known as amaranth, dasheen or taro leaf), substitute whole leaf spinach.

 It’s got a softer texture when cooked but still delivers a wonderful flavour and loads of vitamins to this healthy dish. Opt for large leaf spinach rather than baby spinach. 

Step by Step Instructions 

Scroll down to recipe card for exact quantities and method. 

Woman's hand peeling fresh eggplant.
Peel and chop the eggplant by hand.

1. Get a sharp knife and begin peeling and chopping. They don’t call this recipe chop-up for nothing! First, peel and chop the pumpkin and eggplant into small pieces.

Then, dice and mince the garlic and onions. Much as when making Guatemalan traditional food do this by hand rather than using a food processor or electric mini-chopper.

While food processors can speed up the kitchen food prep process, the combination of heat and speed can alter the flavour and texture of raw onions and garlic making them taste bitter.

Chopped and diced eggplant on a wooden board.
Peel and chop the eggplant into small pieces.

2. In a medium sized pot, on medium to high heat, add the butter, onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Don’t allow it to brown. 

3. Add the peeled and chopped pumpkin and eggplant. Sauté for an additional two to three minutes.

Pumpkin and eggplant in a stainless steel cooking pot.

4. Add enough water just to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook until vegetables are soft. This should take around 30 minutes.

5. Add chopped spinach and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Woman dropping drop handfuls of spinach into a pumpkin and eggplant mixture.
Drop handfuls of spinach into the pumpkin and eggplant mixture.

Stir the spinach/callaloo into the vegetables and continue cooking.

Chop up cooking in a stainless steel pot.
Simmer until the vegetables are tender and spinach has wilted and fully cooked.

6. Pour the vegetable mixture into a colander and let drain.

7. After the vegetable mixture has been drained return it to the pot. Mash vigorously with a potato masher or a thick whisk.

Mashing chop-up with a masher.
Mash the mixture until it’s soft and blended.

8. Add salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Chop chop in a white bowl.
Serve immediately or keep warm for up to an hour, then serve. 

Tips, Variations and How to Serve 

  • Serve with hot sauce such as Susie’s Original Hot Sauce. Made in Antigua since 1960, this local hot sauce features  habanero and scotch bonnet peppers. It’s got just the right amount of heat and is delicious on egg dishes, cheese sandwiches, rice and even ice-cream if you’re feeling adventurous. 
  • A popular variation is to add frozen or fresh chopped okra or other fresh vegetables such as summer squash.  
  • Chop-up makes a delicious breakfast side with salted fish, eggs and avocado. Or serve it with fungi, curried goat or grilled steak, sausage or jerk chicken. 
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to three days. Heat before serving. 
  • For convenience, you can freeze chop-up (for up to three months). But it’s got a much better taste and texture when it’s freshly made.
    A bowl of Antiguan chop up on a marble table top.
    Garnish with slivers of onion and serve with hot sauce if desired.

Other Caribbean Recipes You’ll Love  

  • Baked keshi yena casserole from Aruba.
  • Siboyo tempera, an Aruban sliced red onion condiment.
  • Seafood coconut soup from the Garifuna coast of Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. 
Overhead shot of Antigua Chop-Up in a white bowl with a wooden spoon.
Print
5 from 37 votes

Chop-Up (Traditional Antiguan Vegetable Mash)

Chop-up is one of Antigua's most distinctive and delicious dishes. Made with pumpkin, eggplant, leafy green spinach (callaloo), onion and garlic, this traditional Caribbean vegetable mash is most popular for breakfast but it's also a favourite for lunch, dinner and just about every meal as a side.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine: Antiguan
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 6
Calories: 179kcal
Author: Michele Peterson
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • Knife
  • Potato Masher
  • Medium Pot

Ingredients

  • 4 medium eggplant peeled and diced
  • 8 ounces callaloo substitute whole leaf spinach - not baby spinach roughly chopped
  • 1 lb pumpkin peeled and medium diced
  • 3 garlic cloves finely diced
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 2 ounces butter 1/2 stick
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper black pepper
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Peel and chop eggplant and pumpkin into medium-sized pieces.
  • Heat butter and add onions and garlic in a medium sized pot set to medium to high heat. Sauté for 2 minutes until softened but not browned.
  • Add pumpkin and eggplant. Sauté for an additional two to three minutes.
  • Add water just to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the chopped spinach, stir and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  • Pour the vegetable mixture into a colander and let drain.
  • After vegetable mixture has been drained return it to the pot and mash vigorously with a potato masher or a thick whisk.
  • Add salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Notes

  • Serve with hot sauce such as Susie's Original Hot Sauce. Made in Antigua since 1960, this local hot sauce features habanero and scotch bonnet peppers. 
  • A popular variation is to add frozen or fresh chopped okra or other fresh vegetables such as summer squash.  
  • Chop-up makes a delicious breakfast side with salt fish, eggs and avocado. Or serve it at lunch with fungi, curried goat or grilled steak, sausage or jerk chicken. 
  • Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to three days. Heat before serving. 
  • Chop up is best enjoyed freshly made rather than frozen.  
Note: Nutritional information is created by online calculators so the figures are only estimates.  

Nutrition

Calories: 179kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 1193mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 10287IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @ATasteForTravel or tag #ATasteForTravel!

Save to Pinterest! 

National dish of Antigua with text overlay for Pinterest.

Michele Peterson
Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.

« Getting from Huatulco Airport to Puerto Escondido (by bus, taxi or shuttle)
Shirley Heights Antigua – A Guide to the Caribbean’s Best Party »

About Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.

Previous Post: «Carrizalillo Beach Puerto Escondido Getting from Huatulco Airport to Puerto Escondido (by bus, taxi or shuttle)
Next Post: Shirley Heights Antigua – A Guide to the Caribbean’s Best Party A steelpan band in Antigua.»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heather

    January 16, 2022 at 11:08 pm

    This looks like the perfect comforting meal for winter, and I love any excuse to use callaloo!

    Reply
    • Michele Peterson

      January 17, 2022 at 8:50 am

      Fortunately callaloo is relatively easy to find at No Frills in Toronto. I just can’t enough of it either!

  2. Claudia

    January 16, 2022 at 5:40 am

    5 stars
    This was a great addition to kicking off the new year with healthy food and very delicious!

    Reply
    • Michele Peterson

      January 16, 2022 at 8:24 am

      Eating more veggies is a great way to start the year off right isn’t it?

  3. Jayne

    January 16, 2022 at 12:39 am

    5 stars
    I love trying healthy side dishes. This veggie mash was a big hit with the family. Will be making again.

    Reply
  4. Kristen

    January 15, 2022 at 9:46 pm

    5 stars
    This dish was new to me and SUPER tasty! Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Michele Peterson

      January 15, 2022 at 10:22 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it Kristen!

  5. Anjali

    January 15, 2022 at 9:23 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! I hadn’t heard of this dish before I came across your recipe but I’m so glad I tried it! It was the perfect breakfast side dish for our family this morning and I loved how many veggies it packed in!

    Reply
    • Michele Peterson

      January 15, 2022 at 10:24 pm

      It was new to me too! But what a healthy start to the day!

  6. Jamie

    January 15, 2022 at 6:56 pm

    5 stars
    I love how fiber packed this meal is! It’s a great way to start the day and such a delicious breakfast!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Michele Peterson in Tuscany Italy Credit Insight Vacations.

Hi, I'm Michele! Welcome to A Taste for Travel, one of the world’s top culinary travel blogs, welcoming over 1.5 million readers annually! 

Along with a team of expert travel writers, enthusiastic eaters and skilled photographers, we help readers plan incredible adventures and make delicious global recipes at home.

More about me →

Popular Posts

  • Insider’s Guide to Seaweed Conditions in Cancun and Riviera Maya in 2023
  • 19 Best Canned Sardine Recipes from Around the World
  • 20 Bucket List Things to Do in Bonaire
  • Best Caribbean Beaches Without Seaweed: Where to Go in 2023
  • 25 Bucket List Things to Do in Huatulco, Oaxaca
  • Pepián de Pollo – Guatemalan Spiced Chicken Stew

Trending Spring Travel

  • 9 Best Food Tours in Florence
  • The 10 Best Castle Hotels in Ireland
  • 25 Bucket List Things to Do in Paphos, Cyprus
  • The Perfect 7-day Azores Itinerary: Top Things to See and Do
  • 25 Guatemalan Festivals and Celebrations for Your Bucket List
  • The Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Cancun and Riviera-Maya
Download the free ebook with 5 easy to make Guatemalan recipes!
Booking.com

Site Footer

Follow A Taste for Travel

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2016–2023 A Taste for Travel

50 shares