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Sun, Salt, and Sand: The Best Beach Food from Around the World

Coconuts, watermelon… hot doughnuts? We asked five globetrotting chefs for their most memorable seaside eats

Sun, Salt, and Sand: The Best Beach Food from Around the World

TL;DR

  • Karan Gokani highlights Indian barbecued sweetcorn, roasted with lime and a salt-chilli mix, as a nostalgic monsoon beach snack in Mumbai.
  • Ixta Belfrage prefers Brazilian crab and banana pastels, a fried pastry, and pamonha (steamed cornmeal), especially in Salvador, over typical seafood or cheese skewers.
  • Marcelo Rodrigues defends Portuguese bolas de berlim (custard doughnuts) as a surprisingly perfect beach treat, their sweetness enhanced by sea salt.
  • Adriana Cavita praises fresh Mexican coconut pulp, enjoyed with lime and chilli, as a simple, refreshing, and deeply craved beachside delicacy, especially on the Pacific coast.
  • Kareem Roberts emphasizes Antiguan seasoned rice, a one-pot seafood rice dish featuring salted pork, as an authentic local beachside meal, ideally served in a styrofoam container.
  • Hasan Semay recalls the simple pleasure of Cypriot fried red mullet, lightly coated and served with lemon and onion, and also mentions Turkish mackerel sandwiches as memorable seaside eats.