Bake and shark facts for kids
Bake and shark is a super popular fast food dish from Trinidad and Tobago. It's a tasty sandwich made with fried flatbread, pieces of fried shark meat, and lots of yummy toppings and sauces. You can find this classic street food at many food stalls and small restaurants all over the country.
How Bake and Shark is Made
This delicious dish starts with a fried flatbread, which people call "bake." Inside, you'll find tasty pieces of fried shark meat. Before the shark is fried, it's usually seasoned with a mix of herbs or marinated. This marinade often includes things like lemon juice, onion, garlic, and a special type of chili pepper called scotch bonnet. Then, people add all sorts of other ingredients! Popular choices include fresh lettuce, creamy coleslaw, juicy tomatoes, or sweet pineapple. For sauces, you might find mustard, ketchup, garlic sauce, or a spicy chili sauce. There's also a unique sauce made from a herb called culantro, which adds a special flavor. In Trinidad, bake and shark is especially famous at Maracas Beach on the northern coast. This beach has many bake and shark stands, and the sharks used for the dish are often caught right there in the ocean nearby.
Protecting Our Oceans
Sharks are really important animals in the ocean. They are like the "top predators," which means they help keep the ocean healthy and balanced. However, sometimes too many sharks are caught by fishing, which is called overfishing. This can make many shark species endangered, meaning there aren't enough of them left. When there aren't enough sharks, it causes problems for the ocean's ecosystem. It also means there isn't enough shark meat for dishes like bake and shark. Because of this, sometimes other fish like catfish or ray are used instead of shark, even if they are not correctly labeled. Some bake and shark stalls will even tell you they use real shark meat to show they are using the traditional ingredient.
