Caribbean
Cooking
The lush vegetation
found in the Caribbean, bearing exotic fruits, vegetables and nuts, has
influenced Caribbean cookery.
To define any particular trend or influence is very difficult because
each island has had different histories.
The
Main Influences Of Caribbean Food
As a result
Caribbean cooking has evolved as a fusion of various influences. The
English, French, Spanish, Dutch, East Indians, Chinese, native
Amerindians and other nationalities brought their recipes, which were
adopted and changed by West Indians.
The major ethnic
group in the Caribbean is descended from Africans who were brought to
the Caribbean as slaves. As a result the African influence on food in
the Caribbean is quite visible in most, if not, all of the islands.
The use of ground
provisions, dasheen bush (taro) and ochres to produce callaloo, peas
and beans, the use of hot peppers and the cooking methods of stewing
and grilling on open coal fires have been greatly influenced by
Africans.
They also developed
dishes using pig's feet, cow's heel and ox tails (parts discarded by
the plantation owners).
Flavouring
Of Caribbean Dishes
Spices from India,
the far East, Europe combined with West Indian flavours, nutmeg, Chadon
Beni (Cilantro), bay leaves and other preservatives used by the
Amerindians, the original natives of these islands, have greatly
influenced the cuisine
of the Caribbean.
East Indian food in
the Caribbean is essentially a blending of flavours and colours. The
use of varied spices is essential to produce Caribbean Indian food.
Tumeric (haldi), is
the most universally used spice in Indian cookery.
Cumin (geera) seeds
and powder has been blended with other spices to create various blends
of curry powder. Curry has become an important part of the daily diet
of local people from this region. A few variations have evolved from
the original concept of curry introduced by the immigrant workers from
India.
European dishes
have been fused in Caribbean food, which has been greatly influenced by
the Spaniards, English, Portuguese and French.
Some examples are
pastelles and garlic pork, Christmas delicacies, fish broths and
chowders, white bread and fruitcakes and pastry. The French and Spanish
also introduced herbs such as thyme, oregano and chives.
Local ingredients
are also incorporated into Caribbean cooking.
Fish and shellfish dishes are quite common and are combined with fruit
and vegetables in a wide range of salads, Hor's D' oeuvres and entrees
to produce exciting, tantalizing dishes which are essentially
Caribbean. Some examples are saltfish and shrimp accras, crab backs,
coo coo balls with callaloo dip.
Coconut and rum are
other popular ingredients, Coconut, in the form of coconut milk, is
used extensively in sweet and savoury dishes adding a rich creamy
flavour to peas and rice dishes and stews. The grated husk is used in
sweet breads and other desserts and to coat shrimp and other seafood
when frying or grilling.
Rum is used to
tenderize meat, enhance the flavour of stews and in a number of
tropical drinks, including our famous rum punch, a mixture of fruit
juice and rum.
The combination of
these influences, ingredients and experimentation has evolved into a cuisine
now identified as Caribbean Fusion.
