As you have already learned, Caribbean cuisine is known for its diversity and ambiguity. It cannot be pigeonholed in a rigid framework and one can find influences from all over the culinary world – from America, through Europe, to distant Asia. Virtually every island in the archipelago has its own specificity and characteristic dishes. Of course, we will not make a list for each of the 7000 islands, but we want to bring you the most recognizable Caribbean flavors. We hope that it will be a tasty journey for you 🙂
Caribbean flavors in Cuba
Spanish, African and Caribbean influences are largely mixed, and as you can see it is quite complex. It is dominated by dishes based on rice and beans. It is also a basic ingredient of main dishes, in which meat appears (most often they are pork and beef), as well as vegetables – corn, potatoes, hot plantains or salads prepared on the basis of lettuce, tomatoes and avocados. Roasted meats are usually served with light sauces. The classic and extremely typical is the mojo sauce prepared on the basis of garlic, onion, oregano, bitter orange and lime. Spanish cuisine dishes are extremely popular, such as paella and Galician stew , and many dishes cannot do without traditional Spanish sausage – chorizo . Interestingly, Cubans also like soups based on tuber vegetables, and corn soup is very popular. Stuffed crabs and other seafood land on the Cuban table, fried bananas, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava or roasted piglet. Rice also plays an important role, which has its roots in the 19th century, when workers from China and India brought it with them.
What’s the Jamaican style?
In Bob Marley’s homeland we will find elements of the culture of black slaves from Africa. According to sources, the most famous local dish, jerk chicken , was invented by 17th-century escaped slaves who, to survive, hunted wild boars in the forests, marinated their meat in an aromatic spice marinade with preserving properties, and then cooked them in earth pits. Nowadays, as the name suggests, the dish is made from poultry (or pork) and is cooked on a slow fire, on a coal grate, using medical root wood. Pepper, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg are added to the marinade. It is worth mentioning here that sauces as an addition to meats are an extremely important element of Caribbean cuisine. Hundreds of years ago, the Indians prepared pickles based on chili peppers and they still apply today.
Jamaican flavors are also seafood and fish, as well as a whole palette of fruit and vegetables, which makes the local cuisine light and airy, although there is still a spicy claw. There will still be room for rice with black beans , blig with salted cod or the famous goat curry . Yummy!
What is being eaten in the Netherlands Antilles?
As you can guess, there are many accents from Amsterdam. You will find that these influences can be seen even in the names of the dishes served there. The basis of local food is ubiquitous cheese, which is the main ingredient of keshi yena . It is a beef stew that is served in the company of stuffed cheese. An interesting addition to meat dishes is also varmoosh , i.e. mashed potatoes and green leaves. Other noteworthy delicacies are certainly erwtensoep (pea soup with meat insert), bami (pasta with vegetables and meat), saté (grilled meat in nut sauce) or kabritu (braised kid). Seekers of culinary sensations will definitely be tempted by dishes such as yuana (stewed iguana) and sopi yuana (iguana soup). Sounds delicious to us!
Caribbean flavors: what does Trinidad and Tobago offer?
Both islands are a real cultural melting pot, but the mix of nations that came to the island or were sent as slaves is more complex and visible in Trinidad . Settlers from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East came here for centuries. Of course, it had to affect the kitchen. The most visible are the influences of Indian cuisine. It is not without reason that the most popular dish eaten on the island is shrimp curry . The island’s real specialty is a dish called sahiena , served with chutney , whose main ingredient is tamarind. It is made from rolled and deep fried colloquia leaves . Many dishes are also based on fish and seafood, such as the crab stew . In Polish street food, pork or beef burger reigns, and in Trinidad the most popular is shark meat .
Tobago was originally inhabited by the Carib, an Indian tribe that lived mainly on tobacco farming. Hence the name of the island. After the British took over the island, slaves were brought from Africa. For years, they were the main inhabitants of the island. To date, accents from this continent are very visible in Tobago cuisine. There is a kitchen full of paradoxes: on the one hand, they are simple dishes, easy to prepare, but their taste is extremely complex, full, even refined. The hallmarks of each dish are the spices: basil , garlic , turmeric , cumin , onion and thyme – these are just some of them. Of course, it is difficult to imagine Caribbean flavors without the mandatory coconut milk. A real delicacy of Tobago are crabs served with special fritters . bananas or cassava are added to cakes and bread, i.e. grated cassava tuber flour, as well as cane sugar .
The kitchen of both islands must also include refreshing tropical fruits, e.g. mango , coconut , quince , passion fruit , < strong> melon , pomegranate or pineapple . They are a great addition to dishes, drinks and desserts, but they are also a brilliant snack in themselves, especially in the full Caribbean sun.
Light, healthy, unpredictable – that’s how you eat these islands of happiness. Caribbean flavors reflect the local culture – full of smile, joy, but also a turbulent history. Which of them do you like the most?
& Nbsp;
Leave a Reply