A Short History of Caribbean Cuisine And Its Influences
Caribbean cuisine has a fascinating history. The original influence was obviously tropical due to its location, but world history soon intervened with many countries from different continents having an influence on the cuisine.
Caribbean cuisine started with two tribes, the Arawaks and the Caribs (for whom the area was named). It’s generally accepted that the Caribs started spicing up their food with chili peppers. The Arawaks are credited with being the first to cook using barbeque techniques, using sticks to build grills. The English word “barbecue” comes from the Spanish word “baracoa”, which in turn comes from the Arawak word “barbacot”.
After being invaded by various European countries, Spain ended up being the primary occupation force in the Caribbean and the biggest European influence on the cuisine. Europeans brought the African slaves with them, lending that continent’s cuisine. Finally, immigrants from the East Indies and China came and added their influence to the Caribbean cuisine.
The Spanish influence was first to add its flair to Caribbean cuisine. It started with Christopher Columbus and continued for a few hundred years while Spain remained a great naval power. Some things the Spaniards, as well as other Europeans, added to the cuisine were onions, cilantro, eggplant, and garlic. Even ingredients like mangoes and oranges that we associate with Caribbean cuisine today originated with the Spaniards and other Europeans. It didn’t take long for people to discover that fermenting sugarcane, one of the European imports, led to a very tasty drink called rum. The Caribbean is still known today for its high quality rum.
Next came the African slaves, brought by the English, Spanish, and other European conquerors. The slave owners kept the best food for themselves, so the slaves had to be creative, blending their native foods with leftovers found on the islands. African influences and contributions to the Caribbean cuisine include okra, saltfish, pudding and much, much more. The jerk technique of cooking, especially for meat, was said to have originated among African hunters. Away from home for long periods, they needed a way to preserve the meat, inventing what is now called jerk-cooking.
The Chinese brought noodles of all kinds, soy sauce and related items, and the five spice blend that Chinese cuisine is famous for. Technique wise, the Chinese introduced the concept of quick cooking – think stir fry and wok. Other concepts brought over by the Chinese are the sweet / sour combination in food taste and color composition in dish presentation – making food look more appetizing by using different foods that are color complements to each other on the same plate, artfully arranged. One of the most popular dishes in Guyana today is a chicken vegetable chow mein. It’s sometimes referred to as the unofficial state dish.
The East Indies have had a similar influence upon the Caribbean cuisine as China has had. Their contributions include the dry spice rubs, seen today in the many barbecue dishes, bread – you’ll find many Indian-looking breads in the Caribbean, and masala, which is the forerunner of the commercially made curry. Flat bread was also brought over from India.
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