Caribbean Dishes and Countries
The history of the Caribbean is reflected in the diversity of the cuisine. The mixed ancestry of the islanders means that there has been a fusion of many traditional dishes from Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Africa, India and China along with that of the original Caribbean Amerindian population, the Arawaks and Caribs.
The Caribs are credited with the introduction of adding chillies to spice food, whilst the Arawaks lay claim to what we know today as barbeques, as they cooked food on grills made from local sticks called barbacoa. They tended crops such as corn, yams, cassava, taro root and peanuts, all of which are staples of today’s Caribbean Dishes and black-eyed peas, lima beans, pineapples and guavas grew wild. The African slave trade from the early 1600’s saw the introduction of West African foods such as breadfruit, ackee. callaloo ,okra and pigeon peas, whilst the Spanish introduced goats.
There are a few dishes that appear throughout the Caribbean islands, albeit under a variety of names. One is a dish made from okra and corn meal which is boiled in salted water until it forms a paste. In Antigua and Barbuda it forms the Fungee of their national dish Fungee and Pepperpot whilst in Barbados it is Cou Cou, which when served with flying fish, constitutes the Bajan National dish. Jerk, originally a style of cooking native to Jamaica, where a mixture of hot spices were dry-rubbed onto various meats and fish, has now become synonymous with the spice rub itself, and jerk dishes can now be found all over the Caribbean.
Despite the abundance of fish and shellfish in the Caribbean waters, salt fish, which is a staple of many Caribbean Dishes, is still imported. First introduced to the islands in the 16th century from North America, particularly Canada, when it was traded in exchange for sugar, molasses and rum, salt fish is a cured white fish which has no moisture. To become edible it has to be rehydrated with most of the salt removed, by soaking overnight in hot water and further boiling. The secret of a good salt fish is leaving just the right amount of salt to taste! Ackee and Salt Fish is the Jamaican national dish, with Stewed Salt Fish and Dumplings being a favourite in St. Kitts and Nevis and Green Fig and Salt Fish Pie a local delicacy in St. Lucia.
Rice is an important part of the Caribbean diet, with rice and peas or beans appearing in the Spanish influenced dishes of Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago as well as in popular Jamaican and Guyana dishes. Trinidad, with many of its population being of Indian ancestry, is well known for its curries and rotis and Jamaica also has its versions of Indian influenced curry. One of the strangest national dishes is that of Dominica. Mountain Chicken, or Crapaud as it is known locally, is not chicken at all but frog’s legs. It is highly seasoned and served stewed, boiled or fried along with the ubiquitous rice and peas.
Wherever you go in the Caribbean you will find Caribbean Dishes and Countries that excite all of your senses including your taste buds.
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