The Caribbean region consists of the Caribbean Sea and its surrounding islands. These islands include but are not excluded to The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St Lucia and many more. It is famed for its beautiful scenery, friendly people and amazingly delicious food.
Each island has its local specialities and delicacies specific to them, acquired over years of tradition. However, across the Caribbean, you’ll notice certain dishes popular throughout.
Starters
A delicious light starter dish to get your taste buds anticipating the main event, a Caribbean crab soufflé brings together the blend of refreshing creamy coconut, curry spice and fresh crab.
Conch, pronounced ‘konk’ is traditional Caribbean meat from the oversized sea snail. Much like a chicken cutlet, it can be cooked in various ways. In the UK it may be difficult to obtain conch meat. It may be found in Caribbean markets and specialised food stores, although conch meat can be substituted with seafood such as squid.
Saltfish has a long-standing tradition in Caribbean cuisine, as such a Caribbean menu wouldn’t be the same without it. Used as a method to prolong and preserve the fish, salt-curing removes all moisture from the fish. Because of this, when cooking with saltfish, it’s important to prepare and re-hydrate it properly beforehand.
Mains
Perhaps one of the most popular Caribbean dishes in modern western culture is that of jerk chicken. The ‘jerk’ part all comes from the seasoning and marinating; a hefty blend of herbs, spices that come together to create an eruption of flavour.
Curry Goat is a Jamaican family favourite and is a definite ‘go-to’ dish for get-togethers and parties. The dish is much loved today by millions around the world. However, Jamaican Curry Goat has a dark history. During the 19th and into the 20th century, indentured Indian workers were brought to the Caribbean under British colonial rule, to work the cotton and sugar cane plantations following the abolition of slavery.
Saltfish, traditionally cod, is a dish that’s as ingrained in the Caribbean, specifically Jamaican culture as the rain is to England. Mostly served with the accompaniment of Ackee, saltfish if a staple in many households across the islands. Saltfish was introduced to the Caribbean as a cheap protein to feed enslaved workers. Although many mainstream supermarkets carry imported saltfish in their World Foods aisles, it is recommended that saltfish is purchased from a specific Caribbean grocery provider.
Desserts
Cassava Pone, ‘Pone’, or ‘Yuca Cake’ is a much-loved traditional Caribbean pudding, originating in Trinidad & Tobago. Cassava Pone’s main ingredients are cassava, pumpkin, and coconut all of which can be found in your local supermarket both processed and raw. When cooking with cassava, it is important to prepare and cook accurately according to instructions.
A traditional Caribbean dessert, sweet potato pudding is loved by children and adults alike. A great thing about this dish is that it’s also vegan, which makes it as versatile as it is easy to make. It’s worth noting that traditional sweet potato pudding does not use the orange flesh coloured kind that can be found in most supermarkets, but a light flesh coloured sweet potato called Batata, which can be found in international food stores.
This famous Caribbean cake is enjoyed the world over. Usually brought out at special occasions such as Christmas, black cake is made with rich fruits and flavourful rum and wine. If you’re planning on baking your own it’s worth the pre-planning and forethought, as the dried fruits used can take between months and even a year of soaking in rum.
To talk about the beautiful and delicious Caribbean cuisine and popular dishes, one must also talk about the history of Caribbean food and its links with slavery. Many of the famous Caribbean foods, ingredients and dishes such as plantain, saltfish and ackee arrived on the islands with the enslaved people brought over from western Africa, India and other countries by the American, British, and European cotton and sugar plantation owners.
Further information can be found at the following:
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