Caribbean cuisine includes recipes from thousands of islands and islets in Central America. Local Indian traditions are smoothly but firmly intertwined here with the culinary habits and new products of Europeans, Asians, and Africans brought at different times. The result is Caribbean cuisine - as bright, colorful and rich as the entire nature of this region, as generous and interesting as the local residents. No wonder Columbus once called these islands “the Garden of Eden on Earth.”
It is difficult to talk about any common features of this seething fusion of tastes - each region of the Caribbean has something of its own, especially beloved and significant. But we will try to at least somehow orient you.
Vegetables and fruits are the main products
Well, of course, given such and such a geographical location! The humid, hot climate and the variety of terrain from lowlands and plains to hills and mountains give life to an incredible variety of plants on these islands.
The basis of vegetable dishes here is the “Indian trio” - corn, beans and pumpkin. They are eaten boiled and stewed, and they are used to make flour for flatbreads, porridges and soups. Vegetables are stuffed or added to stews.
In addition to the ancient “trinity”, wheat, yams, yucca, sweet potatoes, potatoes, salads, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, peppers imported from different parts of the world are cultivated and prepared here... Very popular dishes in the Caribbean: local bean soup, corn porridge with cinnamon and vanilla , salsa with red onion and pineapple, rice with tomatoes and even beans and rice (one of the traditional dishes)! By the way, here you can find combinations in recipes that are quite incredible in the eyes of a European: how do you like mango with onions? And you try it.
The local tropical fruits (papayas, mangoes, bananas, coconuts, pineapples, known to Europeans, and not so much - ackee, ugli, sapodilla, medlar, carambola, annona) are used both raw and in the preparation of numerous sweet desserts and drinks. By the way, bananas here are mainly vegetables and are used like potatoes in European cuisine. And some local fruits, due to the difficulty of transportation, can only be tasted here.
Meat and fish
Do you know that, according to some researchers, the term “barbecue” comes exactly from these places? This is what the local Indians called the process of frying meat over a hole with an open fire (“barba koa”). In fact, even today this is the most traditional way of cooking.
Most often in meat recipes you can find chicken - the most affordable and fastest-cooking meat. Following in popularity are pork and beef, with lamb and goat meat completing the list. Some islands, however, have their own preferences. So, you can find goat meat with curry sauce, pork ribs with pineapple, fried rabbit or whole stuffed suckling pig as your favorite holiday dish.
Any meat here, as a rule, is marinated for several hours before cooking in special spicy marinades, the composition of which varies widely from area to area. Rice, tomatoes, potatoes or sweet potatoes are served as a side dish.
Local spicy dried meat jerk is considered a tasty delicacy - smoked in smoke from a fire and covered with a thick layer of spices (mainly pepper).
There is also, of course, no shortage of fish and seafood on the islands. Here you can try all kinds of them, from the usual tuna and mullet to shark or dolphin meat, as well as snapper, pompano, apuku, wahoo... - a European may not even know a third of the local names. It’s pointless to talk about ways to prepare local marine fauna - it’s impossible to list everything. To name just a few traditional dishes: salted cod, baked mackerel, mussels in coconut sauce, swordfish steak, shrimp salad, turtle soup, stuffed crab backs.
Worth its weight in gold
We will, of course, talk about spices and seasonings that are so characteristic of Central America, in contrast to its northern neighbor. Spices are used liberally here. Know: there is almost no Caribbean dish that you would put on the fire without first thoroughly seasoning and marinating for several hours - this applies to meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables.
They use vinegar, mustard, lime juice, tomato paste, curry, onion and garlic, salt and sugar, many types of peppers (we especially love chili), thyme, nutmeg, cloves, ginger. Very often, marinades or sauces include rum or coconut milk, sour cream, and yogurt.
Drinks and desserts
The islands' main exports are coffee and sugar. Moreover, both plants from which they are produced are not local, but brought long ago by settlers: coffee trees from Arabia, sugar cane from the Canary Islands. Now guess what the most popular drink is here? That's right, rum!
And this is hardly a joke, although, of course, they also love coffee here. Especially sweet, with cane sugar. But sugar cane is much more readily used on the islands to prepare the local symbol - rum, of which there are several varieties. All of them in their pure form and as part of numerous cocktails can be tasted in the Caribbean.
Among other alcoholic drinks, ginger beer is respected here; among non-alcoholic drinks, weak tea and freshly squeezed fruit juices are respected.
For dessert, they eat all sorts of variations of fresh, fried or dried fruits, adding them to jelly, ice cream, sweet salads and baked goods.
Our final advice: if you want to experience Caribbean cuisine, do not limit yourself to one or two islands, no matter how much you like it here. We guarantee that on the neighboring island you will definitely find new tastes and aroma that will surprise, delight, intrigue you... You can endlessly discover the Caribbean, including in the culinary aspect.
Multifaceted and amazingly delicious, Caribbean cuisine represents a combination of different cultural influences. It intertwines African, Spanish, Indian, Chinese and local culinary traditions. Each island of the Caribbean will certainly have its own delicacies and “highlights” of cooking. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the main dishes of Caribbean cuisine and interesting culinary traditions of the Caribbean countries.
Dominican Republic
Dominicans prefer Creole cuisine. But it shows a noticeable influence from the culinary traditions of Africa, Spain and the Middle East. All this makes the Dominican cuisine particularly attractive to gourmets.
A traditional breakfast here includes fried eggs with cheese and salami, and manga, a green banana puree. The Dominican daily lunch menu, called La Bandera, consists of stewed meat, red beans, white rice and fried green plantains.
While vacationing in the Dominican Republic, you should try the Dominican sancocho. This soup consists of seven types of meat, including sausage, chicken, beef, pork and goat, and an assortment of vegetables (corn, pumpkin, taro and cassava).
Dominican sancocho is a popular Dominican dish.
This soup is considered an excellent hangover cure. It is usually served with white rice with avocado slices.
Bahamas
The Bahamas is an archipelago of over 700 islands and coral reefs. Therefore, it is quite natural that the local cuisine here is closely related to the sea and seafood. The basis of the cuisine of the Bahamas is simple fish dishes from perch or lobster, cooked with an abundance of spices according to local traditions.
Since the Bahamas is not far from the coast of Florida, the local culinary traditions are mixed with the peculiarities of the cuisine of the American south. For example, this is a popular all-purpose cornmeal bread that is offered with most meals.
While vacationing in the Bahamas, you should definitely try “conch” - a dish of sea snails cooked with rice and onions. The soft white meat of the sea snail is minced and then fried over high heat into cutlets. This Bahamian dish is served with the extremely popular side dish of white rice with beef, salt pork, thyme and tomato paste.
This is just one way to prepare sea snails. You can also try their meat, grilled or included in popular salads (for example, ceviche).
Aruba
The traditions of Dutch cuisine are widespread on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, which, together with St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, are part of the Netherlands. Like in Holland, Queen's Day is celebrated here every year.
Indonesian fried rice - nasi goreng - is one of the popular dishes in Aruba.
Among all the islands of the Caribbean, Aruba is where the influence of traditional Dutch cuisine is most noticeable. Here you can order such popular Dutch snacks as bitterball (fried meat croquettes) and frikandel (fried sausage).
Most exotic dishes typical of the former colonies of Holland are also popular. For example, in Aruba you can try Indonesian fried rice - nasi goreng.
Keshi yena is a popular Caribbean dish in Aruba.
While vacationing on the island of Aruba, you should try keshi yena - a local dish that is created by stuffing chicken, beef, fish or shrimp with grated cheese, olives, capers, raisins and spices. The traditions of its preparation go back to the Dutch colonial era. Slaves, collecting leftover food (including cheese rinds), came up with a way to prepare a hearty meal from them, which became the basis for survival.
Turks and Caicos
Unlike neighboring Jamaica and Cuba, which have an abundance of green vegetation, the Turks and Caicos Islands are made up of 40 islands and islets dominated by sandy landscapes. The climate here is dry and ideal for a beach holiday, but not for the development of agriculture.
With the exception of drought-resistant corn, sea grapes, tamarind and sugar apples, the local cuisine is characterized by ingredients drawn from the sea. Therefore, the menu is dominated by perch and tuna dishes.
It is no coincidence that the flag of this island nation features a clam shell and a spiny lobster. They represent the most valuable delicacies of the island, which are not only used by local residents, but are also exported.
Grilled spiny lobster is a popular Caribbean dish in Turks and Caicos.
While vacationing in Turks and Caicos, you should try the spiny lobster, a tropical species that locals classify as a crayfish. It is worth noting that the legal harvest of spiny lobster occurs only from August to March. It's best to order the grilled spiny lobster.
Jamaica
In Jamaica, there are two types of most popular spices - Scotch cap and allspice (Jamaican) pepper. These varieties are much hotter than the popular chili pepper, the jalapeño.
To give food a special aroma, Jamaicans use dried fragrant berries of the pimento tree. Their aroma is much like the traditional mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Jamaican cuisine presents a daring challenge for true gourmets. At the same time, it combines numerous imported culinary traditions: pickled fish borrowed from Spanish Jews, curry from Indians, lychee fruit from West Africans. Lychee with salted fish is a traditional breakfast for Jamaicans.
Jamaican chicken is a popular dish in Jamaica.
While vacationing in Jamaica, you should try Jamaican fried chicken. It is generously seasoned with fresh ginger, thyme, shallots, allspice and Scotch bonnet.
The specialty of this Jamaican dish is that the chicken is cooked over the aromatic smoke produced by burning pimento wood. This culinary tradition originated in the days when runaway slaves hid in the forests and learned from the indigenous tribes how to fry meat over holes dug in the ground.
Barbados
One of the most colorful “highlights” of Barbados is the flying fish - a unique species that uses wing-like fins to move through the air over considerable distances (often up to 400 m). Because of this, the island is often called the “Land of the Flying Fish.”
But this is far from the only fish that is found in the warm waters surrounding the island. Marlin, tuna, small shark and mahi-mahi are found here. Much of the local cuisine was influenced by the culinary traditions of India and African countries.
The generosity of the sea is also clearly reflected in it. In Barbados you can try the cutter - a light sandwich of fried fish and tomato on a piece of crusty malt bread, garnished with lettuce and seasoned with hot sauce.
While vacationing on this island, you should try flying fish and cou-coo, a national dish that was once the main food of African slaves. It is made from okra and cornmeal and is most often served with a seasoned tomato sauce. This dish is most characteristic of Caribbean cuisine and can be enjoyed in most Caribbean countries.
Trinidad and Tobago
The influence of Indian cuisine is most noticeable in the culinary traditions of this island state. In the 1840s, many Indians were brought as cheap labor to British overseas colonies.
More than 35% of the population of these Caribbean islands are related to Indian people. This well explains the many aromatic spices in local cuisine. Such dishes as goat and roti also have Indian roots.
On the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, you should definitely try the inexpensive street food sold on carts. It includes fried flatbreads, colored yellow with turmeric, and served with cucumbers, hot sauce and tamarin, which are similar to a sandwich.
Puerto Rico
Perhaps no other food is more synonymous with Puerto Rican cuisine than sofrito, a paste made in olive oil from fried onions, garlic, green peppers, Aja Dulce chiles, cilantro and a local herb called culantra or recao.
Sofrito is a staple of Caribbean cuisine in Puerto Rico.
Like this flavored ingredient that forms the basis of many of the island's popular dishes, local Creole cuisine is formed by a combination of various culinary influences, including West African, Spanish and American.
There are also significant influences from the indigenous Taino traditions, who can be thanked for lechon asado, slow-cooked pork, and the word “barbecue,” which comes from “barabicu,” meaning “sacred fire pit.”
Mofongo is one of the popular local dishes of Puerto Rico.
In Puerto Rico, you should definitely try mofongo, a dish made from green bananas and pork skins fried with garlic. A variation of this is mofongo relleno, seasoned with tomato salsa.
If you are interested in the culinary traditions of different countries of the world, then also familiarize yourself with the features and find out why it is useful, which the Japanese love so much.
Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of West and East in incredible combinations on the table. Here you will understand how patterns in cooking standards are breaking. Thanks to a colorful history where the destinies of different peoples are mixed, we get such an extraordinary culinary heritage.
To understand what it is, you need to look at the history of the Caribbean islands. In the pre-Columbian period, Indians lived here - the Caribbean and Arawak tribes. The Caribs preferred to fish and hunt, while another tribe mastered agriculture better. It was the Arawaks who brought corn, sweet potatoes, chili peppers, and sweet potatoes to these islands. Since fruits such as pineapple and guava grew in large quantities on the islands, gathering was not alien to these tribes. Later, the Spaniards arrived on the islands and brought more fruits, as well as vegetables - lime, coconut, rice. You will notice that these foods are prominent in Caribbean cuisine. Slaves brought from Africa added black and white beans and okra to the above. Workers from India left behind their famous chutneys and curries. Due to frequent colonial wars, some islands passed to one representative of European countries, then to others. Add to this the fact that settlers from China came here for a better life with their own unique recipes. And you will end up with something in between the cuisines of such parts of the world as Europe, Africa, Asia. At the same time, no matter which group of islands in the Caribbean you choose, there will still be differences in their cuisines.
What did we get in the end? A wide variety of vegetables, fruits, plenty of seafood and fish. Due to the hot and humid climate on the islands, they tried to pickle or salt meat and fish. It is customary to marinate the meat in a spicy sauce. The preferred types of meat are as follows: pork, goat, chicken. Moreover, all parts of the pork carcass are used, they try not to throw anything away. On special holidays, stuffed juicy pig is served; according to tradition, boiled sweet potatoes serve as a side dish.
The Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean are rich in fish and, I must say, the islanders take advantage of this. The famous national dish, salted cod, can be found in almost any restaurant in the Caribbean. The cuisine also uses tuna, various types of shrimp, crab meat, crayfish and mackerel.
An abundance of vegetables and fruits is a striking feature of Caribbean cuisine. The main representatives of vegetables are root vegetables: sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, etc. The famous Indian trio of pumpkin, beans and corn are also widely used in cooking. But rice is everywhere and it doesn’t matter if it’s with vegetables, meat or fish.
Generous gifts from Asia and India are also sure to be added to every dish. Marinating in hot and spicy sauces makes the taste of food more delicate. Popular spices are cinnamon, chili, cloves. The most commonly used herbs are coriander, cumin and thyme.
It is worth noting that they try to pass down dish recipes from generation to generation, and unique combinations of seasonings are kept a secret.
When people talk about the Caribbean, many people probably think of pirates, and where there are pirates, there is always rum. And it’s no secret that sugar cane is grown in the Caribbean islands. There is so much of it that it is inexpensive and, as a result, the famous drink of different varieties is prepared from it. There is also a lot of fruit juices, syrups, tea and coffee.
Well, now is the time to talk about some dishes from the Caribbean.
Cuba - Ajiaco
The most popular dish on the island, and with a long history. Initially, it was a fish soup, to which bananas, pumpkin, and corn were also added. But, as described above, historically the Spanish added pork, and African slaves added lime, sauce and vegetables. Nowadays, this dish has become the hallmark of Cuba for gastronomic tourists.
Dominican Republic - La Bendera
A very simple dish that ordinary Dominicans eat for dinner. It looks like an unusual dish, as it contains two types of side dishes: beans and rice. The central ingredient is meat, there's a lot to do here. But more often they add chicken, it’s more economical. By the way, the name of the dish is translated from Spanish as “flag”. The appearance matches the name.
Jamaica - salted fish with ackee
This dish can be found in the USA and Canada. But Jamaica is its homeland, you begin to understand this when it comes to the ingredients. To begin with, take salted cod and saute it in onions, tomatoes, various spices and aka. It also happens that it is all washed with coconut milk. In restaurants it is served with bread and boiled banana.
Barbados - peek-a-boo
This dish with an unusual name features fried flying fish. Moreover, on this island it is in abundance, because Barbados is often called the “land of flying fish”. The required ingredients are okra and corn grits. Puerto Rico - sofrito
During the Christmas holidays, this dish is always served at the table. Cilantro, peppers, onions, tomato paste and garlic are fried in olive oil. All this creates an incredible aroma.
If you want to truly experience Caribbean cuisine, don't settle on just one island or state. And we will help you with this! Search on our website
The Caribbean islands, discovered by Columbus in 1492, are a real paradise. This beautiful land is full of unusually beautiful flowers, delicious tropical fruits, and unforgettable birdsong.
The history of the Caribbean islands has undergone difficult times. The first indigenous inhabitants of the islands, the Caribs and Arawaks, were engaged in farming, hunting and fishing. At that time, corn, capsicums, and sweet potatoes were brought to the islands. Thanks to the Spanish settlers, the variety of fruits on the island expanded. If at first the main fruits that the indigenous people collected were wild fruits such as pineapple, guava, now there are lime, coconut, mango and others.
African slaves who worked on sugar cane plantations brought beans, and Indian workers brought curry. Since the Caribbean islands have faced many wars and conquests - all this could not but affect culinary traditions, this means that it is not so easy to determine a specific style of cuisine of the Caribbean islands, because... it combines many styles.
Both in former times and in the present, the basis of Caribbean cuisine is made up of fruits, vegetables and seafood. Dishes are prepared according to recipes that are passed down from generation to generation. Most recipes contain secret ingredients that add special uniqueness to the dishes.
The locals' favorite dishes are vegetable soups and stews. As a rule, fish and meat are cooked here over an open fire. Rice is served as a side dish. The main types of meat are goat, pork and chicken, although beef is used just as often. On special occasions, Caribbean islanders prepare juicy stuffed suckling pig. A classic side dish for suckling pig is sweet potatoes or sweet potatoes.
Since this area is rich in seafood, there is no shortage of crabs, shrimp, crayfish, and tuna. A cheap and widely used type of fish is mackerel, and salted cod has been and remains a traditional dish of the islands.
There is a huge variety of vegetables in the Caribbean: sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava. Most often, vegetables are stuffed or added to stews and curries. Vegetable and sweet dishes include the equally popular pumpkin. Legumes are added to soups or served as a side dish.
Caribbean cuisine cannot be imagined without aromatic herbs and spices. To make meat and fish softer, more tender and acquire a special taste, they must be marinated before cooking. Various spices are used for pickling, including coriander, chili, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and thyme.
Since sugar cane is the main cheap product on the islands, it is used to make desserts and drinks. Rum is made from sugar cane. It can be consumed in its pure form, or added to various cocktails. No less popular drinks are fruit juices, ginger beer, sweet fruit syrups, tea and coffee.
The delicious combination of Western and Eastern flavors helps create an abundance of fruits and vegetables, as well as a variety of culinary styles from different nationalities.
Basic Ingredients of Caribbean Cuisine
Ackee is a tropical fruit whose appearance resembles scrambled eggs. The fruit has a delicate delicate taste. Most often, ackee can be found in canned form.Starch - replaces flour and is used in baking.
Jamaican pepper - consumed in the form of dried berries that resemble round peppers. The taste of Jamaican pepper is reminiscent of cloves and nutmeg.
Gray California Walnut– used as a side dish instead of potatoes, pasta, rice.
Callaloo is the name given to the leaves of two plants: spinach and taro. Callaloo is used to make a popular Caribbean soup.
Chayote is a pear-shaped variety of squash. It is suitable for frying. The young shoots of chayote are used as asparagus, the tubers are used as sweet potatoes, and the leaves are used as greens.
Chili pepper– widely used in crushed form. Hot pepper sauce is made from it and vinegar is infused on it.
Corn flour - used for making bread, puddings, casseroles.
Turkish peas - used in dried, fresh and canned form.
Guava – suitable for making jams, jellies, and marshmallows. Available in canned form.
Okra is a green pod that adds viscosity to soups and stews.
Papaya – used to make sauces, sweet and savory dishes.
Yams are the same as sweet potatoes. Cooks like potatoes.
Sweet potato– its sweet taste is reminiscent of chestnut. It can be fried, stewed, baked, boiled.
Vegetable banana - consumed only in prepared form. Its delicate taste is reminiscent of zucchini. Suitable for preparing sweet and savory dishes.
Traditional Caribbean Recipes
The main traditional dish of the Caribbean islands is considered Callaloo.
To prepare it you will need
callaloo or spinach leaves – 450 gfinely chopped onion – 1 pc.
butter – 25 g
crab meat – 225 g
canned coconut milk – 400 ml
chicken or vegetable broth – 850 g
chopped garlic – 2 cloves
thyme - 1 sprig
chopped okra or okra – 115 g
salt and black pepper
hot pepper sauce
Preparation:
First of all, finely chop the callaloo or spinach leaves. Next, take a saucepan and melt the butter. Add onion, garlic, fry for 10 minutes. Next up is okra and thyme. Fry, stirring for 5 minutes. Then add callaloo or spinach, stir, and pour in the broth and coconut milk one by one. Don't forget to add seasonings. Bring everything to a boil, cover with a lid and cook for no more than 15 minutes over low heat. After this, add the crab meat and cook for another 5 minutes. If you wish and taste, you can add a little pepper sauce. The dish is served in warm plates, garnished with diced sweet red pepper.Caribbean pancakes
Ingredients
for dough: egg – 2 pcs. coconut milk – 115 ml
wheat flour – 115 g
milk – 175 ml
granulated sugar – 1 tbsp
melted butter – 15 g
salt
vegetable oil for frying
powdered sugar
Filling ingredients:
dark rum – 3 tbspgrated zest and juice of 1 orange
banana – 4 pcs.
light brown sugar – 3 tbsp
butter – 40 g
Preparation:
In one container, beat eggs with regular milk and coconut milk. In another, sift the flour and salt. Add sugar. Place a mound of flour mixture and make a well in the center. Pour in the egg-milk mixture. Mix gently while adding melted butter. Make sure there are no lumps.Heat up the frying pan. Add a little vegetable oil. Fry the pancakes until golden brown on both sides. This mixture is enough for 8 pancakes.
Let's prepare the filling. Heat the butter in a frying pan, dissolve the sugar in it. Add the chopped bananas and cook for 1-2 minutes until the bananas become soft. Add rum, juice and orange zest. Bring everything to a boil so that the liquid evaporates. The filling should thicken a little.
Place a spoonful of filling on half of each pancake. Fold the pancake into a triangle. Before serving, pancakes must be sprinkled with powdered sugar.
We talked about traditional methods of cooking chicken, favorite vegetables and the ability of Caribbean islanders to turn unripe bananas into a complete dish. In this article we will dwell in more detail on the most popular types of fish and meat specialties.
Ackee and salt fish
National Jamaican dish, most often served for breakfast. Jamaicans also consider the fruit national, and they are not at all embarrassed that its real homeland is West Africa. The sweetish flesh of ackee is first boiled, then fried with tomatoes, onions, sweet and hot peppers, and finally served with salted cod or hake. Many people compare the finished dish to scrambled eggs. Interesting fact: in West Africa, soap is made from the unripe fruits and peel of ackee, and the pulp of the green fruit is used to make a special poison that local residents use to catch fish.
Sandwich Cubano
Vegetarians, step away from your screens, this recipe is definitely not for you. The traditional Cuban sandwich includes ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, mayonnaise and dill. The history of the birth of this abundance of meat on Cuban bread is precisely unknown. The sandwich is believed to have originated in the cigar factories and sugar plantations of Havana and Santiago de Cuba in the 1860s and soon migrated to the cigar factories of Key West, Florida, where it is still popular today. A new round of popularity for the Cubano sandwich was added by his appearance in the movie “Cook on Wheels.”
Cabrito-stoba
Simply put, lamb or goat stewed with vegetables. It is prepared in different variations in Montserrat, Aruba and the Cayman Islands, in some places there is more broth, in others there is less. The whole secret is to simmer the meat until it starts to fall off the bones easily. Properly prepared cabrito stoba literally melts in your mouth!
Flying fish and peek-a-boo
You're not crazy, this is a real Barbadian dish. Flying fish is a local delicacy and one of the symbols of the island, and cou-cou is a side dish made from corn grits, beans and okra, with a consistency similar to mashed potatoes. The history of its origin is the same as that of most dishes of Caribbean cuisine - cou-coo was the main food of slaves who were brought to the island by the British.
Pepperpot
Knowing English, it’s not difficult to guess what this dish is - a spicy meat stew baked in a pot. Pepperpot is eaten on all islands, from the Bahamas to Barbados. The composition may include eggplant, okra, pumpkin, potatoes, corn flour, cinnamon and more. As with any extremely common dish, no two recipes will be the same, so try and find your favorite.
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