The Americas are a melting pot of cultures from around the world. The Caribbean is no exception, with cuisines that vary from island to island. Local ingredients, blended with the flavors brought by people who migrated to the islands—from Spain, France, Holland, India, the continent of Africa—have come together in flavorful dishes, with choices for every palate.
The term barbecue, a popular cooking style across the United States and even throughout the world, has its origin in the Caribbean. Spanish explorers learned of barbacoa from the native Awarak Indians. The original method likely involved digging a fire pit and slow cooking meat over the top. Today’s Caribbean-style barbecue of slow-cooked meat often comes flavored with a tomato- or vinegar-based sauce. Dry rubs also are often used.
A special seasoning blend called jerk is used to flavor many barbecued dishes. Native to Jamaica, this seasoning combination produces spicy main dishes. Jerk seasoning relies on a few key ingredients, including allspice (also known as Jamaican pepper), thyme, habanero (or Scotch bonnet) peppers, garlic and onions. Cloves, cinnamon, thyme, nutmeg, ginger and other ingredients also may be found in jerk spice. The result is a fiery mixture that livens up lean pork, chicken or fish.
India also lends its flavors to Caribbean cuisine with curries that have traveled around the world. Curried dishes are prepared with a spicy sauce made with a blend of distinct spices, often including coriander, turmeric, cumin, mustard and peppers. Rice is a major staple of Caribbean cuisine. Each island has its own version of rice dishes, including its version of rice and beans. The Spanish influenced the popular black beans and rice, known as moros y cristianos in Cuba and Puerto Rico. French-speaking Caribbeans, who live on Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Saint-Martin, prefer pois et riz, or peas and rice. And on Puerto Rico, the island’s official dish is arroz con pollo—rice with chicken.
Without a doubt, many foods in the Caribbean have their roots in or have been influenced by the cooking of West Africa. For example, callaloo was created by combining ingredients with foods available in the Caribbean islands, including the spinach-like green leaves of the taro root, called callaloo. (Spinach leaves can be used as a substitute.) Other ingredients include coconut milk, meat, shellfish, chiles, lime juice and other local seasonings. The result is a dark-green soup or side dish also called pepperpot in some parts of the Caribbean.
The Caribbean also has plenty of fruits to offer, from the well known to the more exotic. Bananas are abundant and their less sweet relative, plantains, or platanos, may be enjoyed unripe in soups or ripe as a fried dish. Among the other popular fruits: mango, papaya, pineapple, guava, citrus fruit, passion fruit, starfruit, jackfruit, soursop and tamarind.
Whether a dish needs spicing up, or a sweeter treat is in order, the Caribbean is abundant with foods and cooking styles as varied as the people who live on its islands.
