CARIBBEAN FOOD

Food, is an essential aspect of many family traditions in Caribbean culture . At holidays and special events, it is very common for people to spend many days preparing food, including seafood, chicken, and steak, prepared with the spices and colorful ingredients of the Islands. The Arawak, Carib, and Taino “Indians,” early dwellers in the Caribbean Islands, followed a daily diet consisting of vegetables and fruits such as papaya, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino also began the process of preparing meat and fish in large clay pots, and the Carib Indians introduced spices and lemon juice to their meat and fish recipes. In general, the favorite Caribbean dish is seasoned jerk chicken, a unique spicy cuisine. Other Caribbean cuisine consists of culinary influences from Africa, France, Spain, India, Dutch, America, Britain, and Asia. The Chinese launched rice and mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors are responsible for adding the famous codfish. Spain brought in fruit trees like orange, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts, and The Americas introduced beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chilli pepper. Chicken, goat, and curry are favorite foods throughout the English influenced areas of the Caribbean while the French cuisine is prevalent in the French-influenced areas of the Caribbean and Spanish-influenced regions of the Caribbean feature spicy and flavored foods. Seafood is very popular in the Caribbean as well. Each Caribbean nation usually has a unique seafood cuisine. Shark, fish, lobster, and conch are familiar favorite dishes in different regions. Rice is a staple food throughout the Caribbean, and each island has a particular rice dish. On some islands, rice is seasoned or served with coconut. Yellow and brown rice is served as a side on many Caribbean dishes. In addition to rice, beans are a favorite food throughout the Caribbean. In Cuba, beans appear in many dishes. Beans are cooked and served in a variety of ways depending on the country. Food served in the Caribbean islands has been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its unique flavor and culinary techniques and Caribbean culinary is famous because of its many influences from much staple foods of the world.