| iv id="body"> | | | | famous for jerk chicken and pork, and you'll find jerk all |
| The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first | | | | over the island. |
| inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first | | | | After slavery was abolished, the Europeans went to |
| inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British | | | | India and China for labor, and more cooking styles |
| Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, | | | | were introduced. Much of the Indian cooking culture |
| and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables | | | | remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with |
| and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. | | | | the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. |
| The Taino started the process of cooking meat and | | | | Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this |
| fish in large clay pots. | | | | pungent flavor as curry. |
| The Arawaks are the first people known to make a | | | | The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple |
| grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly | | | | in home cooked island meals. The Chinese also |
| cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor | | | | introduced mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors |
| of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and | | | | introduced the popular codfish. |
| the word we know today as barbeque is taken from | | | | Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that the |
| this early Indian cooking method. | | | | fruit trees and fruits so familiar to the islands were |
| The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with | | | | introduced by the early Spanish explorers. The fruit |
| hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime | | | | trees and fruits brought from Spain include orange, lime, |
| juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are | | | | ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, |
| said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No | | | | tamarinds and coconuts. |
| recipes exist since every time the Indians made the | | | | Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in |
| dish, they would always add new ingredients. The | | | | Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the movie |
| Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and | | | | "Mutiny on the Bounty", but do not know that particular |
| the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe. | | | | ship carried breadfruit, which was loaded on board |
| Then the Caribbean became a crossroads for the | | | | from the islands of Tahiti and Timor. In the movie the |
| world . . . | | | | crew took over the ship, forced the captain into a |
| Once the Europeans brought Africans slaves into the | | | | small boat to fend on his own, and they threw the |
| region, the slaves diet consisted mostly of food the | | | | breadfruit, which they considered "strange fruit" |
| slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had | | | | overboard. Another ship was more successful in |
| to be inventive, and they blended their traditional | | | | bringing breadfruit from Polynesia to Jamaica and the |
| African foods with staples found on the islands. The | | | | St Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple |
| Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, | | | | diet in the current day Caribbean |
| ackee, pudding and souse, mangos, and the list goes | | | | America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, |
| on. | | | | squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili pepper to the |
| Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a | | | | Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never |
| present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of | | | | been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America |
| original early African dishes, and includes cassava, | | | | actually introduced these foods the rest of the world |
| sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn | | | | via the Caribbean. |
| meal. | | | | So it's no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and |
| African men were hunters in their homeland, and often | | | | creative with the flavors of Africa, India, and China, |
| away from home for long periods of time. They would | | | | along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and |
| cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition was | | | | British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands |
| refined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique | | | | have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but |
| is known today as "jerk" cooking , and the secret | | | | each island adds its own special flavor and cooking |
| involves a slow meat cooking process. Jamaica is | | | | technique. |