Caribbean Cuisine Is a Rich Stew of Essay

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Caribbean cuisine is a rich stew of geographic, political and cultural influence. The different colonial cultures all make a contribution to the cuisines, and local ingredients play a significant role. In addition, the African and Indian workers brought to the region have also made significant contributions to the food of the region. This paper will discuss Caribbean food today and the different influences that have gone into this unique and varied set of cuisines.

Once colonial powers left the Caribbean, nations developed cuisines that were based in large part on the ingredients available. The basic Caribbean meal features a protein, a starch and a legume or vegetable (Houston, 2005). For the most part, this basic meal structure reflects African heritage, in particular in the combination of stews and starches. The African heritage can be seen in the similarity with soul food in the Southern U.S. -- oxtail stew is common to both the Gullah cuisine in South Carolina and to Jamaican cuisine for example. The choice of ingredients often reflects local availability, however. Plantain is common -- Puerto Rican mofongo is mashed plantain similar to the mashed manioc found in West African cuisine. Yuca itself is common in the cuisine of many Caribbean nations, having traveled from Africa with the slaves.

Other dishes are strictly Caribbean, based on ingredients seldom found elsewhere. Ackee is a West African fruit commonly grown in the Caribbean and contributing to Jamaica's ackee and saltfish. Callaloo leaves are widely cultivated in the Caribbean as well, to contribute to the local dishes. Conch has worked its way into Bahamian cuisine and roasted breadfruit into the cuisine of St. Vincent. Fish has been included in the cuisine due to the proximity to the sea. Although fish is being replaced somewhat by beef and other protein sources, "fish frys" are common on some islands as a means of keeping touch with culinary traditions.

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Other local products that have been incorporated into the cuisine are papaya, chile peppers and allspice.

Sugar plantations gave rise to a dessert culture that is worthwhile. On French islands, pastries were introduced while on Spanish islands flan became the common dessert. On many Caribbean islands dessert is an important component of a meal, showing the influence of sugar.

Poverty is an influence on Caribbean cuisine. Caribbean societies were largely comprised of land- and slave-owners and the slaves. While the landowners ate meat-heavy diets, the slaves generally had little access to meat. This resulted in the use of legumes, vegetables and starches as the basis of meals. To improve the quality of these meals, tomatoes, chiles and spices were used, lending Caribbean food a more spicy character than would otherwise have existed. Stews became common as a means of stretching meals. Peas and rice, moros and all the derivations of that theme came about not only as a means of stretching food but also as a means of delivering more well-rounded nutrition on a limited budget.

The influence of culture is strong in Caribbean food. As noted, there are significant African influences both in the structure of Caribbean food and in the ingredients. Many ingredients that form the basis of Caribbean meals -- peas, okra, cassava, ackee -- come by way of African cuisine (Global Gourmet, 2007). The tradition of open-fire cooking that lead to the development of….....

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