How to Cook Sumptuous Dishes of the Caribbean

Posted By Kimberly Turner on Mar 5, 2008 in Caribbean Food Recipes, Cooking Tips & Tricks, Ethnic Foods | 2 comments

I am by no means an expert on Caribbean cuisine, but I do know that I have loved everything I have tried. I would love to learn more about the many islands’ cuisines, as they can prove to be very distinct in flavorings and ingredients.

Some Quick Facts for Tropical Cooking Made Easy:

Caribbean food is derived from a mixture of diverse cultures including Spanish, American-Indian, French, Indian and African combined to create a cuisine all their own.

Photo left: Barbados

“Jerk” flavored meats like chicken and goat are widespread on the islands, which are reminiscent of the Cajun’s spicy counterpart, but still distinctly Caribbean.

Rice is a staple food in tropical island cuisine, which could be flavored with various spices, and is often generously served with every meal.

Some unique spices that Caribbean Food is known for using in their main dishes, as opposed to how we would create desserts with, are allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Fruits such as pineapple, papaya, guava and coconut are often added to main dishes with typical island flare.

Of course, as the islands are surrounded by ocean, fish is the main staple in the islanders’ diets, including shellfish. A famous tropical dish is that of the conch fritter widely popular in the Bahamas and Belize.

Roti, goat water stew, and callaloo (a green, leafy vegetable stew with okra as a base) are among other favorites in tropical cuisine of the Caribbean.

Not being as well versed as I want to be in Caribbean food, I researched to find a great resource for information and delicious recipes; I am convinced that I will Buy the book Tropical Cooking Made Easy. Check it out for yourself, or I will let you know once I have made some wonderful recipes from this tropical cookbook.

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I hope you enjoyed this Caribbean Cooking post on Cooking With Kimberly! Until next time…

Eat Deliciously,

Kimberly Edwards 🙂

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[tags]Caribbean cuisine, Puerto Rican recipes, island recipes, island food, tropical food, tropical recipes[/tags]