Is it any wonder that the Caribbean is home to the most vibrant, diverse, and eminently delicious culinary scene in all the world? 1 million square miles, and boasts a year-round climate that’s absolutely ideal for cultivating the funchi edible everythings on the planet. The World’s True Melting Pot People from every corner of the globe have settled in the Caribbean over the centuries. Slaves from Africa and colonial Europeans.
Indentured workers from India and Asia. Migrants from the Middle East, North and South America, and elsewhere. Whether initially brought by force, or enticed by the prospect of a new life in the tropics, they all carried their own cooking traditions with them to our islands. Over time, these disparate culinary forms adapted to fruits, herbs, spices, fish, and meats readily available throughout the West Indies. They further melded with pre-existing Taino Indian and Afro-Caribbean cooking techniques yielding distinctively rich and flavorable dishes. In its simplest form, then, you can say that Caribbean food is a mixture of culinary influences from all over the world made better, like life itself, in our islands. Photo credit: Patrick Bennett What is Caribbean food In general, Caribbean food is big on savory and often hot spices, ground provisions, breads, and fish.
Fresh fruits, leafy greens and vegetables, rice, stews, and soups are also staples. The most popular meats: pork, poultry, beef, and goat. Life, for the most part, does not move fast in the Caribbean. This aesthetic extends to Caribbean food prep. Slow cooking is the norm, the better to fully allow spices and seasonings to make any dish really sing. While there is much that unites Caribbean food traditions, it is the distinctions that make the region the ultimate culinary travel destination.
Variations in gastronomic styles from one island to the next continually entice intrepid foodie travelers to visit new shores on successive trips. Spanish, Dutch, French, and English islands all offer unique culinary experiences worthy of visiting the Caribbean again and again. Spanish Caribbean Cuisine Latin culinary traditions in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico are noted for aromatic, piquant flavors born of citrus, peppers, and spices. Arroz con Grandules, and a myriad of sides made from plantains are must-tastes. SBPR Caribbean food in Spanish destinations is so good, that even some parts of a meal that would normally be discarded are regarded as delicacies. Such is the case with Concon. In what is trash to some, though, lies a concentrated collection of the savory seasonings used to make your rice.
Credit: SBPR When you’re thirsty, Spanish Caribbean destinations offer a myriad of soft drink options. Maltas, most notably Malta India, are especially great. Dutch Caribbean Cuisine As elsewhere across the Caribbean, Dutch Antilles islands have roots in multiple European societies. Traditional cuisine in these islands combines those old Spanish influences with Dutch, African, and Amerindian flavors. In later years, French, English, Chinese, and Indian immigrants changed the food scene even more. Caribbean food in the ABC Islands and Dutch St.