The Caribbean Cupboard

The Way of Living

The characteristics to which DeMars refers are the result of the varied peoples adapting to life in the tropics. The Caribbean boasts a history of colonialism and conquest that has left an indelible mark on the lifestyle of the islands today — including the local cuisine.

The colonial history of the Caribbean parallels its culinary history. The French sphere of influence is most pronounced in Martinique and Guadeloupe, but Creole flavors are evident throughout the islands, notably in Haiti. The Dutch left their mark in St. Maarten, while the Spanish dominated Cuba; the Indians, Trinidad; and the British, Jamaica. The native Taino people occupied the Greater Antilles and Bahamas when the first Europeans arrived. They practiced root-crop horticulture, hunted fish, and cultivated peanuts, maize, beans, and chili peppers. The Arawak Indians who arrived from Venezuela years before the Europeans brought many of these crops to the Antilles.

The Arawak Indians hunted, fished, and boiled their daily "catch" in clay pots or smoked it on a platform of green tree branches called a brabacot — the forerunner of today's barbecue.

Gardens planted close to home produced crops such as herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and fruit trees that required attentive tending. Ground provisions, such as root crops, were planted further afield since they required minimal cultivation.

The (Asian) Indians introduced one of the most exciting culinary traditions to the islands; those traditions remain strong in Trinidad in the modern world. Arriving on the island in 1845 as indentured slaves, the Indians brought with them their technique for grinding spices with a flat stone to create their own curry mixtures. No trip to Trinidad would be complete without a visit to a roadside stall that serves Indian roti, or the spicy and filling doubles consisting of curried channa served between two pieces of fried bread.

The 500-year domination of the English brought much to the Caribbean table, including breadfruit, mango, mandarin orange, black pepper, and Blue Mountain's legendary coffee. The British actually contributed more ingredients than dishes — rum, roast beef, cakes, and tarts have become integral pieces of the Caribbean diet.

It was the Spanish who introduced cattle, chickens, goats, sheep, horses, and donkeys, forever changing the way the Caribbean people worked and ate.

Aside from the new food traditions brought by the conquerors, cooking methods were developed to overcome the challenges of living in the tropics.

The lack of ovens in Caribbean kitchens led to recipes being adapted for the stovetop. The result is a collection of breads such as Johnny cakes, bammies, and rotis all being prepared on top of the stove.

A traditional form of tropical forest cooking was pepperpot in which stews were kept simmering over a low fire. Meats and veggies, whichever were available at the time, were added to replenish the contents of the large, thick clay pots.

In order to preserve meats in the hot climate, African slaves used "jerking," a process that remains popular throughout the islands, particularly in Jamaica. The meat, which is wrapped in leaves, cooks slowly for several hours in a pit over a fire. A mixture of spices, often referred to as jerk, (including scallions, onions, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppers, Scotch bonnet peppers, and Jamaican pimento) adds a festival of flavors to the meat

The Bursting Pantry

The Caribbean cupboard includes a mélange of ingredients from lands as far away as Asia and as close as South America. Filled with homemade spice blends, jerk seasonings, fruit-based jellies and preserves, and the ubiquitous hot sauce, the Caribbean cook is ever ready to produce flavorful meals. Helping fill the pantry are the local markets and the merchants manning fruit and vegetable stalls that dot the roadsides throughout the region. Eaten fresh from the tree, made into purees, or whipped into batidos (shakes), ripe, luscious, colorful fruits and vegetables form the basis for the majority of Caribbean cookery.

Produce once thought to be exotic and foreign to the U.S. consumer now can easily be found here on retail shelves, bringing a growing number of Caribbean fruits, vegetables, spices, and other culinary traditions to our tables. The mango, guava, papaya, passion fruit, and plantain have joined the banana, orange, pineapple, and lime as staples in the grocery cart.

Some of the spices grown in the Caribbean are world famous for their intense flavors. Such intensity is attributed to their high oil content, which is believed to be greater than that in spices grown anywhere else in the world. Among the most notable of Caribbean spices is Jamaican allspice (pimento). This dried, unripe berry was given this name because its flavor resembles a mixture of several other spices — cloves, black pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Jamaican ginger, which differs from the lighter-flavored Chinese ginger, is prized for its pungent and robust flavor. Outside of Jamaica, Caribbean nations have been cultivating spices and spice blends that rival those from around the world. From the curries of Trinidad to the nutmeg of Grenada, Caribbean spices have complemented the cuisine and added flavor to products such as jams and jellies, liqueurs, pepper sauces, and marmalades.

Capturing the Flavor

The Caribbean people have utilized these tasty provisions by preserving or pickling them in condiment form for enjoyment year-round. Favorites include the Jamaican Solomon Gundy, a spicy fish pâté made from smoked herring ground with oil, vinegar, scallions, spices, salt, and hot pepper. Solomon Gundy may be used as a jam and is quite tasty when spread on crackers or bread, and is often used in cooking.

Lime pepper sauce is a table condiment made from sliced limes and hot peppers soaked in salt brine. It may be spooned into stews and soups or eaten with curries, rice, jerk, and fried fish for extra flavor.

Hot chow is a spicy version of piccalilli relish that is cooked with tropical fruits and vegetables — papaya, carrots, onions, mangos, and hot pepper all blended with sugar, vinegar, and a mixture of spices. Hot chow can be spread on sandwiches and hot dogs, or used for grilling or barbecuing meats.

The range of chutneys available in the Caribbean is almost as broad as the different ethnicities. The island chutneys are based on hot, sour, and spicy ingredients and can accompany curries, stews, and rice, or be used as a dip for bread or fritters. Tamarind chutney made with tamarind hot pepper and spices is a perfect accompaniment dip for snacks, breads, and jerk. Kutchela, a brownish-green chutney made from sun-dried and grated green mango pickled in mustard with a blend of East Indian spices and West Indian hot peppers, is delicious with grilled meats, curries, and fried chicken. Shandon beni is a coarse-ground mixture of green mango, hot peppers, and shado beni (see below) with vinegar, lime juice, garlic, and oil that is delicious when served with hot and spicy curries, stews, and fried seafood. [Shado beni is a flavoring herb native to tropical America. A favorite herb for fish dishes, especially in Trinidad, the Jamaicans call it fitweed because it is thought to cure people of fits.]

On the Store Front

Consumer interest in a variety of cuisines from around the world is at an all-time high. From celebrity chefs and cooking shows, to magazines highlighting travel and cuisines, there is a growing desire on the part of consumers to learn how to replicate these foods at home.

Caribbean cuisine remains simple, yet nutritious. Legumes offer high-protein content and are low in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fats. The region's herbs and spices enliven meat or fish in a minimal amount of time, and when coupled with the techniques of marinating and grilling, present low-fat, healthful meal options.

Float Away to the Islands

Cruises are not the only way your customers can experience the Caribbean. You can bring the Caribbean to your customers. Warm up their desires for all Caribbean edibles by staging a "Tropical Getaway" during the winter. When it's snowing outside, your customers will appreciate the sights and sounds of the Caribbean. Display colorful Caribbean fruits and vegetables upon a table lush with prepared Caribbean delicacies that feature hot spices such as strips of jerk chicken seared on a grill. Prop open your front door if possible to let the tempting aroma waft into the street, thereby attracting foot traffic. Partner with a travel agency who will lend you posters and pamphlets about the islands and broadcast lilting reggae music. Exhibit plenty of Caribbean spice blends and packaged island foods. Sample yummy rum cakes and Jamaican coffee. Set out recipes whose ingredients are Caribbean products you stock.

In the summer, help your customers "Cool Off the Caribbean Way." Again, hang gorgeous posters and play island music to set the mood. Decorate a table with flowers and coconuts. Don a straw hat and set up a blender to mix up cooling concoctions with powdered drink mixes, ice, coconut milk, and fruit. Offer recipes for the drinks. Cross merchandise with brightly colored, fun summer serveware and tabletop.

Distinctly Caribbean foods are the delectable children of a marriage between the culinary traditions of the natives and the cooking influences of the immigrants. That marriage in a region associated with paradise has created a cuisine that is exotic in the minds of most. Emphasize that exoticness by presenting the myriad flavors of Caribbean cuisine. Your customers will embark on a culinary cruise to the islands directly from your store.

Caribbean Provisions

Ground provisions, many of which are hearty roots or tubers, are what the Caribbean people call their staple vegetables. Some examples include Bonaito, (also called batata, white yam, and Cuban sweet potato), taro, and yuca. The bonaito is a large, lumpy yam with a thin reddish-pink skin covering its creamy white flesh. It can be cooked like a sweet potato, made into a sweet paste called dulce de batata, or eaten in slices with cheese and fruit.

Brown, shaggy, barrel shaped, and circled with distinct rings, the taro (dasheen) is extremely versatile and therefore, popular in the Caribbean and Latin America. Ranging in size between a turnip and a rutabaga, its flesh is smooth, and very white, cream, or lilac-gray in color. When cooked, the flesh turns to a dappled gray or purple color. It can be steamed or boiled and added to stews as a thickening agent. It can be baked, parboiled, roasted, or pureed for use in croquettes, fritters, or soufflés. When taro is pan- or deep-fried, it delivers more texture and flavor than other starches. Often made into chips, taro can also be cut into chunks, placed in syrup, and enjoyed like a marrons glaces.

We've all heard of or tasted tapioca pudding whose googly-clear "eyes" seem to stare unabashedly at us. Tapioca is a thickening agent made from the flour derived from the yuca, or cassava plant. Its roots, which are covered in a bark-like skin, are shaped like long, narrow sweet potatoes. Yuca is used in the Caribbean throughout the meal from soup to dessert, or fried as fritters and chips. Yuca is to Caribbean stews as potatoes are to American stews. Pork pepperpot is flavored with the juice of the grated cassava that has been boiled down with spices and brown sugar.