Caribbean Food
Contents:
1. General Facts
2. The meal
2.1. Soup
2.2. Main Course
2.3. Sidedish
2.4. Dessert
3. Beverages
4. Sources
1. General Facts about
Caribbean Food
• Many cultural influences on Caribbean
cuisine, because of various nationalties
settling there
• Arawaks, Caribs, European colonists, African
slaves, Indians, Chinese, South American
inluence
• Healthy food: abundance of fruit and
vegetables, lots of fish and shellfish, wide
range of spices
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Cultural Sources for Caribbean Food
Arawaks
Barbecue techniques, chili
peppers, yams, sweet potatoes,
cassava, maize
Caribs
Spicing food with chili
European settlers
Oranges, limes, mangoes, rice,
coffee, sugar cane, coconut,
ginger, tamarind
West African slaves
Okra, pigeon peas, plantains,
callaloo, taro, ackee, breadfr.
Indian
Curries, chutney
South American influence
Native potatoes, passion fr.,
papaya, avocado, cocoa
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
2. The Meal
1. Callaloo
2. Ackee and Saltfish
3. Rice and Peas
4. Duckanoo
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
2.1. Soup - Callaloo
• Traditional soup in the
Caribbean
• Of West African origin
• National dish in
Trinidad & Tobago
• Different recipes
throughout the West
Indies
• Compare: Leslie
Mackley – Corwynn
Darkholme
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Callaloo Comments
callaloo
Dictionary cal·la·loo (kă'lə-lū', kă'lə-lū')
n.
1. The edible spinachlike leaves of the dasheen.
2. A soup or stew made of these leaves or other greens,
okra, crabmeat, and seasonings.
[American Spanish calulú, plant of genus Xanthosoma whose
leaves are used as greens, perhaps from Tupi caárurú, thick
leaf.]
Food Glossary Callaloo
The large, edible green leaves of the taro root, popular in the
Caribbean islands cooked as one would prepare turnip or collard
greens.
Mentioned In: callaloo is mentioned in the following topics:
Cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago coconut milk
Afro-Mexican
culture of Trinidad and Tobago Jamaican Creole Jamaican English O.
Henry Awards
soup
Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/callaloo
Callaloo Comments 2
•Callaloo:
V. Burke – ‘A green leafy vegetable similar to spinach or kale.
Also name of a stew in Trinidad‘
L. Mackley – ‘The leaves of two distinct plants, the taro plant
and Chinese spinach, which are used interchangeably,
though the taro plant is most widely used. Its tubers are
also popular in Island cooking and may be known as coco
or dasheen. Callaloo looks like spinach and is used in
similar ways. It has given its name to the most famous of
Caribbean soups.‘
• Okra:
L. Mackley – ‘Alternative names for okra include bamies,
gumbo, and ladies‘ fingers. Green okra pods are prized for
the slippery texture that they give to soups and stews.‘
Oxf. Adv. Learner‘s Dict.: ‘the green seed cases of the okra
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
plant, eaten as a vegetable
Callaloo Comments 3
Callaloo
Okra
Chorus:
My friend Joe from Port of Spain
I don‘t want no
Met a girl time and again.
kallaloo,
Joe went home with her one day,
So I hear the people say
Source: www.b-vThere she give himTUkallaloo
Chemnitz - Caribbean Food - i.com/Cooking/Callaloo/default.htm
Porsche
Married Joe before he Kristina
knew
2.2. Main course – Ackee &
Saltfish
• National dish in
Jamaica
• Usually for
breakfast
• Recipes from
Mackley and
Walkerswood
compared
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Ackee & Saltfish - Comments
• Ackee: Burke – ‘An unusual and delicate fruit, popular in
Jamaica. Cooked and eaten as a savoury vegetable. Only
the yellow part is used.‘
Mackley – ‘The edible part of the ackee fruit resembles
scrambled egg in appearance, and has a delicate flavor;
it is available canned. Ackees are an essential ingredient
of the popular Jamaican dish, saltfish and ackees.‘
•Saltfish: Burke – is salted cod; ‘As it is very dry and salty, it must
be either soaked overnight or boiled two or three times
(changing the water in between) until the desired level
of saltiness has been reached
Mackley – ‘Although fresh fish is readily available, salt
codfish is still popular on all the islands. Salt codfish
must be thoroughly soaked before cooking. Sometimes
other fish are salted.‘
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Ackee & Saltfish – Comments 2
• Plantain: Burke – ‘Looks like a big banana but should be fried,
baked or boiled.‘
Mackley – ‘A large member of the banana family,
plantains must be cooked before being eaten. Plantains
are used green and unripe, or when ripened until the
skin turns black. They have mild, squash-like flavor and
are widely used in West Indian cooking fror both sweet
and savory dishes.‘
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Ackee & Saltfish – Comments 3
Ackee
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Saltfish
Kristina Porsche
2.3. Side dish – Rice & Peas
• “Sunday dinner
would never be the
same without this
dish“ (Walkerswood, p.69)
• Popular in all
islands, but under
various names
• The recipes
compared (Mackley
– Walkerswood)
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Rice & Peas – Comments
• Gungo Peas: ‘Gungo peas, which are also known as
pigeon peas, are popular in West Indian cooking
and are used fresh, dried, and canned.‘ (Mackley)
•Red peas: ‘Caribbean name for kidney beans. Very
popular in rice and peas.‘ (Burke)
Gungo Peas
Red Peas
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
2.4. Dessert - Duckanoo
• Traditional dessert
• Origins in West
Africa
• Recipe found in
Internet different
from explanation in
Burke‘s Caribbean
Kitchen
• Try my duckanoos
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
3. Beverages
• Three beverages:
Rum Punch - alcoholic
Ginger Beer – either or
Coconut Juice – no alcohol
• Rum is probably bestknown Caribbean drink
• Ginger Beer – distinctive
• Coconut juice and
Coconut milk
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Beverages 2
Rum Punch:
• Rum is said to be brought to the West Indies by Columbus
• Many islands produce their own rum
• Rum is distilled from sugarcane
• traditional punch has: 1 “sour“ ounce of lime juice
2 “sweet“ teaspoons of honey
3 “strong“ ounces of dark rum
4 “weak“ ounces of crushed ice
plus a grating of nutmeg
Ginger Beer:
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions (like lemonade)
• taste is sth. you really have to get used to
• tried a recipe myself
(Burke)
TU Chemnitz
- Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Beverages 3
Ginger beer recipe (really easy):  serves 6
•125g/4oz fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
•2.5l/10 cups water
•2 limes, juiced
•1kg/4 cups sugar
•2 whole cloves (Gewürznelke)
•Place all ingredients in a large, non-reactive saucepan.
•Bring to the boil and boil fror 5 mins.
•Remove from the heat and allow to stand overnight.
•Strain through a sieve and check the sweetness.
•Pour into bottles and allow to stand fror 5 days before
drinking.
* Chill before serving.
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Beverages 4
Coconut juice:
= the clear liquid inside the coconut, also called coconut
water
Coconut milk:
= rich milk from grated flesh of mature coconuts
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Sources:
Burke, Virginia (2000). Walkerswood: Caribbean Kitchen. London:
Simon & Schuster.
Mackley, Lesley (2000). The Book of Caribbean Cooking. New York:
HP Books.
<http://www.b-v-i.com/Dining/cuisine.htm> 15/05/05
<http://www.b-v-i.com/Cooking/Callaloo/default.htm> 15/05/05
<http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/CallalooSoup.asp> 15/05/05
<http://www.answers.com/topic/callaloo> 15/05/05
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/dann/h2g2/pda/A634664?s_id=4&s_split=1>
22/06/05
<http://images.google.de/images?biw=&q=plantain&hl=de> 22/06/05
<http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Desserts%20and%20Puddings/Duckanoo%
20%20%20%20Veg%20%20HT%20%20DP%20%20West%20Indian%20%20%20
50mins.htm> 18/06/05
<http://www.sodapopstop.com/products/browse.cfm?link=4> 22/06/05
<http://www.asiafood.org/glossary_2.cfm?wordid=2518> 22/06/05
TU Chemnitz - Caribbean Food Kristina Porsche
Thanks...
...
for your patience