African, Caribbean and Arawak Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the islands in the Caribbean. These first inhabitants occupied the islands today, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaya, sweet potatoes, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of preparing meat and fish in large clay pots.
The Arawaks are making the first people known to a grid of thin strips of green woodon which slowly cooked meat, so it can be improved by the aroma of wood. This gate is called barbacoa, and the word we know today as a method of cooking barbecue is an excerpt from this early Indian.
The Caribbean is more spice to their food with pepper sauce, and also added lime and lemon juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs, the first pepper pot. No recipes are there every time since the Indians made the dish, youIt would be novel. The Carib had a big influence early on was the story of the Caribbean, and Caribbean name of this tribe.
Then, the Caribbean, a cross for the world. . .
After the Europeans brought African slaves in the region, the slave diet consisted mostly of food the slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had to be inventive, and mixed their traditional African foods with staples on the islands. The Africansintroduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, salt fish, ackee, pudding and dip, mango, and the list goes on.
Most of the inhabitants of the Caribbean island now eat a diet today, which includes representative of the main components of the original early African dishes, and cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, bananas, bananas and corn flour.
African men were hunters on their land, and often away from home for long periods. They would cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition has beenrefined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique is now known as jerk "cooking" and the secret involves a slow process of cooking meat. Jamaica is famous for its chicken and jerk pork, jerk and you will find anywhere on the island.
, Have been abolished, the Europeans in India and China to work and cooking styles have been introduced after slavery. A large part of Indian cooking culture remains alive and well in the Caribbean today with the introduction ofCurry sausage and curry powder. The Indians call it kari podi and have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.
The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple of island cuisine. The Chinese also introduced mustard, and soon the Portuguese sailors introduced the popular codfish.
Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that trees and fruits were introduced as a family to the islands by early Spanish explorers. The trees and fruits broughtSpain are orange, lemon, ginger, bananas, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarind and coconut.
Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the "film Mutiny on the Bounty, but do not know that particular ship carried breadfruit from the islands of Tahiti and Timor is been loaded on board. In the film crew took the ship, the captain forced into a small boat in his defense, and cast theThe breadfruit, which they called "Strange Fruit" on board. Another ship was more successful in bringing the bread from Polynesia to Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple in the current day Caribbean
America is responsible for the introduction of beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers in the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods have never seen in Africa or Asia, Europe, America actually introduced these foodsthe rest of the world through the Caribbean.
So it's no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative with the flavors of Africa, India and China, along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its own special flavor and cooking techniques.
