Caribbean cooking is something everyone should taste at some point - it is an adventure of distinctive flavors and exotic ingredients, including mangoes, lime, coconut, cassava, papaya, yam, guava, and peppers. Lime is one of the favorite marinades in the Caribbean, and it is used in a popular dish known as Ceviche, which is made from seafood cooked in citric juices, and seasoned with herbs and onions. There are many variations in Caribbean cooking, with styles and techniques varying from island to island, leaving endless taste possibilities for visitors to enjoy.
The Bahamas is known for the conch recipes. Cuba is famous for black beans and rice. Jamaica is the home of jerk cooking and seasoning. Barbados means fried fish and cou cou.
If you want tastes more familiar to you, then Puerto Rico may be for you, with chicken and rice dishes. The French Caribbean is known for its cerole dishes and many similar French cooking methods. If curries are more to your taste, then Trinidad is the land for you.
All Caribbean cooking involves herbs and spices of various types for seasoning. One such ingredient is tamarind that is in many ways similar to Worcestershire sauce in taste because it too has tamarind as one of the major ingredients. In fact, the use of spices in Caribbean cooking is truly diverse and amazing. Nutmeg flavors the desserts in the United States but in the Caribbean, this spice is mixed with other spices that are natively grown on the islands and this makes for a totally different flavor in Caribbean cooking. The jerk cooking of Jamaica gets its flavor from allspice while the island of Cayman has a chocolate cake recipe that includes some spicy peppers.
While you may recognise a lot of the spices used in Caribbean cooking, the unique element is the way that they are combined - you may find that certain flavors in a dish are familiar, but the overall taste is subtle and will feel unique to your taste buds. Caribbean cooking has so many delectable sauces, ranging from sweet fruits such as mango and papaya, to hot and spicy peppers. There are also many dipping sauces to add extra flavor to your meals.
The base of many of the sauces used in Caribbean cooking is coconut milk - it is even used in certain stews. Another ingredient too important to forget is rum - it is used in almost everything, from marinades and soups to sauces and deserts!
If we have just wet your appetite for great Caribbean cooking, then it may be time spice up your life with a quick caribbean getaway. Great food and pulsating rythms await!
No comments:
Post a Comment