When you take a trip through the Caribbean you would possibly get to nibble some 'Soul food' dishes. Now let me unravel the mystery behind the Caribbean recipes containing soul food. The three ancient tribes Taino, Carib along with Arawak that belongs to India, when visited the Caribbean region had brought some of their native ingredients and mixed them with the local foodstuffs. These healthy products became the every day eating of Caribbean native and they termed them 'soul foods'. There are many exotic Craibbean recipes made up of these ingredeints that rules the taste buds of the travelers.
However, meat and fish preparations had been also included by the Taino tribe in the meal containing soul foods. They use to cook meats in large vessels made up of clay. The arrangement of spices and herbs with the meats offer a divine eating experience. The most ditinguished and known Island of Caribbean is Jamaiica that is loaded with exclusive range of spices and herbs used in Caribbean cooking.
Subsequent to Tainos, Arawaks was the tribe who largely influenced the Craibbean recipes with their methods of cooking. They used wood to cook meat and other dishes on low fire. The meats were used to place directly on the wood so that meat can absorb the murky flavor of the wood. Caribbean food lovers immensly like this flavor and relish Craibbean recipes cooked with this method. The taste and fragrance directly reaches to the soul. You must be surprised that this is the beginning of the popular cooking method called 'barbeque' that was famous at that time as 'barbacoa'.
One of the most surprising and enthralling facet of Caribbean dishes is the variety of food and seasonings. Caribbean is a cluster of religions and various traditions, consequently all of them has their particular methods of cooking that can be modified according to individual palate. The most convincing tribe was the Carib who are credited for introducing the spices and peppers to the Caribbean land. The 'soul food' brought by them is still the highlights of the extraordinary Caribbean preparations. Soul recipes mainly comprise Okra, yam, plantain, salted cod, banana, mangoes and sweet potato to name a few.
Most of the Caribbean soul food recipes are derived from Indian food culture, but Chinese and Spaniards are also credited for their contribution to the Caribbean recipes that still rules the Caribbean menu.
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