National Dishes of Caribbean Nations – Part 1

The people of any nation strive for a national identity unlike any other on the planet. For countries that have experienced a lot of violence, genocide or colonization, it is even more important to move away from the negativity of the past and forward into acceptance and autonomy. The people who occupy the Caribbean region are no different. They have taken the endemic and introduced vegetation, animal life and culture as their own and created a national identity. Through trials and tribulations, the self image held by Jamaicans, Haitians, Cubans and many others has remained strong, especially through food. Here are the favorite or national dishes of the countries in the Caribbean.

Anguilla

Rice, peas and fish. Still listed as a British oversees territory, the influence of English culture, language and cuisine is strong.

Anitgua & Barbuda

Fungee and Pepperpot. Fungee is a cornmeal bread ball and Pepperpot is a meat and spinach stew. The flavor of the stew is salty, most likely due to its roots in slavery where all perishable food was preserved with salt.

Bahamas

Crack Conch and peas with rice. Conch is a sea snail and most popular as a food in Bahamas. Since the Spanish brought rice and the English brought peas to the Caribbean, this particular dish incorporates a few different periods of the country’s history.

Barbados

Cou-Cou and Flying Fish. Cou-cou is a dish made of cornmeal, okra, water, butter and salt. The Flying Fish has become one of the national symbols of Barbados. It is featured on the local currency, flags, signs and sculptures.

British Virgin Islands

Fish and Fungee. It is easy to see how these two offerings became a national dish. The influx of African slaves brought the use of inexpensive ingredients and the environment surrounding the islands provided the freshest seafood.

Cayman Islands

Turtle stew. Wild turtles are illegal to harvest, but there are turtle farms established purely for the purpose of consumption. There are many species of turtles around the islands and at one time, they were a main staple of the diet.

Colombian Caribbean

Rice with coconut milk, Arroz Con Pollo, and a heavy dose of Arab cuisine. Rice was brought in by the Spanish and obviously, coconuts are endemic. Arroz con pollo, being another Spanish influence, is chicken with yellow spiced rice and peppers. With the large influx of Arab peoples, Colombian Caribeean cuisine is beginning to take on a different flavor.

Cuba

Platillo Moros y Cristianos, Ropa Vieja, Yuca Maduros (plantain) and Ajiaco. The first can be described as the Cuban answer to rice and beans. Ropa vieja is shredded or ‘pulled’ steak in a tomato sauce. Interestingly, Ropa Vieja means ‘old clothes’ in Spanish. Yucca, also called Cassava, is a root plant introduced by the Portuguese. According to thecubanrecipes.com, Ajiaco is savory potato stew containing beef jerky, steak, pork, pork ribs, chicken, corn, plantains (of varying ripeness), pumpkin, taro, yams, yucca and malanga (a starchy root vegetable). Notice there are no potatoes on the ingredient list? Perhaps the error is in translation, as some sources quote Ajiaco as meaning a ‘hearty soup’.

There are several more countries to cover on this subject. Look for Part 2 of National Dishes of Caribbean Nations.

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