Vanilla

Caribbean cuisine is becoming a very popular type of cuisine throughout North America, and many different Caribbean restaurants are starting to pop up in neighborhoods otherwise dominated by fast food restaurants. As a result, Caribbean food is starting to blend with other types of cuisine to create a very interesting fusion taste. Vanilla has long been used as a staple of the Caribbean diet, but this aromatic bean is about to get a huge face lift.

One of the most popular types of “new” Caribbean cuisine is a coconut vanilla flan. This flan is largely taken from Mexican cuisine, but it also uses very authentic Caribbean flavors to enhance this delicious dessert. Not only does coconut flan use quite a bit of fresh vanilla, it also uses a large helping of true Caribbean rum. In short, Caribbean coconut flan is something that must be tried should you stumble upon it. Otherwise, vanilla has been part of Caribbean culture for many years now, and this superb bean just keeps on getting even more special as time marches on.

Vanilla was once believed to be a strong aphrodisiac, and with the other spices that are integrated into Caribbean cuisine (nutmeg, cinnamon, rum), vanilla has the ability to make your mouth water simply based on sight alone. Caribbean chefs have a way of infusing vanilla within their cuisine, and most of the time those tasting a specific vanilla dish have no idea what they are eating – they only know that it is sinfully delicious. Those that know how to cook proper Caribbean cuisine often use ingredients such as vanilla in dishes that normally wouldn’t incorporate vanilla’s distinct taste. You might find vanilla in stews, meat dishes, and even in some jerk recipes, which is a very different usage from the North American method of reserving vanilla for dessert. When it comes down to it, Caribbean chefs know how to use vanilla in ways that North American chefs can only imagine.