Caribbean cooking can be summed up in one word: contrast. Caribbean culture has mastered mixing different tastes and textures together to create delicious food, usually using fresh locally available ingredients. The signature of many Caribbean dishes is the combination of sweet with hot. There is also an abundance of spices, since Caribbean cooking is a mix of the different cultures that have influenced the Caribbean itself. Certain regions of the Caribbean have the very best of certain foods. For instance, the mountain regions of Jamaica have some of the finest coffee in the world, several beach locations have abundant coconut and papaya trees, and Barbados has enormous sugar cane fields. Popular dishes in the Caribbean often feature a contrast of sweet spices such as nutmeg, allspice (also called Jamaican Pepper), tamarind and citrus juices. The famous jerk spice mixture was created by the native Indians on the island of Jamaica to preserve meat with no refrigeration. Caribbean cooking also uses chicken, seafood and goat as the meat ingredients. The islands don’t have the open range space to graze cattle so that is why the generally don’t eat beef. Caribbean cooking uses limes in similar ways to the way we use lemons. Caribbean cook also features a large number of one pot dishes that are often cooked outside. Here is a basic recipe for Caribbean Jerk seasoning. It illustrates the immense contrast of flavors. This recipe comes from www.allrecipes.com. 2 tbsp. dried minced onion 2 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 2 tsp. ground allspice 2 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. vegetable oil Combine everything except oil. Coat meat with oil and then rub on spices.
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