Cooking styles in the Caribbean have been influenced over the ages by the many different cultures that inhabited the area. It is believed that the first settlers in the Caribbean Islands were American Indians such as Caribs and Arawaks. Their method of cooking was fairly simple. Fresh fish, fruits and vegetables were roasted over open cooking fires. Fresh fish and fresh fruits and vegetables still make up a substantial portion of the meals today, along with BBQ.

When Columbus opened up the way for Europeans to settle in the area, they brought farming practices and livestock such as pigs, sheep, cattle and chicken. They also brought cultivated crops such as bananas, coffee and sugar cane. One dish that the European settlers introduced is salted fish, as that was the way they could preserve their fish on the long sea voyage. Today, salted cod is a common Caribbean dish along with the fresh produce from the area.

During this period, workers were also brought in from India and China and with them, rice. Rice is a staple of most dishes in the Caribbean even now. It can be seasoned with various Caribbean spices and served as a side dish, or added to the main one pot meal, such as a chicken or goat stew. They also brought many of the spices that are so familiar to Caribbean dishes, such as nutmeg, cumin, curry and many different peppers and chilies. Today, Caribbean cooking is a wonderful mixture of all the cultures that settled in the islands. They always start with the freshest ingredients, add their own native blend of herbs and spices, and end up with the wonderful flavors that we all associate with the Caribbean Islands.