Like its people, Caribbean food has evolved from the cultural influences on these small nations. The result today is a mixture of the staple foods those cultures introduced and what existed on the islands.
What we call Caribbean food is the varied methods of combining and preparing those staples with a wide range of island spices and herbs. In reality, it is a variety of foods originating around the globe that have been creolized and become "native" to the region.
DASHEEN
Also known as "eddo", "malanga", "taro" and "yautia", dasheen is from the calla lilly family of tubers, and is similar to the potato. It is known in Asia, Africa, South America, Hawaii and the Caribbean.
Dasheen is best stored in a cool, dark place, and can keep for more than a week in the refrigerator. It must be cooked because it is toxic when raw. The taste is earthy and is often thought to be more like nuts.
Dasheen can be boiled, baked, roasted, used for purees, or fried. Any potato recipe can be adapted to use dasheen, but it should always be served hot, as its texture changes when cold.
GINGER
The edible part of the Zingiber officinale perennial plant, ginger is commonly used as a spice in cooking throughout the world. Originating in China, ginger spread to India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean.
Ginger has a characteristic odour and flavour. Young ginger is fleshy and juicy. Mature ginger is fibrous and nearly dry with a potent juice. Its uses include tea, spice, candy, flavouring, beverage and wine.
Ginger is used medicinally for colic, arthritis, blood thinning, lowering cholesterol, and treating heart disease. It has also been found to be effective in treating nausea from seasickness, morning sickness, and as chemotherapy.
CASSAVA
Cassava is a shrubby, tropical perennial plant that thrives in poor soils and hot, dry conditions. It is a starchy root that produces food for several hundred million people around the world. Cassava has twice the fibre content and a higher level of potassium than potatoes. Its low protein content is its primary disadvantage.
Another disadvantage is the poisonous compounds (cyanogeic glycosides) contained in the tuber that must be removed before consuming. One has to shred the roots and squeeze out the juice. Heat used for drying will remove the remaining toxins.
This tuber can be used as vegetables in dishes, grated to make a bland meal for pancakes or bread, dried and ground into tapioca, or sliced and made into snack chips. It can also be used as a thickening agent in the same way as gelatin.
SWEET POTATOES
Native to Central America, sweet potatoes have become popular in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, India, Indonesia and the Caribbean. A root tuber vegetable, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, potassium, vitamin C, B6, riboflavin, manganese, copper, pantothenic and folic acids, and iron.
They should be bought firm with no cracks or bruises, and will last more than weeks if stored in a cool, dark, well ventilated place.
The tuber has significant anti-oxidant capacities; anti-diabetic properties that help to stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance. It has also been found to be anti-inflammatory in relation to asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis,
Sweet potatoes have a starchy, sweet taste.
PLANTAIN
A member of the banana family, plantains are starchy, low in sugar and must be cooked whether green or ripe. Caribbean people fry it a lot but they also eat it baked or boiled. Plantains are used as a vegetable in many recipes.
Plantains may be prepared for eating at any stage of ripeness and supplies approximately 180 calories. They are a good source of carbohydrates, potassium, vitamins A & C, and dietary fibre.
Although they resemble bananas, there are several differences. Plantains are starchy, bananas are sweet. Plantains are used as a vegetable, bananas are eaten as fruit. Plantains are longer than bananas with a thicker skin that may be green, yellow or black.
A native of India, plaintains grow widely in tropical climates.
BANANAS
The world's most popular fruit, bananas originated around Malaysia, then spread to India, China, Africa, the Caribbean, Central America and North America.
Bananas contain fibre and three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose - that provide instant and sustained energy boosts. They are also good sources of vitamins A, B6, B12, potassium, magnesium, protein, iron, and phosphorous. Medically, they are natural remedies for several illnesses and are recommended for inclusion in our daily diet.
Research has found eating bananas is significant in the treatment of depression, PMS, anemia, high blood pressure, constipation, ulcers, hangovers, heartburn, morning sickness, stroke and stress.
BREADFRUIT
The starchy breadfruit is a native of Indonesia from where it spread through Europe, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Africa. They appear in seeded and seedless varieties.
Breadfruit must be cooked before eating and is done in a variety of ways including baking, roasting, frying, and boiling. It has a light yellow flesh has a starchy consistency. As the breadfruit ripens, the consistency softens without becoming sweeter.
COCONUTS
The origin of the coconut is uncertain. Some believe they originated in South Asia, others think they are native to South America. The tree thrives in sandy soil, with moisture and humidity, and is very tolerant of salinity. The fruit is light and buoyant and may have been carried great distances by sea currents.
The coconut is susceptible to lethal yellowing disease, and mites can damage the fruit.
Coconut contains less fat than other dry fruits such as peanuts and almonds; less sugar, and more protein than fruits like bananas, apples and oranges. It also contains significant amounts of the minerals iron, phosphorous and zinc. Other nutrients are vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes and fibre.
Coconut "water" from the green fruit is a mild, sweet, refreshing drink. The meat of the young coconut is so soft it is called "coconut jelly".
The juices and pulp of the coconut are used in a wide variety of recipes including ice cream. Even the dried husk is useful as raw material for jewelry and mats, and in earlier times was used for scrubbing and shining floors and for stuffing mattresses. Cooking oil is also made from coconuts. In many parts of the world the coconut is known as the "Tree of Life".
YAMS
A perennial herbaceous vine cultivated for consumption in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, yam is one of the oldest known food plants. Cooked in a similar way to potatoes and sweet potatoes, yam tubers have a rough skin that is difficult to peel.
Its wide varieties (about 200 types) are important staple foods that can be stored up to six months without refrigeration. They are very valuable sources of vitamins C and B6, manganese, potassium and fibre. They are also low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.
The tuber has been proven to help control blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis. Research has also shown that yams provide a natural alternative to hormonal replacement in menopausal women. Yams helpw reduce PMS, and control blood sugar and weight.
Yams may be stored loose in a cool, dark, well ventilated place and should not be kept in plastic bags.
TAMARIND
The tropical tree is native to eastern Africa and has been introduced to Asia, Australia, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The pulp of the fruit is edible and is popular as a spice in Asian and Latin American cuisine. It is also an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, HP sauce, our own Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce, chutneys curries and other sauces. The pulp of the young fruit is very tart and acidic and is most often used as an ingredient in savoury dishes. When ripe, the fruit is sweeter but still quite tart and is used in desserts and sweetened drinks, or as a snack.
ACKEE
A member of the soapberry family, the ackee is a native of West Africa introduced to Jamaica, other Caribbean islands, and later to the United States. Ackees is mainly consumed as food by Jamaicans, and forms part of the island's national dish - Ackee and Saltfish.
The evergreen ackee tree is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. The ackee fruit is available canned and is now a major export product.
The ackee fruit must only be picked after it has opened naturally. Immature and over-ripe fruit are poisonous. Not all of the ackee fruit is edible. The fleshy parts around the seed is edible, the rest is poisonous. In parts of Africa, the fruit is used to produce soap. In other areas, the dried seeds, fruit and leaves are used medicinally. In still other areas, the fruit is used as a poison for fish.
The soft edible parts have a delicate flavour, and taste and look similar to scrambled eggs.