Caribbean food culture and tradition Rooted in black history

BY NOEL CUNNINGHAM

Maya Angelou once said I have great respect for the past. If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going. This is a philosophy that I lived by and one that I think about deeply as it relates to culinary and my cooking style. Last year for black history month I featured a taste of the Caribbean where I shared each Caribbean Island’s national dish and how culture influenced their cuisine. This year I want to focus on the culture and tradition that shaped our gastronomy.

Caribbean food has a distinct flavor and rich history from the people who came to the islands. Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of mainly vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots. The Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, ackee, pudding and mangos, and the list goes on.

Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of original early African dishes, and includes cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn meal. Cultural diversity is what makes Caribbean cuisine so bold and famous because it’s deeply rooted in our history. Caribbean cuisine consists of culinary influences from Africa, France, Spain, India, Dutch, America, Britain, and Asia. In these water-soaked, tropical countries, fresh fruits and vegetables make up a significant portion of our diet.

The islands in the Caribbean have been fought over and owned by various European powers in the past, mainly the British, French, and Spanish. All of these cultures, as well as their respective culinary traditions, have played a role in forming the multinational cuisine of the Caribbean as it is now. The indigenous population of the Caribbean added their own touch as well.

America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili peppers to the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America actually introduced these foods to the rest of the world via the Caribbean. So it’s no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative.

When Columbus arrived in 1493, the Spaniards introduced other foods, notably coconut, chick-peas, cilantro, eggplant, onions, and garlic. European colonists, including the Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, British, French, and the Swedes came later to the islands with their culinary trademarks. Some of the foods introduced by them were oranges, limes, mangoes, rice, and coffee.

Tradition of the famous Sunday dinner
“The Sunday Dinner” is a beloved event in which the extended family comes together to share in a weekly feast. It is a practice that evolved from the 17th century onwards; it became customary for plantation owners to give enslaved Africans Sundays off, even though many were not Christian. Traditionally, this dinner is served mid-afternoon after church service in a buffet style with a variety of meats, side dishes, and scrumptious desserts. This dinner can be served at anyone’s home or even within the walls of the church. Caribbean food is soul food.