All the islands involved lie between southeastern North America and northern South America. There are a large number of small islands but the main islands included can be divided into the following groups:

• the Greater Antilles, including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico;
• the Lesser Antilles, including the Virgin Islands, Windward Islands, Leeward Islands, Barbados;
• the islands in the southern Caribbean Sea north of Venezuela (generally considered to include Trinidad and Tobago); and the Bahamas.

Who lived there first and when did European colonists arrive?
The original inhabitants were Caribs, Arawaks and Taino peoples. The West Indian islands were first sighted and explored by Europeans by Columbus during his voyages of 1492–1504. The first permanent European settlement was made by the Spanish on Hispaniola in 1496. Subsequent to this there are waves of African settlement (via slavery) and Chinese and Indian settlement (via indentured labour). The result is a glorious fusion cuisine.

There are island specific recipes and food cultures but in broad terms one can think of the food of the West Indies as belonging to a single culinary culture.

There are so many influences on the food that whatever one suggests is not so much typical as part of a fabulous, diverse food culture.

• Colombus kept diaries and he records indigenous people using fish, sea turtle, cacao, chilies (indeed when he first came ashore in Haiti the indigenous Caribs threw burning chilies at him to try and get him to go away), cassava, malanga (indigenous corm eaten as a vegetable and also use its leaves), Ackee (mango like indigenous fruit that is used in the Jamaican national breakfast dish of Ackee and salt fish).

• The term BARBEQUE is derived from an Arawak word – they grated green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa.

 

• Salt fish - The extensive use of salt fish (known as Morue in the French speaking islands, bacalao in the Spanish speaking islands and saltfish in the English speaking islands shows the role of early Portuguese and Spanish colonists).

SALT COD RECIPE

Lots of lovely salt fish recipes but my favourite is BULJOL from Trinidad which is the traditional accompaniment to drinks.

The term is derived from the French term “brule gueule” which means to burn the mouth (although it's not polite because I was always told that gueule is literally a muzzle not a mouth) and it is a spicy aperitif.

250g boneless salt fish
2 tsp lime juice
1 cucumber peeled and diced
½ onion diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tablespoons diced green pepper
1 tomato peeled, seeded and diced
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
½ Scotch bonnet chillies seeded and finely chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil

• Soak the fish over night in cold water to remove excess salt.
• Then further desalt fish by boiling it in water for 5 minutes. Discard water and boil again for a further five minutes. Discard water again and drain fish and flake with a fork. Discard all bones.
• Place fish in a bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well.
• Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours and serve with avocado slices and crackers.

African Diaspora Food Influences
12 million African slaves arrived in the West Indies and the vast majority of the population has African ancestors. Predominantly West and Central African ancestry.

African ingredients are common in West Indian food: plantain, yams, black eyed peas, okra etc.

For Fried Plantains – go to the yeoville market, and buy plantains and deep fry slices at no more than 150C until golden.

The food culture and food legends are also very African. Good example = the Disloyal Duck.

Duck Yemaya (disloyal duck)
This duck recipe exists in various forms all over the West Indies.

The Nigerian Yoruba deity Yemaya is the Mother of the Universe and the Lady of the Seas. She had a friend Kuekueye who was a duck who betrayed her and was cooked for his trechery. He is marinated in orange juice, garlic and guarapo (sugar cane juice) and then cooked in the oven over low heat for several hours until the duck has absorbed all the liquid.

Indian and Chinese Food Influences
Indian and Chinese indentured labour especially in Trinidad. A classic example is Amchar which is a souring agent used in chutneys, soups and vegetable dishes and is one of the core flavours of Trinidad.