CARIBBEAN: The Caribbean Pantry
Source of Recipe
By Maggie Shi
List of Ingredients
CALLALOO: Leafy greens used to make the popular Caribbean soup of the same name. Callaloo is also served as a side dish. Substitute fresh spinach for a similar texture and flavor.
CASSAVA: Also known as yuca, cassava is a starchy root that's either sweet or bitter (which is poisonous until cooked). Cassava flour--grated cassava root--is used to make the crisp bread of the same name, which is found throughout the Caribbean.
CHILE PEPPERS: Hot peppers flavor nearly every Caribbean dish, with scorching Scotch Bonnet chiles the most common variety. Caribbean cooks always use fresh chiles. If you can't find Scotch Bonnet chiles, choose the hottest and most flavorful one available in your market. Habanero chiles are closely related to Scotch Bonnets and make an acceptable substitution.
CONCH: A staple of Bahamian cuisine, this large mollusk is prepared in a variety of ways, such as chopped in a salad or fried into fritters. Conch should be tenderized before cooking because of its tough texture. Check specialty fish stores or Chinese markets for fresh conch. It's also available canned or frozen.
FRUITS: Bananas, plantains, passion fruit, limes, mangoes, papayas, guavas, breadfruit and coconuts are just some of the fruits that flourish in the Caribbean. They're used in everything from sauces and juices to desserts and side dishes. Some, like the plantain and breadfruit, are prepared much like vegetables--roasted, baked or boiled. You can find most of these in your specialty produce store or Asian markets; harder-to-find items, such as breadfruit, are available canned. More unusual fruits include the soursop, which has creamy, sweet flesh; the jackfruit, which is related to the durian and is never eaten raw; and ackee, which bursts open when ripe and is cooked in Jamaica's national dish, ackee and saltfish.
LAND CRABS: Stuffed with bread crumbs and spices, these small crabs make a popular appetizer. These crabs live on land and have a completely different flavor than sea crabs. If you can't find land crabs, choose the smallest sea crabs you can for a more delicate flavor.
LEGUMES: Beans and peas are served with rice for a simple dish that's the mainstay of many Caribbean diets. They also appear in soups, stews or on their own as side dishes. Some common bean varieties include kidney, black, red and pink beans. Pigeon peas, also called Congo peas, are most frequently found in Caribbean cuisine.
OKRA: This vegetable appears on its own as a side dish and adds body to soups and stews. You can find okra in a specialty produce market.
RUM: Nearly every Caribbean island produces its own rum, which flavors many of the area's punches and cocktails. Each island's rum is unique, so experiment with different brands to find the ones you like best.
SALTFISH: Dried, salted fish--usually cod--which must be soaked in water before cooking. You'll find it in Caribbean, Asian and Italian markets. Consumers might note that Cod is an overfished species.
SPICE AND HERBS: Due to the islands' diverse ethnic influences, numerous spices and herbs season Caribbean cuisine, including ginger, thyme, cilantro, vanilla, allspice, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg and saffron. Then there's curry, whose mix of spices varies from island to island. Jerk seasoning also varies but usually includes allspice, ginger, thyme and cinnamon, along with garlic, chiles and onions.Recipe
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