The sea, sun and sand make the Caribbean a popular tourist destination. But in addition to the beautiful weather, incredible scenery, and total Caribbean experience, Caribbean food is unique and appetizing. There’s something about that great spicy Caribbean flavor!
Caribbean food is not like food from any other part of the world. The Italians have their pasta, the French their pastries, wine and rich dishes, the English their ‘sausages and mash’ and China their egg rolls, but the Caribbean has its own spicy island flavor that many people appreciate. A lot of Caribbean food involves spicy cuisine that excites the tongue and the palate.
The Caribbean is made up of many islands and each has its own specialties. Central America, with Mexico, Costa Rico and Panama can also be considered part of the Caribbean, at least when it comes to tourism and cuisine, because they have coasts that border the Caribbean Sea. Central America, due to its connection to North and South America, also has its own style of food.
Many popular Caribbean food dishes include spices and “hot” ingredients, often in the form of curries and hot peppers. Jamaican cuisine features curried chicken, lamb, beef, and goat, as well as meats infused with ‘jerk’ seasonings, making it spicy, tangy, and delicious. If you can withstand the heat in the kitchen, you can enjoy a tasty treat when you taste Jamaican cuisine. Jamaica also has its own unique variety of fruits and vegetables, such as callaloo (somewhat akin to spinach), Ackee (which is part of the Jamaican national dish of Saltfish ‘n Ackee), and some strange sounding fruits like’ ugly fruit ‘ ‘caimito’ and ‘jack fruit’. One of the most popular Jamaican foods that has made its mark in the United States and Canada is Jamaican empanadas, a spicy meatloaf with a flaky crust.
Other Caribbean islands also have their own unique and tasty dishes. Caribbean food dishes such as snail fritters, chicken with mango and coconut, arroz con pollo (a Spanish-style chicken and rice dish), paella, and red pea soup, sourced from different Caribbean islands, along with dishes sourced from Mexico like empanadas, burritos and enchiladas. They are part of that great Caribbean flavor experience. In Mexico, hot peppers are usually part of the ingredients of many of its star dishes.
Unsurprisingly, Caribbean food often incorporates seafood into its cuisine. You can find many Caribbean recipes that include many types of fish or shellfish, such as cod, mackerel, halibut, lobster, crab, or even a combination of fish and shellfish as in a Cocido de Barquero, a Paella Plate or a Seafood Soup. .
Whichever island you choose to create a Caribbean dining experience, you can’t go wrong when it comes to taste and flavor. In the Caribbean, the climate heats up with the spicy offerings of Caribbean food. From Cuba, to the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Cayman Islands to Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rico, Caribbean food is something everyone will enjoy.
