Caribbean
cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, French, African,
Amerindian and Indian cuisine. These traditions
were brought from the many homelands of this
region's population. In addition, the population
has created from this vast wealth of tradition
many styles that are unique to the region.
A
typical dish and one increasingly common outside
of the area is "jerk" seasoned meats,
commonly chicken. It is a unique, spicy flavor,
reminiscent of Louisiana Creole cuisine, but
still quite distinct from it. Curried goat
and chicken are eaten throughout the Anglophone
Caribbean islands, penetrating much farther
into the Caribbean than have the Indians who
introduced them to the region over 150 years
ago.
Callaloo
is a soup-like dish widely distributed in
the Caribbean, with a distinctively mixed
African and indigenous character.
Meanwhile,
the Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean
tend to prefer more savory spices to these
sharper flavors. Lime and garlic, for example,
are more common on Cuba than pimento (or "allspice").
Other common flavors throughout the region
include cinnamon and nutmeg.
