Caribbean Cuisine Influences

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Late twentieth century

At the same time the urge to be independent was growing throughout the region. The islanders wanted to take control of their lands and their own destinies. They were becoming more conscious of their own unique heritage and were coming to recognize how un-European it was. Today the results of these combined changes are evident through the Caribbean. Local foods have proven to be a great friend maker, a bridge closing the gap between mainlanders and islanders. Most of the islands take great pains to introduce tourists to their outstanding features, which includes unique handicrafts and exciting food made with local fruits, vegetables, and meats. These efforts have been very successful on Jamaica where the government sponsors an annual Culinary Arts competition. The purpose of this competition is to encourage the preparation of Jamaican foods with new and exciting recipes. This competition has been a successful event that has drawn thousands of contestants from all walks of life since its inception in 1962.

The excitement over Caribbean food is not confined to the islands. Jamaican meat patties and coco bread have become a favorite food even in staid old Connecticut where I live. One of the major supermarkets chains, which has stores in western Massachusetts and Connecticut, has a contract with a well known and respected Jamaican bakery in Hartford to supply beef and chicken patties to several of their large high volume stores. As a result a surprising number of folks have fallen in love with these tasty patties that originated in Haiti and were brought to their current popularity by talented Jamaican cooks.

Rum

Oh yes, before we move to the recipe section I must say a few words about the elixir of the West Indies--Rum. Every major island in the Caribbean has its own varieties of rum, and each has its own favored rum drinks. Rum, also known as kill devil and rumbullion, has had a hot and hellish history. Rum is distilled directly from sugar cane or molasses. (Molasses is a by-product of the manufacture of granulated sugar from raw cane.) The first distilled rum-like liquor is believed to have been produced on the island of Barbados around 1630. It was a very rough beverage with a very high alcohol content. The drink was given its name by shortening of the 17th century English word, rumbullion, which translates as tumult or rumpus. The association of rum and pirates is part fable but mostly true. Pirates preferred brandy whenever they could get it, but would not hesitate to settle for the more available rum. In fact the famous skull and crossbones flag was often replaced with another more ominous looking flag showing a skeleton with a dagger in one hand and a glass called a rummer in the other.

The lucrative New England slave trade imported molasses from the Caribbean, manufactured its own rotgut rum, shipped it to the west coast of Africa, and exchanged it for slaves, which were then sold to plantation owners on various Caribbean islands. At first, rum was not a favored drink, even on the islands where it was made. It started to gain popularity with the English navy when it was discovered that, unlike ale, it did not spoil on long sea voyages. In fact, they discovered that, like most distilled spirits, rum improved with storage. But soon the English navy realized that hard liquor was not the ideal drink for sailors on duty. The daily rum rations were responsible for a great deal of sickness and severe discipline problems. So, in 1731 Admiral Edward Vernon, the commander-in-chief of British navel forces in the Caribbean (a man who so impressed George Washington that he named his home after him) ordered all rum rations to be diluted with water. The Admiral was nicknamed Old Grog by his sailors because he often came aboard ships wearing a cape made of grogram, a loosely woven material of silk and wool. For many years thereafter the word grog was used to describe almost any distilled liquor that was cut with water. And today, we still use the adjective "groggy" to describe the aftereffects of drinking too much.

Rum is the only popular liquor distilled from the cane plant. Rum production starts with the manufacture of sugar. The cane stalks are first crushed to extract its sweet juice, which is then boiled. During this cooking process the sugar in the juice crystallizes and separates. What is left is a thick brown semi-liquid called molasses. The molasses is then fermented by adding a special strain of yeast. It is then distilled and the resultant colorless liquid is further processed to create the many varieties of rum.

Light rum is simply aged in plain oak casks or in stainless steel tanks. Darker rums are aged in charred oak casks, and sometimes sugar caramel is added. Rums are aged from just a few weeks up to 25 years, and frequently rums of various ages are blended. Caribbean rum, like Mexican tequila, is not fully appreciated.

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