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Glossary
Version 2
Ackee
A handful of islands grow ackee as an ornamental tree,
but only Jamaica looks at it as a tree that bears edible fruit.
The ackee fruit is bright red. When ripe it bursts open to
reveal three large black seeds and bright yellow flesh that
is popular as a breakfast food throughout Jamaica. Ackee's
scientific name, blighia sapida, comes from Captain Bligh,
who introduced the plant to Jamaica from West Africa. Ackee
is poisonous if eaten before it is fully mature and because
of its toxicity, it is subject to import restrictions and
may be hard to obtain in some countries. Never open an ackee
pod; it will open itself when it ceases to be deadly. Ackee
is sold canned in West Indian markets.
Allspice,
Pimienta
Dark-brown berry, similar in size to juniper, that combines
the flavors of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
Annatto
This slightly musky-flavored reddish yellow spice, ground
from the seeds of a flowering tree, is native to the West
Indies and the Latin tropics. Islanders store their annatto
seeds in oil--giving the oil a beautiful color. Saffron or
turmeric can be substituted.
Araňitas
Fried
"spiders" made of julienne strips of green plantains.
Arrowroot
Neutral tasting starch extracted from the root of tropical
tubers, used as a last-minute thickening agent for sauces.
Bay
Rum
The bay rum tree is related to the evergreen that produces
allspice. Used to flavor soups, stews and, particularly, blaff,
the small dark bay rum berry is called "maleguetta pepper"
in the French West Indies.
Beans,
Peas
Interchangeable terms for red kidney beans, black beans, black-eyed
peas, pigeon peas (gandules), and yellow and green lentils.
Often combined with rice, used in soups and stews or pulped
and made into fritters.
Bistec
a la Criolla
Marinated steak--typically rump, round or sirloin of beef.
Blaff
A broth infused with whole Scotch bonnet peppers and bay rum
leaves in which whole or filleted fish is poached.
Blue
Marlin
Jamaicans have little need for imported smoked salmon, as
they enjoy their own classy variation from the nearby waters
of the Gulf Stream. There's even a world-famous marlin tournament
held in Port Antonio each year. The marlin that isn't immediately
devoured as streaks is carried off to the smoker, where it
takes on a milder salmon like flavor and texture that holds
up well when thinly sliced.
Boudin,
Black Pudding
Sausage that may include pigs' blood, thyme and Scotch bonnet
peppers. Frequently served with souse, a pork dish that can
include any part of the pig.
Breadfruit
Breadfruit was also introduced to Jamaica from its native
Tahiti in 1793 by the infamous Captain Bligh. The breadfruit
is a large green fruit, usually about 10 inches in diameter,
with a pebbly green skin and potato-like flesh. Breadfruit
are not edible until they are cooked and they can be used
in place of any starchy vegetable, rice or pasta. Breadfruit
is picked and eaten before it ripens and is typically served
like squash--baked, grilled, fried, boiled or roasted after
being stuffed with meat. It's even been known to turn up in
preserves or in a beverage.
Bunuelos
Similar to crullers, they are made with flour, cassava meal
or mashed sweet potato and have fruit fillings like guava
and banana.
Callaloo
Spelled half a dozen different ways, this colorful word turns
up in Jamaican records as early as 1696. This leafy, spinach-like
vegetable is typical prepared as one would prepare turnip
or collard greens. This variety of callaloo Amaranthus viridis),
better known as Chinese spinach or Indian kale, should not
be confused with the callaloo found in the eastern Caribbean,
which refers to the leaves of the dasheen plant.
Carambola,
Star Fruit
Tart or acidy-sweet star-shaped fruit used in desserts, as
a garnish for drinks, tossed into salads or cooked together
with seafood.
Calabaza,
West Indian Pumpkin
Terms for a number of large squashes or pumpkins used in island
stews and vegetable dishes. Hubbard and butternut squash are
similar in flavor and make the best substitutes.
Cassareep
Made from the juice of grated cassava root and flavored with
cinnamon, cloves and sugar--this is the essential ingredient
in pepperpot, the ubiquitous Caribbean island stew.
Cassava
This tuber is also known as manioc and yuca. A rather large
root vegetable with a 6- to 12-inch length and 2- to 3-inch
diameter, cassava has a tough brown skin with a very firm
white flesh. Both kinds of cassava can appear as meal, tapioca
and farina and can be bought ready made as cassava or manioc
meal, which is used to make bammie. Sweet cassava is boiled
and eaten as a starch vegetable. Bitter cassava contains a
poisonous acid that can be deadly and must be processed before
it can be eaten. This is done by boiling the root in water
for at least 45 minutes discard the water). Alternatively,
grate the cassava and place it in a muslin cloth, then squeeze
out as much of the acid as possible before cooking. Bitter
cassava is used commercially but is not sold unprocessed in
some countries.
Cherimoya
Pale-green fruit with white sweet flesh that has the texture
of flan. Used for mousse and fruit sauces, the fruit is best
when fully ripe, well chilled and eaten with a spoon.
Chili
Peppers
Members of the Capsicum genus ranging from medium to fiery
hot. Scotch bonnet pepper, the most widely used, can be replaced
with serrano, jalapeno or other hot peppers.
Chorizo
Spanish sausage that combines pork, hot peppers and garlic,
and is similar to longaniza.
Christophine,
Chayote, Cho-cho, Mirliton:
A small pear-shaped vegetable, light green or cream colored,
and often covered with a prickly skin. Bland, similar in texture
to squash and used primarily as a side dish or in gratins
and souffles. Like pawpaw (papaya, it is also a meat tenderizer.)
Coco
Quemade:
A pudding similar to flan. Also a base for ice creams and
a replacement for creme anglaise.
Coo-coo
(or cou-cou):
The Caribbean equivalent of polenta or grits. Once based on
cassava or manioc meal. It is now made almost exclusively
with cornmeal. Versatile coo-coo can be baked, fried or rolled
into little balls and poached in soups or stews.
Coconut:
This member of the palm family, which is native to Malaysia,
yields fruit all year long. Coconut is edible in both its
green and mature forms. Both the water and the "jelly"
of the green coconut find their way into island drinks, and
meat from the mature coconut gives desserts a Caribbean identity.
Conch:
These gastropods are a beloved part of the cuisine as far
north as the Bahamas and Florida. When preparing conch soup,
conch salad or, best of all, spicy conch fritters, you must
beat the tough conch flesh into tender submission with a mallet,
the flat of a cleaver or a wooden pestle before cooking. The
job can sometimes (depending on the recipe) be made easier
by using a food processor.
Coriander,
Cilantro, Chines Parsley:
Intense, pungent herb that looks like parsley. The seeds are
used in curries.
Creole,
Criolla:
Creole refers to the cooking of the French-speaking West Indies,
as well as to southern Louisiana and the Gulf states. Criolla
refers to the cuisine of Spanish-speaking islands. Both terms
encompass a melding of ingredients and cooking methods from
France, Spain, Africa, the Caribbean and America.
Dhal:
Hindu name for legumes; in the Caribbean, it refers only to
split peas or lentils.
Darne:
The Caribbean name for kingfish.
Dasheen
Also known a coco, taro and tannia, dasheen is a starchy tuber
that is usually served boiled or cut up and used as a thickener
in hearty soups. While considered by some to have a texture
and flavor superior to that of a Jerusalem artichoke or potato.
Potatoes can often be used as a substitute for dasheen in
recipes. Dasheen is often called coco, but coco is actually
a slightly smaller relative of dasheen.
Escabeche:
The Spanish word for "pickled." It usually refers
to fresh fish (and sometimes poultry) that is fried, then
picked in vinegar, spices, hot peppers and oil.
Goat:
Goat meat is eaten with enthusiasm in only a few places in
the world, and Jamaica is assuredly one of those places. Some
credit immigrants from India who search din vain for lamb
to prepare their beloved curry. Finding no lambs, they latched
onto the next best thing--and curried goat became a Caribbean
classic. Most first-timers find goat milder in flavor than
lamb and an excellent substitute for lamb in most recipes.
Of course, if you can't find goat, you can substitute lamb.
Guava,
Guayaba:
Tropical fruit that has over a hundred species. It is pear-shaped,
round and oval; yellow to green skinned, with creamy yellow,
pink or red granular flesh; and has rows of small hard seeds.
The smell and taste are intense and perfumy. Guava is used
green or ripe in punches, syrups, jams, chutneys, ice creams
and an all-island paste know as guava cheese.
Hearts
of Palm:
Ivory-colored core of some varieties of palm trees.
Hibiscus,
Flor de Jamaica, Sorrel:
A tropical flower--not to be confused with the garden-variety
hibiscus--grown for it crimson sepal, which is used to flavor
dinks, jams and sauces. It is available dried and fresh during
the Christmas season.
Jack:
A fish family of over two hundred species, these colorful
saltwater fish go by a host of varietal names such as yellowtail,
greenback, burnfin, black and amber jack. These delicately
flavored fish tend to be large, weighing a much as 150 pounds,
and readily available in waters around the world. Tuna and
swordfish make good substitutes.
Limes:
Caribbean limes have light yellow skins when ripe, though
they are often picked green because they go bad rapidly when
ripe. When overripe, they turn yellow and are an excellent
source of vitamin C. For this reason, the popularity of these
citrus fruits grew with the realization by the British Navy
that they cured scurvy. Now limes are one of the most important
ingredients in Jamaican sauces and marinades, and are used
to perk up dishes from savory to sweet. Chicken and fish turn
glorious with a mere squeeze of lime. And beverages, cakes
and preserves wouldn't taste the same without it.
Lobster:
In Jamaica, it's the spiny or Caribbean lobster that is found--the
same delicious crustacean as the langouste in France, and
aragosta in Italy, and the langoasta in Spain. Although the
texture of this cooked meat is consider in some to be inferior
to that of the Maine lobster, the flavor of the spiny lobster
meat more that makes up for the inferior texture.
Malanga,
Yautia:
A relative of dasheen or taro, this tuber is prevalent throughout
the Caribbean.
Mamey
Apple:
The large tropical fruit, native to the New Worked, yields
edible pulp that's tangerine in color. With a flavor similar
to that of the peach, mammey turns up most often as jam.
Mango
Actually a native of India, this fruit has come to be know
as "the fruit of the tropics." Mangoes are used
in a variety of ways in the Caribbean. Green mangoes are used
in hot sauces and condiments, while ripe mangoes appear in
desserts and candies and in drinks. The best varieties of
mango are the Bombay, East Indian, St. Julian and Hayden.
Ñame
This giant tuber could be called by any of a variety of different
names. The Spanish translation of the word ñame is
yam. The outer skin is brown and coarsely textured,
while the insided is porous and very moist. The ñame grows
to enormous size and is considered to be the "king"
of tubers.
Nutmeg
Jamaican cooks are insistent--when cooking their recipes,
skip over the pre-ground nutmeg sold in supermarkets and buy
the spice whole, grating it only as needed. Nutmeg, the inner
kernel of the fruit is more flavorful when freshly grated.
The spicy sweet flavor of this aromatic spice makes
it an excellent addition to cakes, puddings and drinks.
Okra,
Okroes, Bhindi, Lady's Fingers, Gumbo:
This finger-shaped vegetable, green-ridged and three to five
inches in length, is fried as a side dish, used as a thickening
agent in callaloo or mixed with cornmeal to make coo-coo.
Otaheiti
Apple:
Yet another fruit introduced from the Pacific by Captain Bligh,
the pear-shaped otaheiti apple ranges from pink to ruby red
in color. This fruit is usually eaten fresh, though it can
be packed in red wine or turned into a refreshing cold drink.
Papaya
This native of South America is still called ""pawpaw""
by some Jamaicans. The papaya has an orange color when ripe,
and it's bland flavor resembles that of a summer squash, making
it a nice complement to the shaper flavors of other fruits.
Green papaya is often used as an ingredient in chutney or
relishes and makes a nice main dish when stuffed. When ripe,
it is eaten as a melon, or served in fruit salad. Papaya juice
makes a nice drink when sweetened with condensed milk or sugar.
Passion
Fruit, Maracudja, Granadilla:
Oval-shaped fruit that has a tough shell and a color range
from yellow-purple to eggplant to deep chocolate. The golden-yellow
pulp is sweet and tropically exotic, and must be strained
to remove the seeds. Used primarily in juices, desserts, drinks
and sauces.
Peas:
Jamaicans refer to nearly all beans as "peas." Kidney
beans are probably the most popular. Gungo (pigeon) peas have
also been a hit since their introduction from West Africa
by the Spanish, as have cow peas, black-eyed peas, and butter,
lima and broad (also called fava) beans. They are the island's
primary source of protein--even more than meat. Smaller peas
are used in Rice and Peas while larger-sized peas often appear
in savory stews and side dishes.
Picadillo:
Spicy Cuban hash, made of ground beef and cooked with olives
and raisins.
Pimento:
Just to keep things interesting, Jamaicans call what the world
knows as allspice "Pimento"--a word that elsewhere
refers o bell peppers or chiles. The more global name refers
to the allspice berry, which has the taste of nutmeg, cinnamon,
black pepper and clove. All the same, Jamaicans deserve a
big say in this naming, since all but a tiny bit of pimento
is grown in Jamaica, the remainder being grown in southern
Cuba. Thanks to its embrace by English and Spanish colonist,
allspice is used in numerous Jamaican classics, from Escoveitched
Fish to Jerk Pork.
Plantain:
Technically a banana-family fruit, but generally regarded
as a vegetable. Inedible raw, cooked plantains are served
as appetizers or starchy side dishes. The unripe (green),
ripe (yellow) and very ripe (dark) plantains are used in Caribbean
cooking. They become slightly sweet as they ripen.
Saltfish:
Saltfish is any fried, salted fish, but most often cod. With
he increasing availability of fresh fish all over Jamaica,
some cooks are moving away from this preserved fish dating
back to the days before refrigeration. Still, Jamaicans have
a soft place in their hearts for the taste of this salted
cod (sold around the world in Italian, Spanish or Portuguese
markets under some variant on the name bacalao). Ackee and
Saltfish is the preferred breakfast of Jamaicans. When imported
saltfish has been unavailable, Jamaicans have been known to
make their own from fresh fish.
Scotch
Bonnet Peppers
The fiery Scotch bonnet pepper, ranging in colors from yellow
to orange to red, is considered the leading hot pepper in
Jamaica, though several other varieties have recently been
developed. Some peppers are sold whole, others are dried and
ground, and still others are processed into sauces, such as
Jamaica Hell Fire. If you can't get your hands (wash them
afterward!) on Scotch bonnets, you can substitute habaneros
or jalapenos.
Sofrito:
Spanish tomato sauce adapted to the islands, used to enhance
roasts and thicken stews or soups.
Sorrel:
Brought from India by way of Malaysia, this unusual plant
was introduced to Jamaica by the British soon after 1655.
Also known as roselle and appealingly, flor de Jamaica, sorrel
always blooms in December, when its deep red flower becomes
an unrivaled floral decoration for two to three weeks before
it evolves into Jamaica's traditional holiday beverage. At
that time, the flower are dried and then steeped in water
to make a bright red drink that has a slightly tart taste
and is the color of cranberry juice.
Soursop,
Corossol, Guanabana:
Elongated, spike-covered fruit, slightly tart and delicately
flavored. It is used mainly in drinks, punches, sherbets and
ice cream.
Stamp
and Go, Baclaitos:
Spicy-hot fritters popular throughout the Caribbean. Methods,
ingredients and names vary from island to island.
Star
Apple:
An important part of a traditional dessert known a as matrimony,
the star apple is a succulent round fruit about the size of
an orange. Native to Jamaica and the Greater Antilles, the
skin of this fruit is either a shiny purple color or a less
eye-catching green. No matter what color, the flesh of the
star apple is delicious.
Stinking
Toe
Actually a pod that resembles a human toe, this bizarre fruit
possesses an evil-smelling and rough exterior. The sugary
power inside can be devoured on the spot or turned into a
flavorful custard or beverage.
Sugar
Apple, Sweetsop:
An interesting challenge to eat, the flesh of the sweetsop
is actually a collection of black seeds surrounded by sweet
white pulp. The sweetsop is native to the tropical Americas.
Tamarind:
This decorative tree produces brown pods containing a sweet
and tangy pulp that's used for flavoring everything from beverages
to curries and sauces--including Angostura bitters and Pickapeppa
sauce. It is also an important ingredient in Jamaican folk
medicine.
West
Indian Pumpkin:
A member of the gourd, squash and melon family, this squash
is also known as calabaza. Possessing a sweet flavor similar
to that of butternut squash, this firm-textured vegetable
is commonly found in soups, stews, breads and sweetened puddings.
Though hardly the same, the best substitutes for calabaza
are Hubbard, butternut and acorn squash.
Yam
Similar in size and color to the potato, but nuttier in flavor,
it is not be confused with the Southern sweet yam or sweet
potato. Caribbean yams are served boiled, mashed or baked.
Yautía
A member of the taro root family, the yautía is the size of
a potato, but more pear-shaped. It has a brown fuzzy outer
skin. The flesh is white and slimy and is custard-like when
cooked. It is one of the most natural thickeners, used to
thicken soups, stews, and bean dishes. There is also a purple
yautía which is also called mora.
Yucca
Root vegetable similar in length and shape to a turnip, with
scaly yamlike skin. Universally made into flour for breads
and cakes, and used as a base for tapioca.
Source:
www.unichef.com
Glossary
version 1
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