Caribbean Food

If you have ever tasted Caribbean food you then already know that the tastes of this type of food is amazing. There are so many people in the world that absolutely adore Caribbean food. Some of the most popular and most liked meals are the jerk chicken, (of course!); curry goat, and oxtail stew.

The intriguing thing about Caribbean food is that the cooks of this fine cuisine take special care when cooking the food. They are always busy adding their special touches to add to the delight of whatever dish they are preparing. Not to leave out but some of the best salads from the Caribbean are also excellent, including Coleslaw, Potato and Green salads.

Caribbean foods are readily available in most grocery stores and supermarkets. Most of the time when searching for these foods, you will run across mainly fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are the most widely used types of foods throughout the Caribbean so it only makes sense as to what you would mainly find in a store.

Every now and then though, you will run across one of the highly regarded sauces or seasonings used throughout the Caribbean cuisine. It does seem like that retailers put some kind of slow activity upon making these sauces and seasonings available throughout their stores to their customers.

Moving along to Caribbean drinks you will find out that some of them are the best you can find. Soft drinks, punches, and alcohol are most highly regarded of the drinks. Soursop, pineapple, and tropical fruit punches are just a few examples of delicious tasting drinks from the islands.

The most talked about thing about Caribbean food is probably the seasonings. This is where the food has gained its widespread popularity throughout the years. This is what the make the prepared meals so enticing to purchase and consume. The very thought of cooking up some jerk chicken and adding any type of Caribbean seasoning just makes your mouth water.

The trick is to wash the meat a few times, then use vinegar or lemon to wash it up even further. After you have completed this you can add all or any type of your favorite seasoning to the meat. When finished, you would want to marinate the meat, preferably for 12 to 24 hours. After that it's up to you on how creative you would want to get with the meat.

While most of the people from the Caribbean's do cook their food at a moderate level, there are some islands in the West Indies that prefer cooking their food hot. What I mean is, that most of the people cook at a moderate "spicy" level while others will cook as spicy as they can handle. An example is that jerk seasoning is considered to be a "hot" spice, but if you sparingly use it throughout your dish then it does not have to be hot.

Using pepper and hot pepper sauce is up to the discretion of the person going to eat the meal. Some sauces and seasonings are considered "mouth watering" hot, so be careful when thinking about the level of spice or seasoning that you want in your meal.

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Spicy African Food

As Kwanzaa approaches, African cuisine deserves some kudos on the cuisine scene. African food is a rich melange of dishes,

with regional takes on seasonings and preparation methods. Traditional foods combined in exotic ways reflect both native and

foreign influences, accumulated and integrated over hundreds of years. If you haven't explored the world of African cuisine,

you're in for a treat. A taste of this regionally diverse and rich cuisine may be just around the corner, in a family restaurant near you. If you're not so lucky, there are a number of fabulous cookbooks available.

The staples of African food consist in the majority of tubers, starches and vegetables. Cassava, yams, okra, greens, tropical

fruits such as coconuts and bananas, corn, rice, millet, peanuts, sorghum and barley are mainstays of the diet, depending on

the region. Meat is used sparingly in some areas, but seasonings weigh heavily in imparting the distinctive exotic tastes

found throughout Africa. Mixtures of hot spices permeate traditional African food.

Foreign influences introduced the peanut, pepper, tomato, pineapple and cayenne pepper to local dishes. The Portuguese

introduced the domesticated pig, now an integral part of East African cuisine. French, British and Indian colonizers

nonetheless had a positive effect on traditional African food, bringing curry, chappatis, relishes and spicy lentil soups to

the African table.

To Ethiopia, in Eastern coastal Africa, the Arabs brought a number of spices, including cloves, cinnamon and saffron, used in

steamed rice combined with meat, vegetable, tuber, milk and honey dishes, enhancing the already rich and abundant

combinations. Pomegranate juice is an important ingredient in coastal Swahili dishes.

Western African foods reflect the heavy use of fish and meat, as these foods are plentiful in the region and are characteristically hot and spicy. Stews are highly favored, and pack a punch, especially for the Western palate.

The French influence is clear on the western coasts of Africa. Chiles, ginger and hot cayenne marinades are artfully combined

with local vegetables, peanut, palm and coconut oils, garlic and sharp marinades, making a definite food statement.

African food cannot be quantified in a word. Africa, the second largest continent, should not be discounted or dismissed for

lack of diversity. African food is as diverse as the continent, with an

array of imaginative and regionally unique dishes to tempt your palate.

Take a look on the net, or go to your local bookstore. The flavors of African food beckons. If you know someone who celebrates Kwanzaa, ask them about the rich heritage of African food. Bring your taste buds to the table, and enjoy!

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