You may not know this but there are many Chinese influences in the Caribbean. Lots of people of Chinese background hail from Jamaica or Trinidad and naturally, many others are mixed-race.
A fusion of Chinese food with West Indian spices is sure to be a yummy melange. West Indian food itself is already such a hybrid of cultural influences from African to French to Spanish and Indian.
How did the Chinese get to the Caribbean?
Well, when the Brits freed their African slaves in the region in 1834, indentured labourers from China and India were brought in to fill the void.
Many ended up in Trinidad&Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica and Cuba. I would encourage you to check out Toronto filmmaker Cheuk Kwan's docu-series Chinese Restaurants – especially the Trinidad and Cuban ones. Apparently, in Cuba, about one in four Cubans has at least one grand or great-grand parent of Chinese origin! That is an astounding fact that never seems to get out.
SLOW-COOKED CUISINE
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans and everyone else, there were the Arawak, Carib and Taino Indian . The Caribs used hot pepper sauces with lemon juice in their fish and meat recipes and are known to be the originators of pepper pot stew.
When Africans were forcibly brought over, they also brought new foods such as okra, ackee, fish cakes, salt fish and mangoes. This African diet is the foundation for many Caribbean dishes which includes staples such as cassava, yams, plantains and corn meal.
It's also obvious the people of India introduced curried meats and curry powder (Indian influences are far stronger in Trinidad and Guyana) and all versions of Indian cuisine, while the Chinese were able to add rice and mustard to the area's epicurean rainbow. Chili peppers, by the way, are used widely in Jamaican cooking but almost no where else in the region.
Typical Chinese-Caribbean dishes include:
- Bangamary Ding – fried fish mixed with cashews and veggies
- Char Siu Pork Dhalpouri: Chinese pork, peas, cumin and onions rolled into a roti
- Cha Chee Kai: crispy chicken in sauce
- Curried Duck Roti: potatoes and duck in curry sauce, rolled in a flatbread
- Jerk Chow Mein: Jerk pork or chicken with vegetables, egg noodles and sauce.
What is "Jerk"?
It's a spicy marinade typical of Jamaican dishes. The usual mixture includes lemon juice, onion, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, thyme, soy sauce and cayenne pepper. Meat is then slow-cooked for fall-in-your-mouth goodness. Delish!
Recipes in the next installment.
 |
