Caribbean cuisine & foodways

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Saint-Martin makes a flavourful impression at SOBE​

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Feb 2023

The French Saint-Martin Tourist Office showcased the island as a premier culinary destination at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival (SOBEWFF), the Food Network’s 22nd annual gastronomic event taking place from February 23rd - February 26th, 2023. The four-day festival is a star-studded event showcasing the talents of the world’s most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs, and culinary personalities.





The St. Martin Tourist Office, official bronze sponsors of SOBEWFF, participated in the festival’s marquee event, the Goya Foods’ Grand Tasting Village, which featured a series of culinary demonstrations from some of the world’s best brands. The Friendly Island was the only destination featured at the Grand Tasting Village and was on display front and center with a unique branded installation featuring stunning visuals of the island’s attractions and events.


St. Martin's local Chef Gaëlle Mussington from Passion Cuisine, who also participated in the islands’ 2022 Festival de la Gastronomie, was on hand to represent the island’s culinary offerings. She prepared and served miniCoconut Sweet Tarts, a local delicacy, to the passionate foodies who visited the booth.

Chef Mussington chose to serve these sweet tarts because, in one small bite, the delicious fusion of coconut, guava, cinnamon, and nutmeg -- all local ingredients found on The Friendly Island -- can easily transport your tastebuds to St. Martin. Approximately 9,000 mini tarts were served to attendees over the three-day tasting event.

Chef Mussington started her career early because of her family history -- her dad was a cook and her mom was a passionate pastry maker. She started her own catering company in Saint Martin, “Passion Cuisine”, where she offers traditional local and Caribbean cuisine as well as international dishes for small events

 

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Two Southern U. football players sign NIL deal with Baton Rouge-based Caribbean restaurant​

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April 11, 2023

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisianians love flavor. From the perfect amount of heat and garlic on our boiled crawfish to the symphony of seasonings that bring our jambalaya to life, Louisiana cooks know how to bring the flavor.

They also know when to embrace flavors from other cultures. This explains why locals are flocking to The Bullfish Bar + Kitchen, a Baton Rouge-based restaurant that features Caribbean foods with a Louisiana twist. Some of their menu items include conch fritters, Haitian griot, Jamaican jerk chicken, and catfish etouffee. Owners Jasmine and Angel Lombrage said, “We have a fusion of Louisiana cuisine and Caribbean cuisine. That’s what makes us who we are.” Jasmine is originally from the Bahamas, and Angel is Haitian.

The restaurant has a new deal with two Southern University football players, Robens Beauplan and Joshua Griffin, a punter and a kicker, respectively. Since July of 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has allowed student-athletes to appear in ads for businesses and receive compensation for such commercial work. This is often referred to as ‘an interim name, image and likeness (NIL) policy.’

Student-athletes give local businesses a wider platform​

Beauplan says he feels the updated NIL policy has a positive impact on Baton Rouge. He said, “Businesses will see how athletes can help growing restaurants or other businesses. They can collaborate and everyone wins.” Beauplan explained that he has family and friends in Florida and other places. So, when they come to visit Louisiana or see him supporting a particular business, they’re often motivated to look into that company. “So, we help give them (local businesses) a wider platform. The businesses get more support from other places across the nation,” he said.

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The Bullfish Bar+Kitchen​

Beauplan and Griffin’s deal with The Bullfish Bar + Kitchen happened by chance. It all started when Beauplan wanted to show Griffin some of the foods he’d grown up enjoying as a child in Haiti. That’s how the two stumbled upon The Bullfish.
As soon as they walked into the restaurant, they knew they’d come to the right place. Beauplan said, “The owners, Jasmine and her husband, Angel, are very welcoming. They try to meet and talk to everyone who comes in. They took the time to meet us and when we told them we play for Southern, they were very welcoming.” The two Jags said they were impressed with the friendly staff, the Caribbean music, as well as the general ambiance. And then, there was the food.

Griffin enjoyed his introduction to Caribbean food, and Beauplan was pleasantly surprised to see such a wide variety of flavors on the menu. He said that instead of sticking with delicacies from only one Caribbean island, the restaurant went the extra mile. It featured specialties from The Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and other Caribbean regions.

It didn’t take long for Griffin and Beauplan to realize they wanted to support the husband-and-wife team. “After a couple weeks of talking and discussing a deal that will be good for all parties, we finalized an NIL deal, and we will be helping The Bullfish Bar,” Beauplan said.

Tough times never last, tough people do​

The two Jaguars and the two business owners love food, but they have something else in common. They have the ability to withstand hardship or adversity. This is often called “endurance.” It’s a must on the football field, and it’s a necessity for a business owner. Beauplan said he’s been through a lot as a student-athlete and in life. He said it’s taught him that, “sometimes when you go through negative things you feel like giving up. But what God has for you is what’s for you. So, one door may be shutting, but another will open. Just keep going. There can be joy on the other side.”


Jasmine Lombrage summed up her perspective on endurance with the phrase, “Tough times never last, tough people do.” She said, “Every day is a different day, and what happened yesterday is not going to happen today. That’s a reminder to me that since the days change, the next day will be different. Tough times don’t always last but tough people do.”

As a restaurant owner, Lombrage said she and her husband have faced a number of ups and downs related to lack of support, encouragement, issues that revolve around race and prejudice. At times, such frustrations have been disheartening.
But Lombrage said, “I have to motivate myself and my team because I’m responsible for them. Knowing that even when times are tough, I’m the one that’s responsible.” Lombrage echoed Beauchamp’s perspective as a student-athlete whose faced adversity when she added, “If you hang in there, you will make it out on the other side. Sometimes we measure success by the ability to get every single thing we want. But it’s not always that. Success is getting what we need.”

 

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‘Cooking Con Omi’ Chef Takes Her TikTok Fame with a Side of Sofrito​

April 11, 2023
The pandemic came with drastic changes to Omi Hopper’s career plans. The Puerto Rico native had been working as a makeup artist, but the lockdown prompted her to trade her brushes for cooking pots. She had always enjoyed cooking, but when she began filming the process and sharing it on social media, she discovered a new sense of purpose. “It was a way to connect with the outside world, I never expected it to go viral. I would say I’m an incidental social media creator,” Hopper told LATINA.
Talking en español and being unapologetically herself, Hopper went viral by explaining Puerto Rican culinary staples on her channels. She currently has more than 558K followers on TikTok, 318K on Instagram and 61K subscribers on YouTube. Her social media popularity earned her a spot on the currently-airing second season of Next Level Chef, a cooking competition show hosted by Gordon Ramsay.

The social media chef became known for frequently mentioning “mi sofrito fresquecito,” a paste made of cilantro, coriander, garlic, onions, aji dulce and bell peppers, all blended together to serve as base for most Puerto Rican dishes. Her sofrito, as well as many of her recipes, are inspired by her late grandmother who she remembers with love and admiration. “I remember her always being so joyful, she would do everything with alegría. Ella era el party,” Hopper recounted.

Hopper continues her grandma’s legacy through her cuisine, and she had a very emotional moment on Next Level Chef when she won a challenge for a dish inspired by her grandma. “It was really special for me to see [Ramsay] try the dish and feel the way he felt,” Hopper said.


It’s been a busy spring for Hopper, traveling across the country hosting Next Level Chef watch parties in Florida, New York, and Puerto Rico. She’s also participated in a Women’s History Month dinner in partnership with social media chef Andrew Rea from Binging with Babish and The Singleton Whisky. She’s been really happy to use her platform and this experience to uplift Puerto Rican cuisine and to inspire more Caribbean women and Latinas to share their cultural heritage through food.

“Latinas, we cook from the heart. In the kitchen, others might get in their head and complicate things that don’t need to be that complicated,” Hopper said. “Cooking with the heart is what we bring to the table.”

 

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Exploring Antiguan Easter traditions​

April 7, 2023

Ducana wrapped in fig leaves.


Easter - the holiest period on the Christian Calendar- is now overshadowed by concepts like the easter bunny and easter eggs, but traditionally the holiday was steeped in the religious rituals that Christian-based faiths use to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus — including some of the more spiritual celebrations like Holy Week and Lent.
Antigua and Barbuda has quite a lot of Easter activities that include Holy Week services, special dishes, kite-flying, camping and beach outing.
But grandparents did things a little differently back in their day.

National cultural icon Esther Henry who is more affectionately known as ‘Aunty Esther’ told Loop News what Easter was like back when she was a teenager, over 60 years ago. Aunty Esther first recalled going to the “bayside” and digging for cockles. “We would dig dig dig and they come up but hard to find now,” she said.
According to her they are cooked in oil or cheese tins and used to make "cockle rice."

Another popular easter dish was Ducana. Aunty Esther said that the day before Good Friday, "people go up and down in the village and cut the fig leaves or they go to the bayside and get grape leaves."

Those leaves are wrapped around a mix of grated coconut and sweet potato, sugar, flour, nutmeg, other spices and butter before being boiled. The end product is a sweet heavenly treat usually served with saltfish for Easter. Aunty Esther disclosed that while this dish is still popular during Easter, the way it is made has changed slightly.

The 80-year-old said that Ducana was once so large that one could only consume one. Today, you would need about two for a full feeling. In addition, raisins in Ducana were rare but today people have become creative, adding carrots, raisins, cherries and other things, no holds barred. Persons also opt for wrapping their Ducana in foil paper, taking away some of the traditional flavour.

Meanwhile, just as practised today, no liquor was sold to ensure that Good Friday was a "solemn and quiet day." Instead, Ducana is commonly washed down by homemade ginger beer. Furthermore, people could not play secular music like Calypso or Benna. "You don’t hear noise, no music, no nothing,” she shared.

Aunty Esther went on to reminisce on Easter picnics which she said were "all about family." She said adults and kids would enjoy a peaceful day together digging into a picnic basket which contained things like "plain cake, yard fowl, pork and goat."

Easter traditions in Antigua and Barbuda are said to be a mix of those from the UK and those homegrown in the Caribbean.

 

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Jamaican man comes to Brazil to study, becomes an entrepreneur and opens “Jazuca” restaurant

A dentistry graduate of the University of São Paulo, André Antonio James applies the methods learned in the classroom to his enterprise.

12/04/2023 12h51

His accent when speaking Portuguese does not hide it: André Antonio James, 33 years old, is not Brazilian. Originally from Jamaica, he can now say he is a “Jazuca”. The expression, a mixture of jamaicano and brazuca, is also used to define his restaurant, Jerky's, which he opened in São Paulo.

When James left Kingston, where he was born, this was an unlikely outcome, considering that he left his home country to study Dentistry, through a diplomatic program, in 2010. Upon arriving in Brazil, he lived in Brasília to learn Portuguese before moving to São Paulo and, then, completing his studies.

With his diploma in hand and the possibility of going home, plans changed. The Jamaican realized his desire to stay and decided to become an entrepreneur: he bet on Caribbean cuisine, which proved to be a sucess and was featured on March's edition of Globo's entrepreneurship editorial.

“All the recipes are mine, and they are very popular with Brazilians. It's good, simple and well-executed food”, he says, without revealing the secret of his jerk chicken, a genuine Jamaican barbecue and the restaurant's flagship dish.

When it all started, in 2019, he made a business plan, got investors and had no intention of staying in the kitchen. With the pandemic, he needed to reorganize. It was then that he decided to prepare the dishes with a dash of what he learned in Jamaica and the knowledge acquired in Brazil — including during his studies — to assemble the menu.

“Many people look at it as change, but I don't see it that way. I studied at USP, one of the best universities in the world, and there we learn scientific methodology. I learned it and applied to both dentistry to entrepreneurship”, he explains.

Since opening the location for face-to-face customer service took longer than planned, James created processes, which he considers crucial, and gained time to deliver everything “sharper” to the client.

“We solved internal issues, such as the standardization of recipes. This standardization is also important in health, we follow protocols. So, I applied it in the kitchen”, he says.

Each experience is taken advantage of. During college, for example, he set up courses and taught English to buy materials, attracting students with his own marketing strategies.

With the restaurant, advertising has also been fundamental and — during the pandemic — made all the difference in winning over the first “Jazucas”.

If it's up to the entrepreneur, Jerky’s will become an even better known brand and present a Jamaica beyond stereotypes, with references that go beyond Bob Marley and reggae. It is what he has been doing and intends to continue doing, in a potent way, once he transforms the restaurant into a franchise.

Jamaican man comes to Brazil to study, becomes an entrepreneur and opens “Jazuca” restaurant

 

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Why Does This Soup Symbolize Freedom for Haitians?​

PBS Voices
Mar 14, 2023
Every year on Haitian Independence Day, Haitians celebrate their ancestors’ hard won freedom from slavery and French colonial rule by making soup joumou. Join Tank Ball as she explores what it means to use food to preserve the memory of home, and how the ritual highlights the complexities of living in a country whose government has so frequently antagonized Haiti in its historical quest for freedom

 

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*Premiers June 23rd

Meet the Season 2 Contestants: Leanna​

Leanna Pierre (Norcross, Georgia) is a wife, mother, attorney, food blogger and world traveler who loves to cook for her husband and son. A first-generation American, she is proud to be the daughter of Caribbean-born and raised parents. Leanna learned how to cook from her mother, Pat, and her paternal grandmother, Felis. Leanna’s specialty is traditional Caribbean cuisine with a twist of “Southern Comfort” from living in Atlanta for the past 15 years.
In addition to being an attorney, Leanna has a food blog where she shares her recipes with the world. Her signature dish is Caribbean Stewed Chicken with allspice and fresh thyme. It’s Leanna’s dream to show that working mothers can be successful professionally and provide for their families while still embracing their personal passions, whatever those may be.

 

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*Premiers June 23rd

Meet the Season 2 Contestants: Salmah​

Salmah Hack (Orlando, Florida) was born and raised in Richmond Hill, New York, a Queens neighborhood known as Little Guyana. Salmah, whose parents emigrated in the 1980s, inherited a huge part of her family’s culture through food. A former British colony built on indentured servitude, Guyana and its cuisine reflect the influences of African, Indian, British, Portuguese, Chinese, Amerindian, and Dutch cultures.
Salmah says that to understand Guyanese cuisine is to remember its history. Like her mother, Salmah has refined her culinary instincts so that she can cook without measuring or referencing a recipe. Guyanese cuisine is not widely known, and Salmah is proud to share it. Her signature recipe is Guyanese Chicken Curry, made with chicken, potatoes, and spices, including cardamom, dried Guyana thyme, garam masala, cumin and Wiri Wiri pepper.

 

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MAY 2023
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Ital Food Fest kicks off with Brooklyn launch

May 10, 2023

Jamaican personal chef, author and media personality, Troy Levy, is known for bringing the vibrant flavours of home to New York with his Taste of Ital brand.​

This evening, at the Bellyful Restaurant & Bar in Brooklyn, he will host the media launch of Jamaica's first Ital food festival, appropriately dubbed Ital Food Fest. It is the first of two launches; the second is scheduled for Kingston, Jamaica on Friday, June 2.​

This launch marks the start of a concerted effort to draw ‘yardies’ and aficionados home and abroad to the island’s shores for Ital Food Fest, an immersive event slated for Saturday, July 15 at the beautiful Plantation Cove in Priory, St Ann, where patrons will enjoy elevated ital cuisine, live performances, and discover amazing herbal remedies, artisanal offerings, and rejuvenating therapeutic treatments.​

The family-friendly showcase is being held by British-Caribbean promoters Michael and Felicia Cunningham to celebrate holistic livity (lifestyle). Levy is an official partner of the festival. Their tagline "Before vegan, before plant-based, there was ital", refers to the purpose of the event, which is to pay homage to the Rastafari community and its influence. It references the fact that Rastas are the forerunners of plant-based eating and sustainable living, and coined the term ital to describe unprocessed, meatless, salt-free foods and living consciously with nature. This concept has now become a global movement, partly due to the cultural influence of reggae music.
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Ital Food Fest will as a result feature an abundance of acclaimed food and holistic wellness practitioners much like Levy, who is known for his innovative, soy-free ital creations and will be at the festival as a guest chef. This evening's Brooklyn launch targets the Caribbean Diaspora in New York to encourage them to travel to Ocho Rios for Ital Food Fest, while giving them the chance to whet their appetites with the same elevated, high frequency foods to come.​

Meanwhile, Levy said he was looking forward to the launch.​

“It’s an ital launch of course, so it’s an honour to bring it back to Bellyful Restaurant where it all began with my Taste of Ital pop-ups. My goal is always to spread the love, share the joy and continue the healing with food, so we’re bringing all that together with good music and great vibes,” he said.​

Levy added: “It will show people what’s coming to Ital food Fest, and after travelling the world as a personal chef, I can say this is exactly the kind of food the world is yearning for, and Jamaica has a big hand in that.”​

 

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Get Ready For The Caribbean’s Best Chocolate Festival​

Grenada, an island situated in the Caribbean known for its production of spices, is set to host its ... [+]


The Caribbean island of Grenada, known for its abundant spice production, is gearing up to host its much-awaited 10th annual Grenada Chocolate Festival from May 16 – 21, 2023. The festival, which was first launched in 2014, celebrates the rich history and culture of chocolate production on the island, home to six chocolate companies, including the well-known Grenada Chocolate Company, which is credited with pioneering the tree-to-bar chocolate movement.

This year's festival, themed the Rum Edition, is set to provide visitors with a unique opportunity to explore the history of rum and chocolate production. Attendees can enjoy things like rum tastings and tours at local distilleries, a masterclass with Renegade and Tri Island, and mixologist competitions at Mount Cinnamon. The event will also have cocoa field trips to sustainable chocolate factories, tours of the ethical tree-to-bar chocolate making process, chocolate-focused arts and crafts, and even chocolate yoga meditation.

This year's Grenada Chocolate + Rum Festival features a schedule of exciting events that are spread ... [+]


According to Petra Roach, CEO of Grenada Tourism Authority, “The Grenada Chocolate Festival is an annual event that attracts chocolate lovers and budding chocolatiers from all over the world. The festival offers a variety of fun and delicious experiences, from cocoa farm tours to premium high-quality chocolate tastings, to wellness experiences centered around chocolate. Visitors get to explore our beautiful island and celebrate this significant element of Grenadian culture with the locals."


Grenada's volcanic soil, ideal weather, and verdant rainforests make it an ideal climate for growing fine cocoa. Magdalena Fielden, Founder of the Grenada Chocolate Festival, says, "The Grenada Chocolate Festival is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the local farmers and chocolatiers who have made Grenada a world-renowned destination for chocolate lovers, in addition to the power of community and the importance of sustainable and ethical practices in a small island.”

This year's festival, themed the Rum Edition, offers attendees the opportunity to explore the ... [+]



Here’s an overview of the events:

The Grenada Chocolate Fest commences on Tuesday, May 16 with a morning visit to the House of Chocolate and rum tastings at Tri Island, followed by relaxation in the afternoon. The festival's opening celebration is held in the evening at Westerhall Estate, featuring music, chocolate, rum, and local food vendors.

On Wednesday, May 17, the festivities continue with a cocoa celebration at Belmont Estate, including a farmer's lunch. In the evening, attendees can participate in a Cocktail Master Class at True Blue Rum Shop and attend the "Chocolate Rum Street Food Extravaganza" at Dodgy Dock, featuring dinner, live music, and cocktails under the stars.


Thursday, May 18 is dedicated to Grenada's chocolate and rum culture. Afternoon activities include a visit to Annandale Waterfalls and creating a spiced rum bottle at Wild Orchid. In the evening, guests can choose between two rum and chocolate masterclasses at Silversands or a sunset chocolate night dive with Aquanauts Grenada and a pint of chocolate beer at the West Indies Brewery.

Friday, May 19 features a tree-to-bar sustainable chocolate flavoring experience at Crayfish Bay, followed by a farm-to-table lunch and swim at Mount Edgecombe. The evening concludes with a rum and chocolate cocktail competition at Mount Cinnamon and a beach bonfire by Savvy's.

On Saturday, May 20, families can participate in fun chocolate activities and crafts bazaar throughout the day while enjoying distillery tours at Renegade Rum and Rivers Rum. In the evening, attendees can relax with yoga sound healing and a chocolate culinary dinner at Dodgy Dock.


The festival concludes on Sunday, May 21 with a morning yoga session and creating cocoa butter and chocolate potions at True Blue Bay Resort. Guests can also experience flavors and aromas at the Tower before attending the closing party hosted by Le Phare Bleu, featuring tastings, toasts, and live music