barbeque  method  invented  by  escaped  slaves in the jungle interior as a way to preserve meats while on the run. 

Callaloo (KAL-lah-loo).  This is a popular soup made throughout Caribbean; Its a rich soup made with seafood, pork, leafy greens, Caribbean root vegetables, herbs and spice; thicken with okra and similar to gumbo.  There are many variations on this classic Caribbean soup, depending on the Island and cook preparing it.  Chef Rose's version is a sublime puréed style, made with fresh local organic vegetables, top with succulent crab claw meat.  She also make a killer vegan version.  Callaloo soup is served on French Caribbean Nights at Sweet Plantains Restaurant.  Please read our brief article about Callaloo soup.  

Cardamon (Kar-dub-muhm). The "Queen of Spices;" A member of the ginger family; this aromatic spice is natice to India and grows in Asia, South America; One of the most expensive spices, second to saffron.

Cassareep.  The fermented juice from the bitter casava root tuber.  It is a key ingredient in making Amerindian-Afro pepperpot soup. 
 

Cassava / Yuca:  A potato-like vegetable, a bit more creamy.  Native to Brazil, its Bahian name, mandioca, comes from the Tupi word for root.  In the Caribbean islands, cassava comes from the Taino (Arawak) kasabi, which the Spanish translated to casabe.  To confuse matters even more, this long dark tuber with the white ersatile flesh is also known as yuca.  Cassava bread called bammies in Jamaica were first made by the Indigenous Indians. Tapioca pudding is also extracted from the cassava  root vegetable. 

Christophene Pear.  This pear-shaped, light green, delicately flavored tropical squash.  Also known as Chayote, Cho-Cho and mirliton.

Chorizo:  A Spanish / Mexican  pork sausage flavored  

with garlic, oregano, and cumin.   We  use  premium Spanish chorizo.   

Chutney: A freshly ground semi-wet hot relish and served as an accompaniment to spicy dishes.

Colombo:  Colombo curries are inspired by exotic spice mixtures and masalas brought to the Caribbean by East Indians in the mid-nineteen century.
 

Curry: Ground powder of mixed spices.   Store bought curries come in sweet, mild, and hot; a brilliant British invention used to mimic  the taste of East Indian cuisine. True East Indian cooking  is flavored with fresh combinations of spices and herbs and not premixed commercial curry. Please refer to Masala.

Djon djon: (Pronounced jun jun). This wild mushroom is a specialty of Haiti traditionally used to color and flavor rice dishes.

Escabeche.  A method of quick pickling fish which  goes back to pre-refrigeration times.  From Spanish origins, however used in several Caribbean Islands especially Jamaica.   

Flan. A traditional Spanish baked custard with caramel. Flan is one of the most common desserts that is prepared in most Latin countries.

Fricassee (Frihk-uk-see): Usually a chicken dish that has been brown / sautéed  in butter prior to being stewed with vegetables and spices.

Fufu / Funchi / Mofongo:  A mash made from starchy vegetables (green banana, plantains, cassava, yam) legume or grains. This is eaten in place of rice or bread. Other ingredients include okra and seasoned cornmeal, meat, and fish.
 

Garam Masala:  A blend of savory Indian spices that are freshly roasted and ground;  Spices such as coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, caraway, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.  Rose hand blends her masala mix with fresh herbs and spices; then she roast it on top of the oven so that the bouquet blossoms.  It is then milled in a spice grinder, strained and incorporated in her Indo-Caribbean  red curry  sauce. 

Yams.  A tasty tropical root vegetable which can be prepared like potatoes, i.e., boiled, mashed, and fried. There are over 200 varieties, some of which are grown for medicinal purposes.  No relation to sweet potatoes which are sometimes referred to as yam.  Yams are apart of the food group we call "Provisions" in the West Indies.  Read our article about Provisions.

Yellow Grits / cooked cornmeal.  Made from stone ground corn.  We slow cook yellow cornmeal with coconut milk and natural seasoning, i.e., garlic, onions, thyme, and tomatoes. Similar to polenta, or fungi (however with out okra).  The term grits is a Southern American method of preparing corn meal;  Polenta is the Italian method, and fungi  or turn-cornmeal is the West Indian method.  

Jerk:  Pepper and spice cured food, usually pork, chicken and fish.   Good jerk is made with a spicy wet jerk paste, not the dry rub.  The two key ingredients are scotch bonnet chilies and Jamaican allspice (in Jamaican it's called pemento, from the Spanish pimienta, meaning "pepper'").   Jerk was developed by the Jamaican Maroons (escape slaves) and indigenous inhabitants in the jungle interior as a survival technique.  This method of cooking derives from the original barbequing technique.  See barbeque above. 

Masala.  An authentic-traditional East Indian spice mixture. It gives each dish its distinctive taste.  A masala spice blend may contain as few as three spices, or as many as twenty.  Common spices in masala are cinnamon, clove, cardamon, nutmeg, curry leaf, cumin, and coriander.  Unlike curry (a store bought commercial masala of sorts), true East Indian cooking rely on specific, unique combination of spices, depending on the dish.  On Indo-Caribbean nights Chef Rose prepares several different hand-blended masalas, from freshly roasted and milled exotic spices.  Read our article about Indo-Caribbean Cuisine.

Merquén (Merken).  A native Chilean spice blend used to give an authentic, smokey-earthy kick to stews, marinades, and dry rubs.  We blend our on spices to make Merquén, used on Latin Nights. 

Mojo.  A Latin style marinade, dressing or dip made with garlic, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro, however, with lots of other variations; Very similar to a vinaigrette. Read our article about Latin Cuisine. 

Peccadillo / Picadillo: A Spanish term for hash or a highly seasoned dish of usually garlic, sweet peppers, olives, raisins, the ingredients varies depending on the region (Mexico, Cuba, Spain); used in meats / poultry / seafood. Read our article about Latin Cuisine.

Pigeon peas:  Also known as Congo or goongoo peas is a staple throughout the West Indies.  Native to Africa, it is used to make the ubiquitous peas and rice / rice and peas / rice and beans dishes. We consider it the 'poor mans caviar' of the Caribbean.

Plantains:  A relative of bananas, this starchy fruit is a common ingredient in the Caribbean, Bahia, and West Africa.  Of Asian origin, plantains have been known in Africa since the tenth century.  When the skin is green and unripe, the flesh is starchy and bland and it can be fried or baked.  When the skin is blackened but the fruit is still firm, it has a soft, almost banana texture and aroma but it is still must be cooked to be eaten.  Read our article about Plantains.

Provisions.  In the Caribbean provisions are certain agricultural  whole-foods that accompany a main dish or protein.  And the most popular is…you guessed…Sweet Plantains.  Read our article about Provision. 
 

Saltfish / Baclao: Saltfish is any dried, salted fish, but most often cod. A staple throughout the Caribbean, is date back to the days before refrigeration. Must be soaked in cold water over night to desalt.  Once a food staple now considered a luxury food.   Sold around the world in Italian, Spanish or Portuguese markets under some variant on the name bacalao. 

Samosa: A common Indian street food, samosas are delicious bubbly pastries filled with savory-spiced fillings.  Fried snack – crisp, triangular pastry casing filled with spiced peas, potatoes and a sprinkling of finely chopped mix vegetables.  Enjoy this classic treat on indo-Caribbean nights at Sweet Plantains Restaurant.  

Seviche (also spelled sebiche, ceviche, and cebiche) is raw fish or shellfish that has been marinated for several hours in citrus juice, especially lime juice, until the acid in the juice “cooks” it. Very delicious The Sevichie is fresh (Red Snapper Filet) marinated for several hours (A Minimum  of four) in freshly squeezed lime juice and spices (chilly peppers, garlic, and black pepper), then tossed in raw vegetables (red onion, red and green bell peppers, and celery) finished with a (coconut-lime) dressing. Read our article about Seviche.     

Sorrel:  This refers to the edible West Indian hibiscus flower seed pod.  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 a  Jamaica’s traditional holiday beverage.  

Sofrito:  A spirited Latin blend of slow sautéed vegetable and herbs, primarily used  in Cuban and Puerto Rican cooking;  we call it the Latin holy trinity of Latin cuisine.  When we say a dish has a “Latin essence” it typically contain our homemade sofrito / adobo / mojo. Read our article about Latin Cuisine.
 

Roti: An East Indian flat bread which was considered, centuries ago, to be a commoner’s meal since it was mostly eaten by shepherds and farmers.  However, today Roti is a popular meal item amongst all Indian foods.  Introduced to the Caribbean by East Indians,  here in the West Indies the Roti flat bread is used as a wrap for stewed curries.

Ropa Vieja: is Spanish for “old clothes.”  It's a delicious Latin Caribbean stew of intensely flavored pulled meat.  Enjoy Ropa Vieja on Latin Nights at Sweet Plantain Restaurant.  Read our article about Ropa Vieja  and Latin Cuisine.

Tostone:  Mashed fried green (unripe) plantains. 

Read our article about Plantains and Latin Cuisine.

West Indian Cuisine is Creole Cuisine—Creole cookery reflects the full-flavored combination of the best of African, Indian, French, and Spanish cuisines.  The bold flavors of Sweet Plantains are inspired by  ancestral culinary traditions of home cooks passed and present from around the Caribbean.  As a result of the mingling of cultures, i.e., the indigenous Indians, African slaves, European colonizers, East Indian and Asian migrant workers, real cuisines were created. Sweet Plantains celebrates this creolized  blending with a tasty mix of regional styles of cooking from the old foodways.