Ingredients You'll Find In A West Indian Kitchen
Hi There,
You know in a typical American kitchen, you'll often find ketchup, mayonnaise, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Velveeta, ranch dressing (America’s latest obsession), and my personal favorite, Miracle Whip. These items are familiar American flavors many of us grew up with.
Well in West Indian culture, the pantry is going to look a bit different. While each country has its unique vibe and culinary traditions, there are many similar ingredients commonly used across the region.
Curry Powder: A blend made of turmeric, coriander, cumin & other spices, reflecting the Indian influence. Several countries use curry, including Guyana, Trinidad, and Jamaica.
Browning: Caramelized sugar-based condiment that adds a rich, dark color and a slightly sweet, bitter flavor to various dishes. It’s often used in stews, sauces, gravies, and meat dishes like stewed oxtail. Fun fact, if you don’t have browning you can put some sugar and oil in the pot and burn the sugar slightly to create browning in a pinch.
Peppers: West Indian food is all about the heat, kids are trained from an early age to eat food with tons of heat. Peppers add a distinctive heat and flavor to many traditional dishes. Jamaica uses Scotch Bonnet, Trinidad uses Scorpion, and Guyana uses Wiri Wiri.
Plantains: Pronounced [plan-tin], these are often used as a side dish complement a savory meal. There is nothing like friend yellow plantain to add some umami when eating oxtail with rice & peas. The green version is often used in savory soups and stews.
Coconut Milk: A staple in many rice based dishes like Guyanese Cookup or stews made with root vegetables, adding a rich and creamy texture.
Green Seasoning: A blend of fresh herbs and spices used to marinate meats and flavor dishes. Every country has its own version of this using slightly different herbs. For instance, Trinidad’s green seasoning uses culantro.
Eddoes: A type of root vegetable similar to taro. It has potato like texture, is slightly sweet and is often used in soups and stews.
Pepper Sauce: Is it really a West Indian home if it doesn't have pepper sauce? An essential condiment, adding heat and flavor to many dishes. Currently, there is an ongoing debate about who has the best pepper sauce in the West Indies. Barbados would argue that they have it, but Guyanese will say nay. Trinidad will say there is no debate, and Jamaica would say they have the best! Gotta love intercultural rivalries!
Wiri Wiri Peppers
These ingredients form the backbone of many traditional West Indian dishes, creating the vibrant, flavorful, and diverse cuisine that the region is known for. They come together to create a unique culinary experience that is both comforting and full of flavor. From hearty stews to spicy curries, the food reflects the rich cultural tapestry of the West Indies.
Personal Connection
Growing up, in Queens, I remember my mother going down to Little Guyana to get ingredients. I can smell the fresh pot of curry shrimp filling our home with the wonderful aromas of West Indian cooking. It's a connection to my heritage that I carry with me, even as I live on the other side of the Atlantic. Whenever I visit Queens, I make spice runs to bring back with me to Paris.
Understanding the ingredients that make up the culinary traditions of different cultures not only helps us appreciate the diversity of food but also connects us to the stories and histories of those who came before us. Whether it's the comfort of an American kitchen or the vibrant flavors of a West Indian one, food has a unique way of bringing people together and keeping cultural traditions alive.