The Caribbean is a vibrant region located in the Americas, encompassing the Caribbean Sea, its islands, and the surrounding coastal areas of North, Central, and South America1. It includes over 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays, with famous islands like Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola (home to Haiti and the Dominican Republic)
Key Features:
Geography: The Caribbean is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and north, the coast of South America to the south, Central America to the southwest, and the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest
Cultural Diversity: The region is known for its rich cultural heritage, influenced by African, European, Indigenous, and Asian traditions.
Tourism: The Caribbean is a popular tourist destination, renowned for its beautiful beaches, clear blue waters, and vibrant marine life.
Major Island Groups:
Greater Antilles: Includes larger islands like Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico.
Lesser Antilles: Comprises smaller islands, divided into the Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, and Leeward Antilles2.
The Caribbean’s unique blend of cultures, stunning landscapes, and warm climate make it a fascinating and diverse region to explore.
Caribbean cuisine is an enjoyable blend of culinary influences from Africa, Asia and Europe and all the people that made it their home. It’s a combination of the authentic food cooked by the original inhabitants the Arawaks, Caribs and Tainos. It combines plenty of fresh seafood from the waters of the Caribbean, an abundance of fresh vibrant fruits, vegetables, and traditional meats.
One thing to remember about the Caribbean is that each island while using similar ingredients has different dishes, unique to its culture, people, and traditions. These countries are made up of Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, Montserrat, Guyana, and St. Lucia.
Some of these unique dishes are:
Ackee and salt fish- Jamaica’s national
Roti- a traditional snack packed with meat, or used instead of rice, originating from Trinidad.
Cou-cou and flying fish, Barbados’ national
Breadfruit- delicious mashed, roasted, or as chips, a rich source of protein and gluten- free
Rice and peas /peas and rice- kidney beans or gungo peas/pigeon peas or dry peas, lentils, or black eye peas are used for this
