Caribbean Christmas Food

Two of my favourite things are travelling ( particularly to the Caribbean) and food ( both eating it and cooking it)!

As we are coming up to Christmas I thought I would share some recipes and traditions which they enjoy in the Caribbean at this time of year. Maybe you could try some of them and ‘spice up’ your Christmas a bit this year – quite literally!

Obviously one of the main staples of the Caribbean at any time of year is rum, and rum punch is drunk all year round but particularly at Christmas. It is a traditional Caribbean cocktail normally including local rum, pineapple juice and orange juice.

I really like this Christmas drink from Trinidad and Tobago which is their version of our Egg Nog! It is called Ponche De Creme and is a creamy alcoholic drink made from sweetened condensed milk, plenty of dark rum, angostura bitters and spiced with plenty of fresh nutmeg and lime.

Taste-the-Islands-Ponche-Creme.jpg

As well as being drunk, Rum is also used in many recipes. A popular one, is Caribbean Black Cake, a truly traditional West Indian Christmas Recipe . It is intensely aromatic and alcoholic. Dried mixed fruits are infused with rich flavours of rum, cherry brandy, and locally sourced spices such as cinnamon, all spice and nutmeg. Many people will start soaking the fruit months in advance for a real full-bodied Caribbean flavour.

A festive drink which is very popular in Jamaica ( and yes it has Rum in it, though you can make it without if you prefer) is Sorrel. This is made from the sorrel flower which is in full bloom at Christmas. The flower is steeped in boiling water with ginger and pimento berries and left to soak overnight, then just add rum, lemon juice and sugar to taste. – https://dominicaexplorer.com/food-and-drink/how-to-make-sorrel-drink/

Glazed baked ham is a popular Christmas dish in Jamaica, as it is over here. We like this recipe with pineapple to make it more tropical – https://cooklikeajamaican.com/glazed-baked-ham/

A great accompaniment, as well as the traditional ‘rice and peas’ is this wonderful candied sweet potatoes – https://cooklikeajamaican.com/candied-sweet-potatoes/. This dish has been around for centuries and is very popular with islanders. It is an excellent accompaniment as it has just the right amount of sweetness without the feeling that you are eating dessert.

So I hope that has given you a bit of inspiration to try something different this Christmas.

Have a wonderful and aromatic Christmas!

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