Island Cuisine & Tropical Libations

Food, Drink and Merriment are just as important as the sun and sea when island life is experienced. Our selection of articles and recipes in Island Cuisine and Tropical Libations helps you experience the islands even when the wind is blowing and thermometer reads south of 32 degrees. And please let us know if you have a favorite you would like to share with our readers.

A Cuban Christmas Dinner

As with every other part of the Cuban holiday, the Christmas food in Cuba is based on the Latin heritage of the island and its people.
Christmas recipes are quite different from what people in the United States may consider traditional Christmas food, but for the people of this island, these foods are truly the tradition.
The main course of the meal is often a roasted pig, which is cooked outside over a pit for many hours.
Side dishes will often include traditional Cuban dishes of the area such as plantains, black beans and rice, and Cuban bread. Desserts are an important part of Cuban Christmas traditions, and there are numerous types of sweet items that are often served.
Cuban Christmas recipes for specialty sugar cookies and flan are often baked and served. Other dessert items may include puddings and rum cakes.

For those interested in trying out Cuban Christmas food, there are plenty of traditional Cuban recipes that can be found. For example, here is a recipe for Cuban Rice Pudding as found on the website www.foodbycountry.com:

Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)
Ingredients
• ½ cup rice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ cups water
• 1 quart milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon rind
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Ground cinnamon
Procedure
1. Boil the rice with water, lemon rind, and cinnamon stick in a pot until soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce heat to low.
3. Add milk, salt, vanilla, and sugar.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thick (about 1 hour).
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.
Serves 8.

Cuban Christmas traditions have long been overpowered by the total rule of a communist government.
In fact, even today, you would rarely see a Christmas Tree or twinkling lights. Many of the religious elements of the holiday were long banned as well. However, in the last few years, since the ban on the holiday has been lifted, more and more Cuban people have begun to move back to the Cuban Christmas of decades past.
Of course, as with any real celebration on the island, a Christmas feast includes Latin music, large meals, and an emphasis on family.

Havanna-Guide.com

Beverages of British Virgin Islands

Beverages have a special place in the lifestyles of citizens in British Virgin Islands. The place boasts of some of the exotic beverages, which are bound to leave an everlasting taste. Some of the popular ones are listed below.

Rum
Distinctive of the Caribbean in general, rum is said to have been brought by Columbus from the Canary Islands. Now each island has its favorites and many produce their own varieties. Amber Barbados rum has a fine brandy-like aroma good as a mixer. Light Puerta Rico rums like Bicardi popularized the pina colada created there and can be substituted for many liquors.

Rum is still distilled from sugarcane in the British Virgin Islands

still distilled from sugarcane in the British Virgin Islands (Callwood Rum Distillery). Widely used as a flavoring agent in cooking, such as rum cheesecake (The Garden) and French toasted muffins (Crewed Charter Scubada), rum is most famous in drinks, such as rum punches and the pina colada

Rum Punch
Aptly named, the traditional Caribbean rum "punch" has 1 "sour" ounce of lime juice, 2 "sweet" teaspoons of honey, 3 "strong" ounces of dark rum, and 4 "weak" ounces of crushed ice, plus a grating of nutmeg. Versions of the rum punch abound from island to bartender.

Painkiller
A famous drink in British Virgin Islands, the Painkiller originated at the Soggy Dollar Bar at White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. This frozen delight is made (strongly) from dark rum (often Pusser's), pineapple juice (4 parts), orange juice ( 1 part), and Coco Lopez (1 part sweetened cream of coconut) with fresh nutmeg ground on top.

Bushwhacker
From the old Pirate's Pub of Bert Kilbride's, now "The Rock," is this recipe: equal parts Vodka, Dark Rum, Frangellico, Amaretto (a little less of this), Creme de Cacao, Kahlua and Bailey's Irish Creme, then blend with ice until the consistency of a milk shake.

Courtesy of goweathly.com

Jolly Roger Inn, Tortola:

There are many restaurants, bars and hotels in the BVI, but the Jolly Roger on Tortola is our choice. It has great food, is uniquely friendly and casual! The Jolly Roger Inn is a casual outdoor restaurant near the West End of Tortola, located on the water's edge at the entrance of Soper's Hole The following review says it all:
We went here twice during our stay because in our opinion we had the best food and the friendliest waitress here when we visited first. The atmosphere is good, too. ...more [+]Large groups of sailors come over from Soper's Hole Marina by taxi or dinghy (the restaurant is right at the water's edge!). The local police stops here for a snack and a chat at the bar from time to time. Also local families seem to like this place. There's a barbecue special on Saturdays. If you are a large group you better reserve a table in advance. On our first visit I had the best fish & chips I have ever had here (and I had many!!!). They came with a mango sauce tartare I could die for! The second time I had a ceasar's salad with jerk chicken - one of my island favourites! It was great but not as good as the fish. By sabsi

Curry Conch Fried Rice

Impress your family and friends with this tasty recipe created at the Abaco Beach Resort in Marsh Harbour, Abaco Bahamas. Their own Chef Charles blends Indian spices with local Bahamian flavors.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. conch diced
• 2 oz. shrimp diced
• 4.5 oz. cooking oil
• 2 oz. onions diced
• 2 oz. green pepper diced
• 2 oz. red pepper diced
• 2 oz. whole kernel corn
• 2 oz. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 6 oz. water
• 1.5 tsps. fish base
• 1.5 tsps. thyme
• 4 cups white rice, cooked
• Cayenne pepper to taste

1. Fry conch and shrimp in oil for two minutes in large frying pan.

2. Add onions, pepper, and thyme, basil, seasoning soy sauce, water and curry powder.

3. Add rice to mixture and cook for four minutes.

The Best Beers in the Caribbean!

When you are in the Caribbean, you should drink Caribbean beer -- it's that simple. These are beers brewed in and designed for the tropics -- typically light and smooth lagers, they go down easy on a hot sunny day. There are more than a dozen major Caribbean brews to choose from, including popular favorites like Red Stripe and Carib, the unique "Man's Beer" Stag from Trinidad, and the uniquely Bahamian Kalik. Try 'em all!

Balashi, Aruba
This all-malt pilsner is the national beer of Aruba. You can tour the Balashi brewery in Oranjestad when visiting the island.

Banks, Barbados
This pilsner-style lager is brewed by the Banks Barbados Brewery, which also makes amber, stout, and light versions of the brew. The brewery in Barbados' St. Michael parish offers tours to the public.

Biere Lorriane, Martinique
This American-style lager can be found in bars across Martinique, where it is locally brewed.

Bucanero, Cuba
Classic Cuban lager brewed in Holguin.

Carib, Trinidad and Tobago
One of the most popular beers in the Caribbean, and sold in many islands beyond its native Trinidad, Carib is an American Adjunct Lager.

Caybrew, Cayman Islands
Caybrew is a European Style Pale Lager produced by Cayman Islands Brewing, Ltd., which also makes a Caybrew Light, White Tip Lager, and a hearty Ironshore Bock. The Grand Cayman brewery was founded in 2007 and is open to the public for tours.

Kalik, Bahamas
Part of the Heineken family of beer brands, Kalik is brewed by Commonwealth Brewery in Nassau, Bahamas. The name for this mellow lager comes from the distinctive sound made by cowbells during the islands' annual Junkanoo celebration. Light and heavier "gold" versions of Kalik also are sold. With about 7 percent alcohol, the regular Kalik has a decent kick.

Kubuli, Dominica
This light, German style lager bears a shortened version of the Carib Indian name for this island of Dominica and is made with spring water from the "nature island" of the Caribbean.

Medalla Light, Puerto Rico
This popular pale lager is brewed in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and sold everywhere on the island.

Piton, St. Lucia
Named for St. Lucia's signature mountain peaks, Piton is a American Adjunct Lager produced on-island by the Windward & Leeward Brewing Company, which also brews Heineken, Guinness, and Strongbow cider under license.

Presidente, Dominican Republic
This American Adjunct Lager is the most popular beer in the Dominican Republic and, like Red Strip and Carib, can be found on U.S. store shelves, as well.

Prestige, Haiti
An American-style lager, Prestige has been brewed in Haiti for several decades and is now the most popular brand of beer on the island. The beer was honored with a gold medal in the World Beer Cup in 2000.

Red Stripe, Jamaica
A beer that's nearly synonymous with the Caribbean, Red Stripe is a world-famous export from Jamaica like reggae and rum. Unlike most Caribbean beers, it's a full-bodied lager with a uniquely sweet flavor, packaged in distinctive squat, dark-glass, 12-ounce bottles. There's also a Red Stripe Light version of the beer, and brewer Desnoes & Geddes of Kingston also makes Dragon Stout and the popular non-alcoholic Malta beverage.

Sands, Bahamas
Brewed on Grand Bahama Island, Sands is a pale lager from Bahamian Brewery and Beverage, which also makes a Sands Light, Strong Back Stout, and High Rock premium lager.

Stag, Trinidad and Tobago
Unabashedly billed as "A Man's Beer," Stag is a European Style Lager brewed by the same Trinidad and Tobago company that makes the lighter Carib. Despite its macho advertising, however, it's not especially strong -- just 5.5 percent alcohol by volume.

Wadadli, Antigua
Wadadli is a pale lager that reflects the original native name for Antigua.

By Robert Curley, About.com Guide