Caribbean Food Goes Back to Its Roots + Recipes | Whole Life Times

Cassava Fritters

The Caribbean islands, land of white sand beaches and tourist delights, is a collection of approximately 31 islands that starts alphabetically with Anguilla and goes right through to the United Virgin Islands. Local cuisine is diverse, as would be expected from such a cultural crossroads, and features flavors of French, Creole, African and Caribbean International cooking, sometimes in surprising new combinations.

One of the most traditional ways of keeping healthy in the islands is by reverting back to basics with what is termed “ground provision.” This is a local way of collectively referring to root vegetables, such as yams, sweet potatoes, cassava, eddoes and dasheen root.

Since the islands were originally agrarian, many of the national dishes of the Caribbean use some form of ground provision in their signature dishes, whether boiled, fried, mashed, baked or made into a pie. They add a unique flavor and also thicken the dish, adding texture and complex layers of flavor that cannot be found with any other vegetable.

Barbados serves Bajan Flying Fish with a side of ground provision; the Dominican Republic favors sancocho, a hearty soup with chunks of ground provision; and in Jamaica it forms the basis of Ital food, which is food prepared without any animal products, sugar or salt. Yah mon!

Yams are irregular potato-shaped root vegetables that come in about 200 varieties. The outer skin can be deep-brown, purple or white in color. The inside is pure white and becomes creamy when cooked. It is packed with manganese, which activates the body’s enzymes, adding vitamin B6 and C, potassium and dietary fibers. It is of particular interest to women as it assists with PMS, morning sickness, and development of healthy breast tissue. It also lowers blood pressure.

Eddoes are generally small in size with a rough brown skin. When cooked they have a semisweet nutty flavor. Eddoes contain protein, dietary fibers and sugars, and are high in carbohydrates. They are especially recommended for diabetics as they reduce insulin, slow the absorption of glucose, remove bile acids from the intestine, and lower cholesterol levels. Eddoes are very filling and help with dieting, since they create a prolonged feeling of fullness.

Dasheen root is such a close relation to eddoes that they are used interchangeably. It is high in potassium and a staple in various cultures by such names as taro, satoimo or arrowroot.

Cassava is a major food staple across the globe. It looks like an elongated brown potato with a pure white, thick interior. It has similar nutritional values to the yam, with vitamin B6 and C, potassium, iron, manganese and carbohydrates. Cassava helps to control diabetes and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. The pudding known as tapioca comes from the cassava in the form of beaded starch that looks like pearls until moistened.

Sweet potatoes are similar in shape to potatoes but have a purple, pink or orange skin with a thick solid interior of pale white to orange. They are high in vitamin A, C and B6, as well as copper, potassium, manganese, iron and dietary fibers. Due to their high levels of antioxidants, sweet potatoes help to regulate high blood pressure and protect against inflammatory conditions. They are a great source of beta carotene, believed to reduce the risk of cancer.

Cassava Fritters

These crispy, crunchy fritters will go well with either a sweet or savory chutney.

1 lb. cassava

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

3 cloves garlic

¼ onion

1 tsp. dried chives

Salt & pepper

Oil for frying

1. Peel cassava and chop into cubes.

2. Place in food processor with garlic, onion and chives, and purée.

3. Empty mixture into a bowl and add the egg to make a dense, firm consistency.

3. Drop a heaping teaspoon of mixture into the palm of your hand and form into either a ball or flat shape.

4. Place into hot oil and fry until golden brown.

5. Drain and serve with your choice of chutney.

Eddoe Chips

On hot summer days a light snack of eddoes chips with dip is great for grazing. These delicious chips have a nutty, semisweet flavor that brings its own ray of sunshine.

2 c. sliced eddoes

Water to boil

1/2 c. vegetable oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Cajun spices (optional)

1. Wash eddoes and place unpeeled in pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes.

2. Peel skin and cut into thin slices.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan

4. Add eddoes slices and fry until golden brown.

5. Drain, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and enjoy with your favorite dip. Eddoe chips are also tasty when sprinkled with Cajun spices.

Photo courtesy Raisah Ali