Enjoying The Puerto Rico Festivals

Whenever you think of Puerto Rico, sandy beaches, a lot of sunshine, some great music, amazing arts and interesting folklore is what comes to your mind. With the astounding cultural diversity there, you can find a vast difference in the ways of the people here.

With a desirable climate all year round, it is just the right place for all tourists. Transport to and from Puerto Rico has never been a problem as there are many flights in and out at regular intervals just to keep up with the increase in the number of visiting tourists. It is also considered to be one of the best places in the Caribbean for a honeymoon.

Entertainment for the tourists is available in many forms all around the year and the best part is that many people visit just to be part of the many festivals that showcase the many cultures that prevails in this amazing place.

The most famous events are held during the Patron Saint Festivals or Fiestas Patronales, in the memory of the patron saint of each municipality. The festival features a beautiful parade, with a lot of games and other live entertainment and also some of the best regional food. Continue reading “Enjoying The Puerto Rico Festivals”

Barbados’ Tapas Restaurant is Tops

If the Three Tenors had collaborated on a restaurant instead of “Nessun Dorma,” they might have founded the popular new Tapas in Barbados.

Instead, three Italians well-known in the Barbados restaurant scene collaborated to make beautiful food together. Located on the new boardwalk on the south coast, Tapas occupies the two-level space Aqua once had. It’s one of the most stunning sea-front locations on the island.

Tapas offers an elegant, quite posh space and, on this island known for its pricey meals, reasonable prices. Four of us will order every tapas plate that strikes our fancy (and then hoard our favorites when the waiter brings them) and still have spent less than $100US for the table. Paired with a good bottle of white wine, dinner is a true Barbados bargain. (And believe me, paradise doesn’t come cheap.)

The Owners of Barbados’ Tapas Restaurant Continue reading “Barbados’ Tapas Restaurant is Tops”

Chadon Beni – Trini Herb Extraordinaire

Chadon beni or shado beni is a herb with a strong pungent scent and flavor that is used extensively in Caribbean cooking, more so Trini cooking. The scientific name for the herb is ‘Eryngium foetidum’ but in Trinidad and Tobago the popular “market” names for chadon beni are culantro or bhandhania.

Culantro is distinct from cilantro or coriander (another herb) which carries the scientific name ‘coriandrum sativum‘ and should not be confused. The confusion comes from the similarity in the two herbs’ scents. The difference between Chadon beni (or culantro) and cilantro is that chadon beni (or culantro) has a stronger and more pungent scent. It should also be noted that chadon beni belongs to the botanical family Apiaceae where parsley, dill, fennel, and celery, also belong to this botanical family. An aromatic family at that I would also add! Continue reading “Chadon Beni – Trini Herb Extraordinaire”

Caribbean Coconuts – A Surprising Fact I Bet You Don’t Know!

Before you read the rest of this article about Caribbean coconuts, I want you to do me a favor:

1. Get into a comfortable position

2. Close your eyes

3. Let yourself get nice and relaxed, almost to the point of napping

4. Imagine you are one a warm Caribbean beach

5. Explore that image in your mind for a while

6. Once you have your image memorized, open your eyes

Now, what exactly did you see in your mental image of a warm Caribbean beach? Continue reading “Caribbean Coconuts – A Surprising Fact I Bet You Don’t Know!”

Spicy BBQ Glazed Ham Recipe to Add Some Caribbean Zest to Your Holidays

Pickapeppa sauce, which is also known hairs “Jamaican ketchup,” is a wonderful condiment that is produced only in Jamaica. As anyone who has tried it already knows, it is not like any other hot sauce on the market. Sugar, vinegar, mangoes, raisins, tamarinds, peppers, and spices are cooked with onions and tomatoes and then aged like wine in oak barrels for about a year. It is a tangy, sweet, hot, complex condiment, and the perfect pairing with jerk barbecued anything. Serve this BBQ glazed ham with grilled sweet potatoes.

4 tablespoons Pickapeppa sauce

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

5 teaspoons molasses Continue reading “Spicy BBQ Glazed Ham Recipe to Add Some Caribbean Zest to Your Holidays”

The Wonders of Strong Coffee

Those who have to like for strong coffee, then they will surely love the Blue Mountain Coffee. Cultivated in extreme conditions and roasted using strict methods, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is known for their mild flavour and lack of bitterness. While the Jamaican coffee has grown in popularity over the decades, it is the most sought type by espresso companies, cafeterias and also households. That is not only because of its great taste but a myriad of health benefits. Here, take a look at the some of them to have an idea of what wonders a strong coffee can do to your health.

#1 Gives energy and helps fight diseases

A cup of strong coffee bears a lot of nutrients and vitamins. Besides, there are tons of antioxidants which help in detoxifying the body of the consumers. The caffeine has been a great influence on the immune system and has the ability to ward off diseases. It blocks all the pathways that inflammatory molecules.

#2 Helps burn fat Continue reading “The Wonders of Strong Coffee”

Jamaican Noni Juice – Wonder Drink

As a proud Jamaican it’s hard for me to admit that the Jamaican Noni Juice is no different from all the other varieties of Noni juice processed elsewhere in the world. It is harvested from the same tree (scientific name Morinda Citrifolia) known in various places as morinda, Indian mulberry, and Noni cheese fruit among others.

The Noni tree is native to Southeast Asia but grows mostly in tropical regions and spreads across the Indian subcontinent and along the Polynesian archipelago. The varieties most commonly cultivated and processed into commercial juices are those from Tahiti and Hawaii.

The fruit is rich in carbohydrates and fiber content, with some proteins and a little fat. The main micronutrients seem to be vitamin C, and traces of niacin, iron, potassium, vitamin A, calcium and sodium. Continue reading “Jamaican Noni Juice – Wonder Drink”

Jamaica Traditional Fruit Cake

To many individuals a good quality cake is seen almost as an exotic foods. In Jamaica the traditional rich old time Jamaican fruitcake is among the most popular. Unknown to many, this is a spin-off of the age old English plum pudding

It is the dream of every Jamaican woman to be able to make this queen of cakes. Many have tried and have gotten aged old generations recipes passed down to them but some how never really got it quite right since each household has its own secretly guarded variation and never really give out all the ingredients or the exact method used..

This best variation of this cake is made by the creaming method. It is packed with dried fruits. It may come as a surprise but none of the fruits used are from the island such as raisin, currants, prunes, cherries except mixed peel which is sometimes made in Jamaica. The others are imported and thus hike the price of the commodity. Continue reading “Jamaica Traditional Fruit Cake”

How Do You Say Eat in Jamaican Patois

Learning to speak another language or dialect helps us broaden our vocabulary. As a matter of fact, some people say that learning new languages helps us keep our minds active because we are teaching our brains new things. Whether you’re learning a language such as Spanish or a dialect such as Jamaican Patois, both would qualify as being potentially beneficial exercises for the brain.

Jamaican Patois is spoken by millions of people. The dialect, has its own vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and syntax; similarly to other languages. Jamaican Patois, sometimes referred to as creole, has its own rules for the order in which words should be placed and rules for pronunciation of those words. The Jamaican Creole syntax is often difficult to learn but it can be learned through continued practice. Many people who want to learn the Jamaica language not only want to learn the vocabulary, they also want to learn the correct syntax. As in other languages, the syntax, grammar and vocabulary are of key importance when studying or learning Jamaican. Continue reading “How Do You Say Eat in Jamaican Patois”

Explore Authentic Jamaica Through a Food Festival

Explore Authentic Jamaica through a food festival. Jamaica has many interesting foods and several annual food festivals. The Portland Jerk Festival is one of the most well-known festivals because it involves one of Jamaica’s most popular ways of cooking – jerk!

Jerk is the process of spicing and grilling. Meat is rubbed with a mixture of herbs and spices. The main ingredients in the mixture are scotch bonnet pepper and pimento. The meat is then grilled over charcoal or pimento wood. Jerk at its best has a hot, juicy, spicy and tender flavour.

At the festival, anything that can be jerked will be jerked, and over the years, new additions such as jerked lobster have added to the “tastiness” of the festival. Considered the home of jerk, the village of Boston in the parish of Portland draws jerk-lovers from all over the island, who spend hours sampling chicken, pork, fish, sausages, lobster, and accompaniments such as bread, festival, and breadfruit.

The food festival includes performances from local artistes and community dance groups, arts and craft displays, a bounce-about, a merry-go-round, and face painting appropriate for all age groups. Continue reading “Explore Authentic Jamaica Through a Food Festival”