Each of these varied groups brought with them their own distinct food customs, and when combined with the impressive diversity of marine types readily available for intake, created an uniquely Caribbean flair that ranks amongst the world's great local foods. House to the Western Hemisphere's biggest barrier reef, more than 400 islands, 3 of the hemisphere's 4 atolls and innumerable fringe reefs, Belize hosts hundreds of types of fish and a plentiful range of marine life, including grouper, tuna, snapper, spiny lobster, conch, and shrimp.

Arawaks are believed to have actually developed the grilling of foods by roasting on native sticks called barbacoa. Spaniards introduced coconut, chickpeas, cilantro, eggplants, onion, and garlic. Mexicans contributed papaya, avocado, chayote or choc ho and cocoa. The Europeans brought oranges, limes, mangoes, rice, and coffee. Africans shared their love for okra, plantains, callaloo, and breadfruit.

Drawing upon standard favorites and freshly found sensations, accomplished cooks even take pleasure in a certain amount of regional celeb. In addition to seafood specialties, with tropical fruits and vegetables as accents, you can discover Caribbean favorites made with lamb, pork, chicken, or beef in essentially every town across Belize. Written by: CC+L Editorial Team.

Food, is an important element of many household traditions in Caribbean culture. At vacations and unique occasions, it is extremely typical for individuals to invest many days preparing food. Caribbean food includes all the favorite seafood, chicken, and steak, prepared with the spices and vibrant active ingredients of the Islands. The Arawak, Carib, and Taino "Indians" were the very first dwellers in the Caribbean Islands.

The Taino started the procedure of preparing meat and fish in big clay pots. The Carib Indians presented spices and lemon juice to their meat and fish recipes. In basic, the favorite Caribbean meal is skilled jerk chicken. This spicy food is special. However the Caribbean food consists of cooking impacts from Africa, France, Spain, India, Dutch, America, Britain, and Asia.

Spain generated fruit trees like orange, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar walking cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts, and The Americas presented beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chilli pepper. You can see that chicken, goat, and curry are preferred foods throughout the English affected locations of the Caribbean while the French cuisine prevails in the French-influenced areas of the Caribbean.

Seafood is preferred in the Caribbean too. Each Caribbean country generally has a special seafood cuisine. Shark, fish, lobster, and conch recognize favorite meals in various regions. Rice is an essential food throughout the Caribbean, and each island has a specific rice meal. On some islands, rice is skilled or served with coconut.

In addition to rice, beans are a preferred food throughout the Caribbean. In Cuba, beans appear in many meals. Beans are prepared and served in a variety of ways depending on the country. Food served in the Caribbean islands has been influenced by the cultures of the world, however each island adds its unique taste and cooking strategies.

The Caribbean is a giant melting pot of tastes. Flavors influencing Caribbean food originated from India, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Caribbean food is bold, tasty, spicy, hot, fresh, and really representative of a world food that stands on its own. There are 32 island nations and territories in the Caribbean region that is considered the "West Indies" the Greater Antilles (Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Dominican Republic), Lesser Antilles (Barbados, Saint Lucia, Trinidad, and Tobago), and Lucayan Island Chain (Bahamas and Turks and Caicos).

Take an appearance at the top 5 spices that are used commonly in the Caribbean for both savory and sweet preparations.

It's tough to beat the fresh, spicy and delicious meals of the Caribbean. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Factor platform. Contributors manage their own work and published easily to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email..

With special tastes, colors, textures and smells, Caribbean food is tasty and numerous. The blends of spices, herbs and flavorings, in addition to the series of ingredients that are grown on the islands, produce tasty and filling consumes. Here we explore the tastiest meals of the Caribbean. Patties Ritcharndmoskow/WikipediaSavory pastries that flake in the mouth, wrapped around fillings that range from beef to chicken and saltfish; patties deliver tastes that constantly please the taste buds.

Components and seasonings vary from patty to patty and, with alternatives such as vegetarian and pork fillings combined with potatoes, patties are the ideal snack to indulge in. A yellow-colored fruit that is soft in texture and slightly sweet when cooked, combined with the salty taste of codfish; ackee and saltfish is a flavorsome meal that is commonly consumed in Jamaica.

Jerk Chicken Terence Chang/ FlickrA special that uses a variety of intense peppers and spices such as Scotch bonnets, nutmeg and pimentos, jerk chicken integrates the heat of the flavorings with tender meat. Typically the chicken is rubbed with the spices and after that either roasted or barbecued for an extreme flavor and succulent texture.

When cooked to excellence, jerk chicken is a popular meal that simply should be tried. Plantain paegis/WikipediaResembling a banana that has a starchy however soft texture when prepared, with a sweet taste, plantains make the ideal accompaniment to any Jamaican dish. Strictly speaking, although they look similar to bananas, plantains need to be prepared prior to eating.

The sweet taste counterbalances the tasty aspects in a meal and makes for yummy and filling food. Fluffy rice that is frequently boiled with sweet coconut milk for extra flavor, and soft red beans that contribute to the texture; rice and peas is a fundamental part of the Caribbean diet.

It is a staple meal and a delicacy that need to be attempted. Curry goat Leon Brocard/WikipediaA meal that has roots in Asia and is popular in the Caribbean, curry goat is an absolute special with huge flavors and a succulent texture when cooked right. Slow-cooked goat meat with spices and flavorings, and served piping hot, the meal can be consumed with rice and peas or together with potatoes.

A starchy carb that looks like common potatoes, other than for the color, sweet potatoes are filling accompaniments to any dish. They can be integrated with spices and served with chicken, lamb or pork, and are typically either roasted or boiled to excellence. Sweet potatoes can be served in stews also, including texture and flavor to the dish to develop an additional measurement that makes Caribbean eats even more delicious.

They are highly popular in West Indian cuisine and provide both flavor and texture. Blended with flour, herbs and peppers the saltfish is shaped into circular, bite-sized portions, which are then fried in hot oil. The texture is constantly crispy on the outside and soft and flaky on the within, and the color is constantly an attracting golden-brown.

These are little pieces that consist of the white fleshy part of the coconut, a sprinkling of sugar in addition to ginger. This snack can be eaten with afternoon tea and can be made by boiling the coconut in water that is combined with brown sugar and delegated cool after cooking.