Not as famous as other Caribbean staple foods such as yam and cassava, however breadfruit has an interesting history and much loved in the Caribbean. When its name is mentioned people usually ask, ‘what is breadfruit?’
Although breadfruit grows across the Caribbean, it’s in St Vincent where it’s apparently held in highest regard. A staple food in the Caribbean, breadfruit (with its potato like texture) originates from Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia.
Breadfruit plants were taken to the Caribbean by the British in 1793, as a source of food for the slaves. High in iron, calcium and potassium, and B vitamins and low in fat; breadfruit is prepared in various ways. In St Vincent at Jamaica, it’s usually roasted. Breadfruit pie and chips are common snacks, but people have found inventive ways of making use of the Caribbean staple food including, pickled breadfruit, breadfruit ice cream and breadfruit pizza dough.
Pot and Platter - A curation of who’s cooking in the African & Caribbean food scene: Cooked up in our blog pot and served on a platter. Enjoy
"Do not despise these small beginnings" - a modest Eritrean café in Woolwich, London may be a small fish (at the moment) in a big pond, but it's getting noticed in the London Food scene!
As a former Italian colony, Eritrean food has a lot of Italian influences.
A question asked every year around this time, even though the tradition of Pancake Day has been with us for decades. This is probably because our eating habits have changed over time.
Pancake Day celebrated on 9th February this year, is always a notable event in the UK food calendar. Although, not as traditional as the ‘English breakfast’ / ‘fry-up’, pancakes always have a place on UK brunch tables.
Pancake Day also know as Shrove Tuesday is celebrated to mark the beginning of Lent (40 days of fasting) on Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, Christians would eat pancakes on this day to use up rich, indulgent foods like eggs and milk, before lent.
I’ve celebrated many pancake days. My best memories are from when I was younger. In the kitchen, fighting my bother to mix the batter and then watch in awe as he flipped the thin crispy pancakes to the ceiling! When they landed back in the pan, I’d be on hand to add them to the pile, squirting a hint of lemon juice and honey or brown sugar….hmmm…yummy. I can taste them now, while writing this :-).
Rather than making pancakes myself (which I actually miss doing), we tend to go out a lot for pancakes. Here are some of our most recent pancake adventures:
Pancakes with bacon and caramelized banana in a rum sauce: This was from a new Jamaican inspired café called 3 Little Birds, which opened up in Brixton, London UK. These were definitely 5/5!
On a trip to Rio de Janerio, Brazil, we couldn’t resist indulging in dulce de leche (a popular confection in Latin America) pancakes, with vanilla ice cream and a dash of chocolate.
Due to the way we choose to eat and an increase in gluten and dairy intolerance, we’re now searching for variations of the traditional pancake batter, for example:
How to make pancakes without flour.
How to make pancakes without milk.
We’ve found 10 recipes here.
Admittedly, I usually go for sweet pancakes but as you can see from the pictures below (credit: Alamy, unless stated - via the Independent) there are various styles and flavors of pancakes all over the world.
Happy Pancake Day!
M’semen, Morocco – Africa
Buttery pancakes made from stretched semolina dough, stuffed with a sweet or savoury filling, then fried or baked.
Hoppers, Sri Lanka – Asia
These pancakes have golden, crisp edges with a doughy centre. Sri Lankans fill them with curries, relishes and occasionally baked eggs.
Credit: Haarala Hamilton & Valerie Berry
Crepes, France – Europe
Ahhh Crepes, a guilty pleasure! Served with sweet or savoury toppings (savoury ones are usually made with buckwheat flour, and called galletes). One of the famous French desserts is the Crêpe Suzette, which contains an orange liqueur.
Africa is a continent with many different cultures and #recipes; but where there are differences, there are also similarities. Check out this video, how does it compare to Ghana’s version (Bofrot - video below) of the fried doughnut treat?
Pot and Platter - A curation of who's cooking in the African & Caribbean food scene: Cooked up in our blog pot and served on a platter. Enjoy!
gummygunk
blakekathryn
germansingergirl