cultural practices in jamaica and cuba that affects food choices

1. AND ITS RELATION TO FOOD CHOICES,
PREFERENCES AND HABITS IN JAMAICA AND CUBA
BY: JOSIAH BENT

2.  Culture speaks to one’s practiced way of
life. For example, having carnival on an
annual basis is a popular culture in Trinidad
and Tobago.

3.  Cultural practices impacts consumption of certain
foods and norms of preparation, and in certain
cases can lead to restrictions such as exclusion of
meat and milk from the diet. Evidence has shown
that traditions, beliefs and values are among the
main factors influencing food choices, preference
and habits

4.  Traditions are the ways of ancestors who passed various customs
and practices down the generational linage. A well-known
tradition in Jamaica is the consumption of what many worldwide
refer to as the poison fruit, “ackee”. This tradition is currently
practiced across the island as a meal to be eaten at any time of
day; breakfast, lunch or dinner. When combined with cod fish,
known in Jamaica as salt-fish, the meal becomes the national
dish of the country.

5.  Another tradition practiced in Jamaica is the
holding of family gatherings around Christmas
seasons. When these gatherings are held, meat of
many kinds are chosen to be cooked and eaten,
such as pork, beef, lamb, mutton etc. This indeed
also impacts food choice, habit and preferences.

6.  Historically speaking, the Spaniards and Black
Africans who both combined gave arise to what is
known today as the Cuban tradition. Black
Africans when in slavery, they had no
opportunities in consuming quality and sufficient
food whilst the Spaniards had every chances there
were.

7.  Therefore currently in Cuba black beans in which
were given to slaves as a sense of racism and pork
in which were eaten by white Spaniards are two
main dishes. Both meals are often eaten among
the Cuban society.

8.  Jamaicans, from previous generations carry along
lots of beliefs in which sometimes impacts the
believer’s food choice. An example is seventh day
Adventists who are of the belief that neither the
scavengers of the land nor sea should be
consumed hence they would choose, prefer and
break into the habit of not consuming pork,
oysters, crab etc.

9.  Another is the continuous and regular
consumptions of garlic enriched foods. This is so
as a result of the belief that garlic is good for the
guarding against “duppies” (ghost or evil spirits).

10.  Cubans believe highly in marriages hence they are very fond
on weddings. Over the pass years the Cubans have adapted
to the European style weddings with expensive items;
jewelleries, decorations, lots of foods etc. This adaptation
of culture from elsewhere has impacted the food
preference and choice of food. For example, in several
restaurants across the island of Cuba, steak, lamb, and
salmon are only the few expensive food items that are
served to the Cubans.

11.  Values are described as worth placed upon people
or things. In Jamaica, there are many who value
their health a lot hence paying keen attention to
each meal eaten of the day. For example an
individual like such wouldn’t be caught eating lots
of fast foods.

12.  In addition, there are other persons who value
their status and reputation in society. Therefore,
foods listed as lower class foods wouldn’t be a
choice of meal for such an individual. For
example, canned mackerel is considered as a
lower class meal thus wouldn’t be eaten by status
valued persons.

13.  Cubans are very enjoyable sets of people who
acknowledge a need of constant enjoyment in their
lives. The down fall however is with this constant need
for enjoyment, any type of food is eaten at any point in
time therefore they don’t put value on food health. For
example, a typical Cuban would include pork in his/her
diet for all meals of the day; breakfast, lunch, dinner.

14. USED IN THE PREPARATION OF INDIGENOUS
JAMAICAN AND CUBAN DISHES

16.  Indigenous dishes refers to the food used in preparing
the meal that are originated or occurring naturally in
a particular place. For example, ackee, bread fruit,
cassava, coconut and lemons, rice, sugar cane, corn,
black beans are all food items considered indigenous
to both Jamaica and Cuba respectively.

17. Although there are modern pieces of equipment
used in food preparation in kitchens island wide,
there are long-established processes and tools
that are indigenous and traditional, which have
been used in creating delicious meals for
generations. These are-

18.  The original Jamaican barbecue is a Taino
invention. The now widely used word “barbecue”
is derived from the French word, babrecot. The
barbacoa was made of heated pimento wood on a
raised platform and was used to “jerk” wild pigs.

20.  The coal stove is a small charcoal fuelled cooker with a
basin-like top covered by a flat metal grill
attached to a long hollowed cylindrical foot. Similar
to a single cooktop, the coal stove was used to
cook a wide range of foods. Meats could be placed
directly on the grill of the coal stove or on sticks laid
across the top of the stove to be grilled or smoked.

22.  The Dutchie, short for Dutch Pot, is made of heavy cast
iron which has handles on both sides and a cover. Many
Jamaicans know this jingle, “Hell a top, hell a bottom,
hallelujah inna di middle”, which described the baking
method for certain puddings in the Dutch Pot.

23.  F

24. The wooden spoon or turn stick is one of the most popular and
oldest cooking utensils. The spoons were easy to carve from
pieces of wood. They are flat spoons or had a small dip in
the middle, concave and oval-shaped with a long handle.
The utensil was used for mixing ingredients when cooking
or baking.

25.  A

26. Mortar and pestle are a set of utensils, of a wooden bowl
shaped vessel (the mortar) which holds ingredients that
are crushed by the club-like stick (the pestle). The pair
was once used for pounding foods such as corn, cocoa
for chocolate, coffee, cassava and yam.

27. Aa

28. The tava (pronounced tawah) is a large, flat heavy griddle
made from cast iron. This tool of Indian origin was used
to cook a variety of flat breads. In Jamaica, the tava is
used to make the popular unleavened flat bread, roti.
This pot is still popular in many Indian homes in the
island.

31. A heavy cast iron pot is also called a caldero or
caldron. This main pot is similar to the Dutch
Oven. The iron pot is used to cook meat, stews,
soups and rice dishes such as pelau and mixed
rice.

33. Pastelle presses are available in many sizes and are
made of wood, plastic. They are mainly used to
make the dishes from our Spanish influence like
pastelles, empanadas, arepas, etc.

35. A Swizzle stick (no, not the one that is used to mix
cocktail drinks, etc.) is used for mixing powdered
milk or any other powder and water mixture

37. Kalchul (a ladle) is usually made of stainless steel or
other metal and used mainly when paella and choka.

39. Dabla is used for making paratha roti