[Damo]

As some of you may know, I am off to the Caribbean island of Mustique to train a company's chefs.

What the company requires is their chefs to learn organisational skills, and other bits and pieces, but also to inject an international 'flavour' into their repertoire.

I have no idea about Caribbean cuisine or even what foods, veg, ingredients are available, let alone what is popular there. I have never been to the Caribbean and have no idea where to start.

Coming from NZ, I am used to mixing different culture's cuisines into a mixture (what is commonly referred to as 'fusion'). So I can certainly add to the Island's style. I just don't know what that is....

Help me guys. I need ideas. What do they eat, what can I work on and what can I teach them?

 

[geargrrl]

I think one of the trademarks of Carribean food is that is really takes a lot from different cuisines. At least, that has been my experience of it, which is primarily based upon multiple trips to the Mexican Carribean ( Yucatan Peninsula)

Things I recall are
very simple but FRESH seafood
lime, serviches, fruit salsas
banana leaf, achiote ( a Mayan condiment)

not much help I spose, but it's a start. One of my favoites is black beans with a little bit of lime....

 

[buildyourown]

Look at Cuban pork. Delicious, falling off the bone, braised pork.
I'm not sure how they do it, but I discovered it on a trip to Florida that otherwise sucked.
I also had a Cuban steak that had a mint garnish. I can't remember the name of it, but it was insane.

 

[TN]

what GG said.

Curries are popular on some islands.

 

[narlus]

my caribbean experience is limited to sint maarten/saint martin...half dutch and half french.

for local foods, fresh fish, spiny lobsters, and conch are plentiful. bbq chicken and other grilled stuff as well. as TN mentioned, goat curry rules.

available fruits would be guava, papaya, and mangos. and of course, coconuts.