Expert: Leo Salazar - 11/7/2002

Question
can you tell me about caribbean:
breakfast
lunch
dinner
meal times
meal patterns
a typical day, or common lifestyles
food storage methods
food preparation methods

Answer
Hello,

I will describe typical customs of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Might be the same in Jamaica and other islands but I am not sure.

Quite a question if you need lots of detail but basically, just plain folks wake up to an early and heavy breakfast.

The all time favorit is "Mangú" a green plantain puree and fried eggs, fried cheese or sausage. Variations include other tubers and vegetables as well as potatoes and bread. Cofee, milk and/or juices are always present.

12 noon marks luch time, the mainstay is rice either cooked with beans or with any type of bean on the side. Cubans prefer black beans dominicans red beans.

Beans are cooked to a creamy state and served over the rice.

Meats are either chicken, beef, pork or goat, generally stewed in creole fashion with pimentos and tomatoes.

Dinner is a 7 to 8 pm activity and is similar to breakfast. plaintains mainly but variations to include boiled roots and bread acompanied again by bread or sausage, eggs or what remained from lunch.

Meal patterns remain the same all year long.

Food is stored in refrigerators if needed and kitchen closets just like in the US or Europe.

Caribbean people are descendants of europeans and africans (amonsgst other) the european descent having typically been the ruling classes.

Lots of race interaction has happened and so it's meaningless to state that white rule dark and of this we caribbean people take pride.

Nevertheless, european customs are part of our culture and the welthiest dine late and in luxurious fashion and tons of fine wine and scotch cases are consumed per year.

Of cource, Burguer King, KFC and Taco Bell are arrownd every corner so US type customs and fashinons are also part of the daily life in the caribbean

Regards !

Leo