Food culture comes to University of the West Indies (UWI)
published: Thursday | February 21, 2008
Like Jamaica, Belize's food is influenced by its various inhabitants. Here they present a dish of milk fudge (representing the Creole influence), and a chicken Burrito. - PHOTOS BY Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer
Nothing brings people together like good food. Last Friday, on the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), students were brought together by a sampling of food from various countries as part of Caribbean Day, one of the activities to commemorate UWI's 60th anniversary.
With booths from various Caribbean islands and Botswana, the similarity in the cuisine was unmistakable. Many dishes comprised ingredients shared across the Caribbean. But those who came out were not afraid to try new things. The Botswana booth attracted a large crowd as whispers of roasted caterpillars circulated.
If that were on the menu, it went pretty quickly. Some persons who crowed around the booth commented that they didn't care what it was once it tasted good and from reports it tasted just as shrimp.
The offerings at the Jamaican booth also went very quickly. The students tried to show the various influences in our food. There was roti, dhal with curry and roast chicken, chow mien and yam pie. Both St Vincent and St Kitts had stewed saltfish, and Jamaica and The Commonwealth of Dominica had yam pie. It seems we share more than a body of water with our Caribbean neighbours.
Dough boy, coconut dumpling and stewed saltfish from St Vincent and The Grenadines.
St Kitts and Nevis whipped up their national dish of stewed saltfish paired with coconut dumpling, spicy plantain and seasoned breadfruit.
Yam pie, saltfish accras, bakes and codfish, and bakes and cheese from The Commonwealth of Dominica.
From across the Pacific, the students from Botswana prepared lehata, seswaa and magwinya (fried dumpling).
Roti and yam pie, representing Jamaica's motto Out of Many One People
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