ECNETNews, BROOKLYN, NY: The festive spirit of Christmas has arrived, bringing a sense of excitement and joy that resonates in homes of Caribbean nationals throughout the holiday season. Celebrations kick off on Christmas Eve, following a whirlwind of holiday parties, church services, and gatherings.
The culinary delights that fill Caribbean kitchens during this time are truly exceptional. The grand feasting begins on Christmas Eve and continues through to New Year’s Day, showcasing a variety of traditional foods that tantalize the taste buds.
In the Spanish and French Caribbean, such as Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, families enjoy dishes like pickled bananas, yuca, tamales, pernill, Coquito, and beer. Meanwhile, Haitian culinary favorites include Black rice, Red rice & Peas, griot (fried pork), lambi (stewed conch), and a selection of hearty salads and baked goods.
Among the English-speaking Caribbean nations, celebratory meals feature Christmas Souse, Black pudding, honey-baked ham, escoveitched fish, and iconic sweet bread, complemented by black cake, eggnog, and rum punch. Christmas morning typically starts with a lavish breakfast that combines dishes such as Johnny cakes, saltfish, and an array of traditional sides, setting the stage for a day filled with continued culinary indulgence.
Dinner often centers around roast beef, curried goat, jerk chicken, and macaroni pie, while dessert spreads showcase the rich flavors of the Caribbean with options like Black Cake and fruit punch.
This Christmas Eve, one local dinner menu includes:
- Spicy Fish Tea
- Cubed honey-baked ham
- Fresh salad with mint dressing
- Baked chicken legs stuffed with bacon
- Haitian Pork Griot
- Roasted goat leg with Scotch Bonnet and onions
- Jelly Black Rice with cashews
Dessert
- Black Cake with creamy rum sauce
- Blue Mountain coffee
- Rum Punch, Port Wine, Eggnog, or Sorrel
Christmas Morning Breakfast Menu
- Spicy Shad with sautéed grape tomatoes and sweet peppers
- Firm young Green Bananas
- Goat liver sautéed with onions
- Fried dumplings
- Roast Breadfruit stuffed with Ackee and Saltfish
- Fried Sweet Plantains
- Steamed Okra and Pack Choy
- Hard dough bread
- Coco tea or coffee
Christmas Dinner Menu
- Pepper Pot Soup
- Fresh salad with honey mustard dressing
- Pot Roasted Pork Shoulder
- Spicy Fricassee of Rooster
- Roast Beef with seasonal vegetables
- Lambi in tomato sauce
- Green Pigeon Rice and Peas
- Sweet Yellow Yam Cakes
- Creamy Potato and Beets salad
- Honey Baked Ham
Dessert
- Mango Ice Cream, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Black Cake, Cassava Pone
- Blue Mountain coffee
- Rum Punch, Port Wine, or Fruit Punch
This festive season, remember to come together with love, food, and prayer to celebrate a Merry Caribbean Christmas and a joyful Kwanza.
