Our cruise visited three islands, one owned and operated by Royal Caribbean called CoCoCay, and two others: St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, and St Martin.
Long a cruise destination, these islands have changed from whatever they once were into ones molded to cater to Cruise ship visitors. Tourism from cruise ships seems to now be the main money making venture in the areas we visited. But there were chances, here and there, to meet some people who have lived on the islands their whole lives, and we were able to eat some local food, and have some local drinks.
The point I am making is that this was not like visiting another country where you walk off a boat or plane and are bombarded with the host country’s sounds, smells, and visuals. It was more like visiting another state in the US where everyone speaks english. The food and drink were all recognizable, as was the music playing in the restaurants and bars. Because of this, I was a bit disappointed personally.
I had hoped to have a guided cultural experience, but the Cruise lines appear to be offering things geared specifically to the stereotypical older, middle-class, white American. Using their tours kept us in safe zones, but also zones that are the least interesting to me.
Rum
Our guide during one of our tours described that rum was created by the people of the islands as a way of using the leftovers from colonialists and slaveholders making sugar from sugarcane. The leftover was a molasses sludge, that remained after processing white sugar, and was fermented to become what we now know as rum.
I am giving rum its own heading as that, and fruit juice, was the main drink we saw and had while on this cruise. Sure there was soda and beer, but lots and lots of rum. In fact, we were told each major island pretty much had its own rum distillery (1), however, the one rum we saw everywhere was Cruzan (founded in 1760, it is now owned by a Japanese company). I liked it so much, that I now have that rum in my personal bar.
The alcoholic drink served everywhere had a variety of names, such as the Painkiller, but fundamentally was a mix of fruit juice and rum. It is very fruity-sweet, and you have to remind yourself not to drink too many or too fast, as the amount of rum in the drink depends upon the pourer! Not to mention the high calories of this drink, the recipe below is great, but is also 453 calories (44.6 carbs) PER DRINK. One day I had three, which is almost my total calories for the day!
Tropical Fruit Rum Recipe
- 2 shots of Island Rum (to taste, 2 shots work for me)
- 2 shots of unsweetened natural orange juice
- 3 shots of pineapple juice
- 1-2 shots coco lopez (basically cream of coconut with sugar)
- Shake well with ice
- Pour into glass
- Add some nutmeg zest on top
St. Martin
When we stopped at St. Martin, we were essentially delivered directly into streets full of mainly jewelry shops, that aggressively wanted us to come into their stores and buy their products. Not being interested in this, we found a place to hide that provided island necessities: soft seating in the shade, with a view of the ocean, so we could people watch in a relaxed atmosphere, near a bar. There we were introduced to island time, as the waiter came and went with no hurry to take our order.
- Wikipedia: Saint Martin is part of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. It comprises 2 separate countries, divided between its northern French side, called Saint-Martin, and its southern Dutch side, Saint Maarten.
St Thomas
This is an island in the US Virgin Islands. Our guide, Mr. Garfield, showed us around the Island, speaking about its architecture, history of colonialism and slavery, and the effects of weather on the island inhabitants. Along the way we ate a welcoming cold gelato dessert, sat down for a typical lunch, and drank the fruity-rum island drink that was served everywhere.
Island Food
So my very short take on the food of the Virgin Islands is that they are directly the result of the influences of immigration, colonialism, slavery, and American expansionism. In general, every one arriving to the islands brought new food with them. (2, 3, 4, 5)
- People arrived at some time and brought many foods from where they came from including the cassava for bread making and BBQ.
- Europeans arrived and brought certain meats like beef, as well as mango, onions, garlic, and sugar cane.
- Africans were brought in as slaves to work those sugar cane fields, and they brought their foods, including okra and peppers. And they also started to make rum from sugar processing waste.
- Then, slavery was abolished and Chinese and Indians came as indentured servants and introduced many of their foods, including rice and, of course, curry.
- Inter-Caribbean migration brought in their influences from other lands as well: Crucian, Trinidadian food, Puerto Rican and American Creole.
Our Lunch Out
The food we saw and ate was carb heavy. In fact, when questioned, the cook at the place we ate at, told me that having several starches on one plate is pretty standard fare.
Later, a taxi driver named Pinky verified that the normal island food, shared when people go to a potluck for instance, are in fact carby. She was nice enough to share some information on the everyday foods islanders eat. She also shared that recently she went on the paleo diet to lose some of the weight she had gained, and was proud enough to share her weight loss with us.
One of the lunches we experienced (photo below) included: a slice of fried plantain, a chicken-based brown curry, mac-n-cheese, a creole flavored rice with beans, and fungi (a mix of “polenta” or corn flour and okra). What was interesting is that none of the food was unusual to my sense of taste. I did, however, find this plate VERY FILLING.
Fried Plantain Recipe
Looks like a banana but is a starchy staple. These days you can also find dried and salty plantain chips in natural food stores. I have tried them and they taste good.
- Peel the plantain
- Slice on the bias into about 1/4 to 1/2″ thick
- Season with a touch of salt
- Heat skillet, heat oil, and add the sliced plantain in a single layer
- Do not overcrowd the skillet
- Fry the first side for about ~4 minutes
- Flip and fry for another ~4 minutes
- Looking for golden brown color
- Remove from skillet and place on cooling rack
- Repeat until all are cooked, serve warm
What I have brought back with me and have replicated at home is the rum drink. Way too many calories, but very tasty and fun to share on a hot day.
—Patty
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Tip: When I started cooking, in Europe, I used mainly lard. Not the Crisco kind, but from the butcher. I know, I have said there are good and not-so-good oils and fats, and yes meat-related lard contains saturated fats and falls into the not-so-good category. However, truth be told, I do collect and save rendered fat. I use butter (often mixed with olive oil for certain veggies), will save and use bacon fat, and will use lard in some recipes. However, I do not buy lard, I will only use rendered fat from meats I have cooked and that way I have some control over the source. I keep the fat, properly labeled, in the freezer until I need it to add a certain flavor or texture to a food I am preparing. I do not cook with fat every day, but there are times when that is the perfect ingredient.
FoodNetwork: (1/2020) For the third consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named the Mediterranean Diet the Best Overall Diet. The diet also come in at the top spot on four other lists including Best Diets for Healthy Eating, Easiest Diets to Follow, Best Diets for Diabetes, and Best Plant-Based Diets. The Mediterranean Diet continues to reign supreme.
