Harnessing fire was a pivotal moment in human existence, but using it to cook is the activity that truly makes us human. According to National Geographic, cooking allowed our ancestors to intake 100% of the nutrients in food, rather than only 30% to 40% in raw food. Doing so led to our survival. Today, it is not only a tool for survival, but also a method for recounting and tracing history. In addition, the shared experience of food helps people bond with those feasting with them. For this project, we will be looking specifically at Caribbean food in New York City, its cooking process, its evolution, and its effects on health.
For Caribbean families in both the Caribbean and New York City, food and cooking are responsibilities, memories, and connections. In Dr. Lidia Marte’s interviews with Dominicans in New York, she shares the fact that many of them learned how to cook out of the need to take care of family members in the Dominican Republic. Even though one interviewee cooks wonderfully, she feels that it was a curse from the beginning because that meant her mother would lend her off to cook for other families in addition to her own. Another interviewee recalls the time she cooked 60 plantains and 100 eggs (mangú with eggs) for emergency workers during 9/11. This recollection brings back the pride she felt when she was able to help those affected by the tragedy. For newly immigrated Chino-Cubano people in New York City, working at Chino-Cubano restaurants like La Caridad 78 helps them to meet others with similar experiences as them, and find groups that can help them. These are only three examples of experiences with food, and there are many more that we unfortunately could not learn or share about due to the pandemic; however, we tried our best to compile research, stories, and recipes to provide a wholesome guide to Caribbean food in New York City. Please check out the tabs and the drop-down menus above to read what is written. For the best experience, please read them in order from left to right.
Under our Evolution tab, you’ll learn about how Caribbean restaurants are evolving to fit modern times while staying true to their roots, the significance of Caribbean food festivals in New York City, and what has influenced Caribbean food. As you peruse the tabs for Food Prep, you’ll read about the food making processes at home and the manufacturing procedure, as well as Caribbean recipes you can try at home. When you read the content of the Health tab, you will acquire insight about how foods are used as remedies, and the effects of the Caribbean Diet. Curious about who we are? Check out the About Us page under Credits to find out more. Feel free to scroll through Sources & References to read more of the sites mentioned in the other tabs.
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