Anguilla, another British overseas territory, consists of a main island surrounded by several small islands. The nation has been occupied by the British and the French throughout history, but was originally settled by South American Amerindians. The European settlers also brought African slaves to the area, so the cultural influences are a combination of all of these people: European, Amerindian, and African.
There’s a touch of Creole taste in Anguilla as well – but it’s not the same as in its Caribbean neighbors’ dishes – it’s got an English flavour to it. So what do the locals eat in Anguilla? All sorts of tasty stuff!
Because of poor quality soil, many ingredients haven’t always been available in Anguilla. But, thanks to a healthy tourism industry, farming techniques have improved and imports have increased. Ingredients like peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, citrus fruit, and coconuts compliment dishes with seafood or meat bases. Like much of the Caribbean, conch, shrimp/prawns, crab, spiny lobster, snapper, salt fish, and mahi mahi are the most popular seafood choices. And, similar to Montserrat, goat and mutton are very popular, in addition to pork and chicken.
With these ingredients, a variety of fabulous dishes are made. Conch stew and fritters, seafood stew, jerk chicken or shrimp, cinnamon crusted chicken, barbequed chicken, rice and mushrooms, and lobster cakes, are just a few of the delicious dishes made in Anguilla.
Most of these dishes (minus the conch based ones, perhaps) seem pretty doable, don’t they? That’s the beauty of Anguillan cuisine. Have you ever been to Anguilla? If so, what was your favourite culinary component? Do you have any recipe suggestions for next week’s Recipe of the Week?