The people behind the cuisine
André Clarke
Jamaica · Pimento-wood fire cooking
“My grandmother judged a pepper by its smell, never its heat.”
Madeleine de Proust: Scotch Bonnet, Allspice
Marie-Lourdes Jean
Haiti · Epis and Haitian slow cooking
“Pikliz taught me that heat is patience, not violence.”
Madeleine de Proust: Scotch Bonnet, Sour Orange
Yann Désirée
Martinique · Colombo and Creole gastronomy
“Colombo is the smell of my mother's Sunday kitchen.”
Madeleine de Proust: Colombo Masala, Allspice
Shelly-Ann Boyce
Trinidad & Tobago · Callaloo, curries and doubles
“Callaloo is the one pot where every island ancestor sits together.”
Madeleine de Proust: Callaloo, Coconut
Ricardo Méndez
Cuba · Criollo cooking and mojo
“Sour orange is the first thing I smell when I think of home.”
Madeleine de Proust: Sour Orange, Plantain
Annette Charles
Grenada · Spice cookery and oil down
“I grate nutmeg last, so the perfume reaches the table before the plate does.”
Madeleine de Proust: Nutmeg, Breadfruit
Kofi Williams
Barbados · Fish cookery and Bajan seasoning
“Green seasoning without thyme is a sentence without a verb.”
Madeleine de Proust: Caribbean Thyme, Saltfish
Isabela Rosario
Puerto Rico · Mofongo and sofrito
“A plantain tells you exactly what dish it wants to become.”
Madeleine de Proust: Plantain, Pigeon Pea
Devon Alleyne
Bahamas · Conch and coastal cooking
“You hear a good conch salad before you taste it.”
Madeleine de Proust: Conch, Scotch Bonnet
Nadège Pierre
Guadeloupe · Pastry and rum desserts
“Rum in a cake should whisper, not shout.”
Madeleine de Proust: Caribbean Rum, Mango