Caribbean pantry and techniques

Aromatic bases

The recurring aromatics are alliums, fresh herbs, chile, and acid, but the named bases differ:

• Sofrito/recaíto: Spanish-Caribbean base of peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro/culantro, and herbs.
• Epis: Haitian blended seasoning base, often with peppers, herbs, garlic, scallion, and acid.
• Green seasoning: common across Trinidad and parts of the southern Caribbean; herb-heavy, often used for marinades and stews.
• Jerk paste/marinade: Jamaican; Scotch bonnet, allspice/pimento, thyme, scallion, garlic, ginger, and warm spice.
• Sazón/adobo: Spanish-Caribbean seasoning logics, often including annatto/achiote, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt.

Do not treat these as interchangeable just because they are green, aromatic, and blended.

Technique notes

• Jerk: smoke and pimento/allspice are load-bearing. Oven or grill approximations are fine if labeled.
• Brown stew: color can come from bottled browning sauce, caramelized sugar, or both. Don't imply every version starts by searing meat in sugar.
• Rice and peas: Jamaican phrasing usually means kidney beans or gungo/pigeon peas with coconut milk, thyme, and scallion. Other islands have their own rice-and-beans/peas formulas.
• Saltfish: soak/desalt properly; it brings preserved depth, not just salt.
• Pepper sauces: Scotch bonnet heat is fruity and aromatic. It should be respected, not erased.

Pantry checks

Ask about Scotch bonnet or habanero, allspice/pimento, fresh thyme, scallion, coconut milk, culantro/cilantro, curry powder style, browning sauce, saltfish, plantains, ground provisions, and pepper sauce before steering hard into a specific island dish.