1# Caribbean pantry and techniques
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 3## Aromatic bases
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 5The recurring aromatics are alliums, fresh herbs, chile, and acid, but the named bases differ:
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 7- **Sofrito/recaíto**: Spanish-Caribbean base of peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro/culantro, and herbs.
 8- **Epis**: Haitian blended seasoning base, often with peppers, herbs, garlic, scallion, and acid.
 9- **Green seasoning**: common across Trinidad and parts of the southern Caribbean; herb-heavy, often used for marinades and stews.
10- **Jerk paste/marinade**: Jamaican; Scotch bonnet, allspice/pimento, thyme, scallion, garlic, ginger, and warm spice.
11- **Sazón/adobo**: Spanish-Caribbean seasoning logics, often including annatto/achiote, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt.
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13Do not treat these as interchangeable just because they are green, aromatic, and blended.
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15## Technique notes
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17- **Jerk**: smoke and pimento/allspice are load-bearing. Oven or grill approximations are fine if labeled.
18- **Brown stew**: color can come from bottled browning sauce, caramelized sugar, or both. Don't imply every version starts by searing meat in sugar.
19- **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.
20- **Saltfish**: soak/desalt properly; it brings preserved depth, not just salt.
21- **Pepper sauces**: Scotch bonnet heat is fruity and aromatic. It should be respected, not erased.
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23## Pantry checks
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25Ask 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.