History of American Barbecue

The history of American barbecue is strongly entrenched into its sociological history. The word barbecue simultaneously brings to our mind the US and vice versa. But BBQ is more a passionate factor in the southern states of USA than any other place. Its origin dates back to the times of the Civil War and even before it. Thus, the history of American barbecue is almost the history of America itself.

To make a long story short, though the history of American barbecue states that it originated in the south, nevertheless there is no single taste prevalent there. The taste, ingredients used and sometimes even the method of cooking varies from state to state and even town to town. It would be convenient to understand if the region is divided into the South, East Coast and Central South sections.

In the South, the meat is not at all what the original barbecue used to be made of, and they usually use mutton and beef cooked only in the slow cooking method. They also have a complete range of BBQ sauces to go with their bar-b-q that can vary between a sweet tomato sauce or a fiery red-hot one.

The East Coast however holds on to its original beginnings and has pork for its BBQ meat and vinegar sauces to accompany it. The side dishes that are a common favorite are coleslaw and hushpuppies - a cornmeal pastry. The vinegar sauces however see many variations like vinegar sauces rich in tomato, or a yellow mustard based sauce, with side dishes like bread and stew or hash with rice.

In the Central South, the meat remains to be pork and its ribs, but the way it is cut differs, in the sense it is pulled rather than chopped. They are slow cooked, shredded by hand and covered with ample amounts of sauce. The ribs are greased with sauce or covered with a mix of sharp spices before pit cooking. The sauce here however is a sweet tomato sauce with a hint of pepper and molasses. It is usually served with coleslaw, French fries, baked beans and cornbread. Further, in the west beef gets more preference over pork.

The history of American barbecue narrates a tale that has modified itself with the times, but even now, if you want a bite of the all-original American barbecue, it would do you good to visit any of the Southern states.

Banana Facts and Information

This article is a brief study on Bananas, the history of the Banana Plant and tips on growing Banana Plant.

Banana Facts

Banana “Trees” are not actually trees but are herbaceous plants in the genus Musa and of the family Musaceae. Due to their size, shape and structure they are often mistaken for trees. Bananas are largely cultivated for their fruit. But the plant is also used as ornamental plants in gardens.

Typically, there are two types of Bananas that are cultivated, mainly in tropical regions. Firstly, there is the sweet dessert fruit that is eaten raw or used in dessert recipes. There are a wide variety of delicious dessert recipes using Bananas in almost every food culture in the world.

Secondly, plantains are from a group of cultivars with firmer fruit and used generally in cooking vegetable-based dishes like curries. Plantains are especially popular in South-East Asia, India and Jamaica.

History of Bananas

Banana plants were first cultivated for domestic use in Southeast Asia. There is evidence found in Papua New Guinea that shows banana cultivation there dates back to, possibly, 8000 BC. This would mean the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea was probably the first place were Bananas were cultivated. A whole lot of wild Bananas still grow in Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The first time Bananas were talked about in written history was in Buddhist texts around 600 BC. Then, the famous explorer, Alexander the Great found the fruit in India in 327 BC. The very first plantations was said to exist in China way back in 200 AD.

The History of Bananas continued with Islamic Conquerors bringing the fruit to the Middle East and later on, Arab Merchants exposed most of Africa to Bananas. Interestingly, the word Banana is actually of West African origin.

After that, banana cultivation exploded in most of the rest of the world thanks largely to Portuguese colonists who started banana plantations in the Atlantic Islands, Brazil and western Africa. Unfortunately for the Europeans, Bananas were not heard of in Europe until the Victorian Era and even then, only through merchant trade.

These days, Bananas can be found in practically every market in the world without much trouble at all and hurrah for everyone!

Tip and Techniques-Growing Bananas

Growing Banana Plants are easy enough if the right combination of factors is present. A Banana Plant takes about nine months to become mature and it needs a lot of tender loving care for it to grow to its fullest potential.

Generally, a Banana Plant lives up to approximately 25 years. Bananas grow from stems that grow from the ground up called rhizomes and it produces suckers that grow from the main stem of the Banana Plant. Rhizomes have a lifespan of 15 years or more.

The upright plant is called a pseudostem and when it matures, will reach an average height of 2 – 8 metres and the leaves grow up to 3.5 metres in length. Interestingly, each pseudostem produces only a single bunch of bananas. It then dies and is replaced by a new pseudostem.

Growing Banana Plants require a lot of sunlight and high level of humidity. That is one of the reasons it's found in abundance in the tropics and hot climate countries. While it is growing, it requires watering every day and a balanced fertilizer to ensure it grows well. The right temperature for growing Banana Plant should be in approximately 80 degree Fahrenheit during the day.

The soil has to be nutrient-rich and slightly acidic. It should also be able to retain moisture but not much, as roots that are filled with water will die very fast. When all the right ingredients are present, the Banana Plant grows very quickly and it is a pleasure watching it grow. Not only does it bear fruits, it is beautiful ornamental plant and really stands out in any garden.

Caribbean Food - A Little History

The Arawak, Carib, and Taino Indians were the first inhabitants of the Caribbean islands. These first inhabitants occupied the present day islands of British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Their daily diet consisted of vegetables and fruits such as papaw, yams, guavas, and cassava. The Taino started the process of cooking meat and fish in large clay pots.

The Arawaks are the first people known to make a grate of thin green wood strips on which they slowly cooked meat, allowing it to be enhanced by the flavor of the wood. This grate was called a barbacoa, and the word we know today as barbeque is taken from this early Indian cooking method.

The Carib Indians added more spice to their food with hot pepper sauces, and also added lemon and lime juice to their meat and fish recipes. The Caribs are said to have made the first pepper pot stew. No recipes exist since every time the Indians made the dish, they would always add new ingredients. The Carib had a big impact on early Caribbean history, and the Caribbean sea was named after this tribe.

Then the Caribbean became a crossroads for the world . . .

Once the Europeans brought Africans slaves into the region, the slaves diet consisted mostly of food the slave owners did not want to eat. So the slaves had to be inventive, and they blended their traditional African foods with staples found on the islands. The Africans introduced okra, callaloo, fish cakes, saltfish, ackee, pudding and souse, mangos, and the list goes on.

Most present day Caribbean island locals eat a present diet that is reflective of the main ingredients of original early African dishes, and includes cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, plantains, bananas and corn meal.

African men were hunters in their homeland, and often away from home for long periods of time. They would cook spicy pork over hot coals, and this tradition was refined by the early slaves in Jamaica. The technique is known today as “jerk“ cooking , and the secret involves a slow meat cooking process. Jamaica is famous for jerk chicken and pork, and you’ll find jerk all over the island.

After slavery was abolished, the Europeans went to India and China for labor, and more cooking styles were introduced. Much of the Indian cooking culture remains alive and well in the Caribbean of today with the introduction of curried meats and curry powder. Indians call it kari podi, and we have come to know this pungent flavor as curry.

The Chinese introduced rice, which is always a staple in home cooked island meals. The Chinese also introduced mustard, and the early Portuguese sailors introduced the popular codfish.

Most visitors to the Caribbean have no idea that the fruit trees and fruits so familiar to the islands were introduced by the early Spanish explorers. The fruit trees and fruits brought from Spain include orange, lime, ginger, plantains, figs, date palms, sugar cane, grapes, tamarinds and coconuts.

Even the Polynesian islands play an important role in Caribbean cooking. Most of us remember the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty”, but do not know that particular ship carried breadfruit, which was loaded on board from the islands of Tahiti and Timor. In the movie the crew took over the ship, forced the captain into a small boat to fend on his own, and they threw the breadfruit, which they considered “strange fruit” overboard. Another ship was more successful in bringing breadfruit from Polynesia to Jamaica and the St Vincent and the Grenadines. Breadfruit is a staple diet in the current day Caribbean

America is responsible for introducing beans, corn, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, and chili pepper to the Caribbean. In fact these particular foods had never been seen in Asia, Europe or Africa, so America actually introduced these foods the rest of the world via the Caribbean.

So it's no wonder Caribbean cooking is so rich and creative with the flavors of Africa, India, and China, along with Spanish, Danish, Portuguese, French and British influences. Food served in the Caribbean islands have been influenced by the cultures of the world, but each island adds its own special flavor and cooking technique.

Linda Thompkins is a Caribbean travel consultant and owner of Travel 2 the Caribbean online agency. Linda and her husband reside in Indianapolis, Indiana and have traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean.

Travel 2 the Caribbean has been in business for seven years and offers secure online booking, and travel agent booking.

http://www.travel2thecaribbean.com