Eight Caribbean Super Foods You Should Know

Pudding made from one of the super foods from the Caribbean – cassava or Yuca.

By Minna La Fortune

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Jan. 15, 2015:  In praise of super foods cultivated in the hills and valleys and back yards of Caribbean nationals, today I will share with you what they are and the versatility of these super foods in meal preparation and menus.

The eight super foods are:

1:  Yam

2: Banana

3: Yuca/cassava

4: Coco

5: Taro/dasheen

6: Plantains

7: Sweet potatoes

8: Breadfruit.

They are called super foods because they are largely carbohydrates that contain tons of essential minerals and vitamins including Iron, Potassium, Fiberglutathione, Niacin and Vitamin C.

There are several varieties of yams. There is yellow yam, white yam, soft yam, sweet yam, renta yam, yampi and many others. These yams like breadfruit, green bananas, plantains and sweet potatoes are delicious boiled or roasted. These super foods are used in soups and main courses. They are also used to make porridges, smoothies and desserts.

Sweet potatoes, yuca/cassava and ripe banana and ripe plantains are my choice provisions for making desserts.

Green Banana, green plantains and Breadfruit are used to make porridge, which is served as a breakfast meal!

Sweet potatoes are used to make puddings, blue draws or conckie and pone. Yuca or cassava is also used to make pone while ripe bananas are used to make fritters and puddings and ripe plantains, to make plantain tarts.

Below is a recipe for Yuca/Cassava pudding.

Ingredients:

2 cups grated sweet cassava

1/2-cup brown sugar

3 cups coconut milk

1 tbs vanilla extract

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4-cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbs soft butter

1 tsp salt

Method:

Combine sugar, vanilla, coconut milk and cassava.

Separately, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt, then add to cassava mixture.

Mix until smooth.

Pour into a greased and lightly floured 6×6 pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 300 degrees for two hours.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Minna LaFortune is a trained Caribbean caterer and also president, Society for the Advancement of the Caribbean Diaspora (SACD). Check out her food group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/bestfoodscaribbean/