Sutton African & Caribbean Cultural Organisation

Recipes

Food and Consumption in African and Caribbean History

Here at SACCO we believe that the way food is produced, how we prepare it, and how we eat it are integral to African and Caribbean cultures, and can serve an educative function. Some dishes have hidden histories. Callaloo Stew, for example, has its origins in Africa, was prepared by slaves brought to the Caribbean in the 1700s, and remain a popular dish on islands like Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica.

Similarly, ackee may be Jamaica’s national fruit, yet it is not an indigenous plant, but imported from West Africa in the 1700s, at the height of the transatlantic slave trade. Known as Ishin in the Nigerian language of Yoruba, and as Ankye in Ghanaian Twi, ackee remains a favourite delicacy with modern Jamaicans, and is also consumed on other Caribbean islands including Antigua and Grenada, suggesting how the cultures of Africa and the Caribbean are entwined through food and consumption.

Get the Most Out of the Recipes

Whether you are simply interested in exploring Caribbean and African cuisine, need inspiration for a dinner party, or fancy adding a touch of colour to your barbecue, in our recipe archive you will find a range of dishes that you can prepare at home.

Some recipes may need a bit of TLC over a number of weeks, others are wonderful ‘go to’ last minute dishes that can be quickly prepared, so it is worth taking time to browse through the recipes to see which ones best suit your needs. Our sides will cater to vegetarian friends and family, and we hope to add vegetarian mains to the archive in due course.