Beginning in the early 1600s the slave trade brought foods from West Africa to the islands. These foods play a very important part in Latin Caribbean cuisine as do some of the cooking techniques. The foods the slaves brought over include:
After the abolishment of slavery, laborers from India and China came to work in the fields and on plantations. These cultures added two more very different culinary influences to Latin Caribbean cuisine. You will notice these influences in the use of chutneys, curries and vegetarian dishes.
