caribbean foods

‘Would you like to try a little treat?’, asks our friend Casilda this morning at breakfast. Of course I didn’t hesitate to grab one of the little donut-hole shaped balls. To my surprise…instead of the sweet donut-like confection I imagined … was this amazing spicy burst of flavor. Casilda pointed to the tree behind where we sat, and explained they were Tamarind balls made from the Tamarind pods. The flavor is amazing – a burst of Island spices matched with the sour-yet-sweet Tamarind pulp.

We then went on a short little hike to see the Tamarind tree. Casilda removed a few of the Tamarind pods and showed us how to clean and remove the pulp from the pod.

The nerd in me had to learn more, so here’s what I learned about the Tamarind. The tamarind tree produces a pod-like fruit which contain an edible (and tasty!) pulp. One other use of the pulp includes as a traditional medicine – great if you have an upset tummy. (Tried and tested after too many Painkillers last night!). The Tamarind wood can be used for woodworking, and Tamarind seed oil can be extracted from the seeds. Because of the tamarind’s many uses, you can find Tamarind around the world in tropical and subtropical areas. Who knew!

Nothing beats the flavor of the Tamarind straight off the tree in Jost Van Dyke, but if you’d like to try making these Island treats, here’s the recipe using Tamarind paste. And if you have fresh Tamarind – all the better. Please note that this Recipe is minus Casilda’s secret ingredients, of course! Some secrets have to stay a secret. 😉

TROPICAL TAMARIND BALLS

1-1/4 cups sugar

1 (7-ounce) package tamarind paste (or fresh Tamarind of course!)

1 tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce

Pinch salt, to taste

Directions:

Put 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow plate. In a bowl, combine the tamarind, hot sauce, salt, and remaining sugar. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together. Divide the tamarind mixture into bite-size portions, and shape into balls.

Add the tamarind balls to the sugar, and roll to coat evenly.

ENJOY!! #wannabeislandgirl

Lounging on my favorite beach chair in front of the One Love in Jost Van Dyke, I notice tons and tons of these green fruity bunches hanging from the tree above me. Sure, I’ve seen them before but I’d never seen the bountiful bunches of grapes quite like this — since we usually don’t travel to the islands in the summer.

Curious to learn more about them, I began doing a little research and learned a lot. The fancy name for the sea grape is Coccoloba Uvifera and is a species of flowering plant that is native to coastal beaches throughout tropical America and the Caribbean.

In the summer months, the sea grape bears green fruit in large, grape-like clusters. The fruit gradually ripens to a purplish color. Each contains a large pit that constitutes most of the fruit. They’re wind resistant and moderately tolerant of shade. They’re highly tolerant to salt, so they’re often planted to stabilize beach edges. When ripened to a deep purple color, the fruit is very tasty, and can be used for jam or even eaten directly from the tree. It can also be fermented for a tasty fermented wine. (I love wine, so this makes me happy!).

I haven’t tried making this yet, but here is a yummy sea grape jelly recipe from the folks at Edible Palm Beach.

SEA GRAPE JELLY

2 cups sea grapes

1 cup water

2 lemons or limes (preferably Key limes)

Pectin

4. 5 cups of sugar

Wash and then boil the sea grapes in a ratio of 2 cups sea grapes to 1 cup water for 25-30 minutes, crushing occasionally, until they are soft and palatable. Drain the juice through a jelly bag into a container (without squeezing).

Pour the juice into a pot and stir in the lemon or lime juice with a wooden spoon, and then add the pectin. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and add the sugar. After it returns to a boil, let it remain boiling for one minute, always stirring.

After removing from heat, skim foam if necessary. Sterilize jars in a 5-minute boil bath. Pour juice into the jars, leaving a quarter-inch of space at the top of the jar.

Chill, and enjoy!

A note of caution, sea grapes may look tempting at the beach, but don’t harvest them there. Sea grapes are often protected because their purpose is to help prevent sand erosion and give protection to native birds and sea turtles.

Category: caribbean foods

Spicy Balls (Tamarind, of course)!

Do You ‘Sea Grapes’?