Garifuna Food
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Eigini/Recipes
For centuries, the heart of the Garifuna diet has been ereba and either fish or shellfish. Followed by the main ingredient made from banana and plantain. Since their arrival in Central America, the Garifuna diet has expanded and processed foods bought at shops have formed an essential part of their daily diet. the main ingredient of our dishes is made from banana and plantain.
Garifuna Foods From the Land
In Belize, Garifuna communities are mainly chosen for their accessibility to the sea, and land around villages is generally sandy beach or swamp. Villages by the sea are Hopkins and Seine Bight. These soils are suitable only for some medicinal herbs, coconut palms of fruit trees such as coco plums and baibai or sea grapes , which are enjoyed as snacks by both children and adults.
The main farms are located in the bush to the west on pine ridge and forest soils. The Southern Village of Barranco is fortunate in having seacoast and forest soils in close proximity. As a result., it has and continues to produce up to a third of its own food supply.
Recipes
Garifuna Beverages: unie
Ginger wine: Use ginger, baker's yeast and sugar.
Procedure:
For four quarts of wine, grate ginger, add sugar, water a tablespoon of baker's yeast. let it ferment; check on the sugar content; add more if fermentation is quick; then strain and bottle. Drink cold. The same process may be used cashew, molly apple, plum and other fruits as well as coconut water.
Cassava wine:
To make this excellent beverage, the following ingredients are necessary: coarse sibib , baked until brown and saved (hui) salt, sweet potato and ginger.
Procedure:
Add a little water to hui and pound in mortar. Place it in a large container with water and cover it. Add granted sweet potato, grated ginger and touch of salt. Let it ferment for several days, strain then add sugar taste. add ice cubes and drink cold!
Garifuna Porridges:
The following information is to provide our reader with Garifuna porridge recipes and procedures of making these porridges.
Ripe banana Porridge - letu:
Ripe banana (8-10), coconut milk, nutmeg , cinnamon and ginger.
Procedure:
Peel and ball the plantains, 3 cups until soft; beat it in a mortar or pudding pan while hot. Pour coconut milk mashed plantains and stir. Then add the usual ingredients: a pinch of salt, grated nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon and serve!
Sweet Cassava Pudding - Dani:
Grated sweet cassava, sugar, coconut milk, banana or waha leaves, spices and lard or shortening.
Procedure:
Mix grated sweet cassava with coconut milk and a little lard if desired. Add sugar, nutmeg and vanilla to taste. Place on clean, blanched leaves, wrap up and boil until done.
Green banana Porridge- Gungude:
Green bananas, coconut milk, sugar, nutmeg , vanilla and condensed milk.
Procedure:
Since 5 to 8 bananas and place in the sun to dry for three or four days. when crisp, pound into powder. Use water to make a little paste and add coconut milk and sugar. Let it boil, then add nutmeg, vanilla and stir as you sweeten it.
As you may have noticed by now, bananas and plantains, ripe and green potatoes and cassava bread have served as excellent bases for Garifuna porridges.
Garifuna Dishes
Matilda foot- Bundiga:
The following ingredients are used in the making of Bundiga or Matilda Foot, the Garifuna style : green plantains, or green banana , fish ,coconut milk, onion , salt black pepper, Jabanero , and bay leaf.
Procedure:
Peel, wash and grate bananas or plantains, Boil coconut milk; add silk black pepper, sliced onions and bay leaf. When lasusu(gravy) is boiling drop spoonfuls of grated plantain, When they are holding shape , stir and add pieces of fish, Cook and stir until lasus is thick and the fish done.
Banana Boil up - Tapau:
Use green bananas or green plantains, fish, coconut milk, onions, salt, Jabanero, or black pepper and oregano.
Procedure:
Season cut pieces of fish with salt and pepper. Fry until half done. Place whole green bananas in the pot coconut milk and leave to boil. Add onions and other seasonings. When bananas are half done add fish. Stew together until the lasusu (gravy) is thick as desired then serve.
Brown Flour Soup - Tikini:
Ingredients: fish , salted or fresh, pigtails, or ribs or snout, wheat flour ,onion, salt, black pepper, lard, recardo, and bay leaf.
Procedure:
Melt a few tablespoons of lard, add flour to make a thin brown paste, then add water stir. Add salt, black pepper to taste. Mix in recardo and bay leaf . When boiling, add pieces of fish. These may be half fried at first. Stir until thick as desired and serve rice or ereba (cassva bread).
Sere Lasusu- Falumou:
Ingredients: fish salted or fresh, coconut milk, black pepper, jabanero pepper, onions and bay leaf.
Procedure: Boil coconut milk with salt, black pepper , jabanero pepper, onion and bay leaf. When boiling, add fish pieces and stir until the fish done and the lasus is thick. Serve with ereba, hudutu or marumaruti.
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