Culture of Grenada

Last updated

Grenada's French colonists brought their culture, as did the African slaves they brought across the Atlantic for agricultural work. Indians have also influenced the island culture in more recent years.

Contents

With the passing of the Slave Trade Act 1807 by the British Parliament and the subsequent abolishing of slavery, indentured labor from India was procured at a very large scale.

The first ship, named the Maidstone, departed from Calcutta, India on January 27, 1857, and arrived a few months later on May 1. In all, 3,206 East Indians arrived in Grenada by 1885. Only 380 of them returned to India. The Indians made many contributions to Grenada. Indian Arrival Day was celebrated in 2007 on the 150th anniversary, for the first time since the centenary celebration in 1957. [1]

The Indians later on assimilated with the existing Africans, Europeans and other ethnicities intermarrying with each other. This very much influenced the culture and cuisine of Grenada.

Cuisine

The national dish, oil down, is a combination of breadfruit, coconut milk, turmeric (misnamed saffron), dumplings, callaloo (taro leaves), and salted meat such as saltfish (cod), [2] smoked herring or salt beef. It is often cooked in a large pot, commonly referred to by locals as a karhee, or curry pot. Popular street foods include aloo pie, doubles, and dal puri [3] served wrapped around a curry, commonly goat, and fried bakes and fish cakes. Sweets include kurma, guava cheese, fudge or barfi, tamarind balls, rum-raisin ice cream, currant rolls, and Grenadian spice cake. Nutmeg and mace (spice) are used in abundance.

Music and festivals

Music plays a significant part in Grenadian culture, with the annual Carnival competition generating new soca and calypso material in August. The rest of the time soca, calypso, and reggae are popular. Zouk music has also been imported to Grenada from other French Caribbean islands recently. Other local celebrations include the National Dance Festival and Independence Day. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curry</span> Spicy Asian-influenced dishes

Curry is a dish with a sauce or gravy seasoned with spices, mainly derived from the interchange of Indian cuisine with European taste in food, starting with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch and British, and then thoroughly internationalised. Many dishes that would be described as curries in English are found in the native cuisines of countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia. The English word is derived indirectly from some combination of Dravidian words such as the Tamil kaṟi (கறி) meaning 'sauce' or 'relish for rice'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roti</span> South Asian flatbread

Roti is a round flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is commonly consumed in many South Asian, Southeast Asian, Caribbean, and Southeast African countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malay cuisine</span> Cuisine of Malay people

Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia, residing in modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and the Philippines as well as Cocos Islands, Christmas Island, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamaican cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Jamaica

Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavours and spices influenced by Amerindian, West African, Irish, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern people who have inhabited the island. It is also influenced by indigenous crops, as well as, crops and livestock introduced to the island from Mesoamerica, Europe, tropical West Africa and Southeast Asia— which are now grown locally. A wide variety of seafood, tropical fruits and meats are available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad and Tobago cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago cuisine is influenced by Indian-South Asian, West African, Creole, European, North American, Chinese, Amerindian, Latin American, and Levantine culinary styles.

The music of Grenada has included the work of several major musicians, including Eddie Bullen, David Emmanuel, one of the best-selling reggae performers ever, and Mighty Sparrow, a calypsonian. The island is also known for jazz, most notably including Eddie Bullen, a pianist, songwriter and record producer currently residing in Canada. Kingsley Etienne, a keyboardist, while the Grenadan-American Joe Country & the Islanders have made a name in country music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biryani</span> Rice-based dish from South Asia

Biryani is a mixed rice dish popular in South Asia, made with rice, meat, prawn or fish and spices. To cater to vegetarians, vegetables or paneer can be substituted for the meat. Sometimes eggs or potatoes are also added.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians</span> Ethnic group

Indo–Trinidadians and Tobagonians or Trinidadian and Tobagonian Indians are people of Indian origin who are nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, whose ancestors came from India and the wider subcontinent beginning in 1845 during the period of colonization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African cuisine</span> Cuisine of South Africa

South African cuisine reflects the diverse range of culinary traditions embodied by the various communities that inhabit the country. Among the indigenous peoples of South Africa, the Khoisan foraged over 300 species of edible food plants, such as the rooibos shrub legume, whose culinary value continues to exert a salient influence on South African cuisine. Subsequent encounters with Bantu pastoralists facilitated the emergence of cultivated crops and domestic cattle, which supplemented traditional Khoisan techniques of meat preservation. In addition, Bantu-speaking communities forged an extensive repertoire of culinary ingredients and dishes, many of which are still consumed today in traditional settlements and urban entrepôts alike.

The culture of Trinidad and Tobago reflects the influence of Indian-South Asian, African, Indigenous, European, Chinese, North American, Latino, and Arab cultures. The histories of Trinidad and Tobago are different. There are differences in the cultural influences which have shaped each island. Trinidad and Tobago is an English-speaking country with strong links to the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Dominica</span>

The culture of Dominica is formed by the inhabitants of the Commonwealth of Dominica. Dominica is home to a wide range of people. Although it was historically occupied by several native tribes, it was the Taíno and Island Caribs (Kalinago) tribes that remained by the time European settlers reached the island. "Massacre" is a name of a river dedicated to the murders of the native villagers by both French and British settlers, because the river "ran red with blood for days." Each claimed the island and imported slaves from Africa. The remaining Caribs now live on a 3,700-acre (15 km2) Carib Territory on the east coast of the island. They elect their own chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraqi cuisine</span> Culinary traditions of Iraq

Iraqi cuisine is a Middle Eastern cuisine that has its origins in the ancient Near East culture of the fertile crescent. Tablets found in ancient ruins in Iraq show recipes prepared in the temples during religious festivals—the first cookbooks in the world. Ancient Iraq's cultural sophistication extended to the culinary arts.

The Culture of Saint Lucia blends the influences of African, French, and English heritage. The official language of the island is English but Kwéyòl, remains an influential secondary language with an English Creole also spoken as well. The people are predominantly Catholic but the religious climate is tolerant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gujarati cuisine</span> Cuisine of Gujarat, India

Gujarati cuisine is the cuisine of the Indian state of Gujarat. The typical Gujarati thali consists of rotli, dal or curry, rice, and shaak. The thali will also include preparations made from pulses or whole beans such as moong, black eyed beans etc., a snack item (farsaan) like dhokla, pathra, samosa, fafda, etc. and a sweet (mishthaan) like mohanthal, jalebi, sevaiya etc.

Indo-Grenadians or Grenadians, who trace their roots to India, form the largest minority group in Grenada. This term is not generally recognized by Grenadians or indeed Caribbeans. They usually refer to themselves simply as Grenadian or possibly Caribbean. This group was first introduced during the second half of the 19th century when Grenada experimented with indentured labour. By the second half of the 20th century Indians were so integrated into Grenada’s society that a distinct Indian cultural identity was generally invisible. In addition, Indians were involved in every aspect of Grenadian life. Currently there are over 12,000 Grenadians of Indian and mixed-Indian descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil down</span> Grenadian stew

Oil down is a salted meat and vegetable stew that is the national dish of Grenada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutton curry</span> Curry dish that is prepared from mutton or chevon

Mutton curry is a dish that is prepared from goat meat and vegetables. The dish is found in different variations across all states, countries and regions of the Indian subcontinent and the Caribbean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acehnese cuisine</span> Cuisine of the Acehnese people

Acehnese cuisine is the cuisine of the Acehnese people of Aceh in Sumatra, Indonesia. This cuisine is popular and widely known in Indonesia. Arab, Persian, and Indian traders influenced food culture in Aceh although flavours have substantially changed their original forms. The spices combined in Acehnese cuisine are commonly found in Indian and Arab cuisine, such as ginger, pepper, coriander, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and fennel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Indonesian cuisine</span> Cuisine of the people of Indian-Indonesians

Indian Indonesian cuisine is characterized by the mixture of Indian cuisine with local Indonesian-style. This cuisine consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Indonesia. Indian influence can be observed in Indonesia as early as the 4th century. Following the spread of Islam to Indonesia and trading, Muslim Indian as well as Arab influences made their way into Indonesian cuisine. Examples include Indian biryani, murtabak, curry and paratha that influenced Acehnese, Minangkabau, Malay, Palembangese, Betawi and Javanese cuisine.

References

  1. "I came, I saw, and I cooked it: Indian Arrival Day". The Nomadic Gourmet. May 1, 2008. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  2. Saltfish accra- NomadicGourmet.com Archived 2010-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Roti Dalpuri- NomadicGourmet.com Archived 2010-01-12 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Gilad James, PhD. Introduction to Grenada. Gilad James Mystery School. ISBN   9785332203732.