Floribbean -History

1. Floribbean-History Cuisine combines flavors and foods indigenous to Florida and the Caribbean with influences from Spanish settlers and African slaves.

2. TIMELINE • 1513 - Ponce de León discovered Florida in his quest for gold • 1565 - Spanish founded St. Augustine • First permanent settlement of white explorers in the United States • Middle 1500s - Thousands of African slaves arrived • 1950 to the 1980s - Many Cubans immigrated to Florida • Many settled in Miami

3. RegionsNorth and much of central Florida resembles the cuisine of The South. • Cornbread • Grits • Greens • Okra • Lots of pork • Ham hocks, fatback, or bacon grease for flavoring • Fried foods • Hushpuppies

4. Floribbean Florida’s coastal rim and southern interior, and the islands of Puerto Rico.

5. A Balmy Peninsula • During the last ice age, the world’s ocean levels were low and Florida was a wide, semi-arid cape covered with tall grass. • As the globe warmed, the oceans rose and Florida became a narrow peninsula. • The cape’s former perimeter became a wide underwater shelf, providing habitat for many species of aquatic animals.

6. Tropical Climate Low latitude and proximity to the south Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean gives South Florida a tropical climate. Winter temperatures of 70° to 80°F and miles of sandy beaches make South Florida a prime vacation destination.

7. Varied Topography South Florida’s coastal rim (green) primarily comprises sandy beaches; barrier islands are separated from the mainland by inlets. In the 20th century, land reclamation created a low interior plateau (blue) suitable for agriculture. Florida’s southern tip is a maze of swamps and wetlands called the Everglades (brown).

8. South Florida Wildlife • deer • jackrabbits • muskrats • skunks • rodents • feral hogs • bears • coyotes • waterfowl • exotic birds • manatees • alligators • crocodiles • turtles • caimans • lizards • toads and frogs • snakes • multitudes of insects

9. South Florida Native Americans South Florida’s four original tribes were hunter-gatherers; the region’s warm weather and abundant food sources made agriculture unnecessary. Natives used barbeque techniques for cooking meats, poultry, and fish.

10. South Florida Native American Settlement

11. Seminoles Florida’s best-known Native American tribe were newcomers to the region, entering in the 1700s in response to population pressure in the Plantation South. Seminole means “wild man” or “runaway.” Seminoles included remnants of Southern tribes and included African-Americans.

12. South Florida Native American Foods FORAGED FOODS Hearts of palm Sea grapes Prickly pears Pokeweed Coontie(Florida Arrowroot) BARBEQUE • South Florida Native Americans cooked meat, fowl, and fish over glowing embers in a combination of direct heat and steam. • This technique was likely learned from Caribbean natives, and is the precursor ofSouthern barbeque.

13. A Limited Legacy Traditional and modern South Florida cuisine exhibits virtually no direct Native American influence. • minimized food culture • little contact between settlers and natives • US government policy removed most native groups prior to mainstream settlement (Trail of Tears- Jackson; Act-1830)

14. European Exploration and Settlement Ponce de Leon arrives in Florida in 1513 (fountain of youth). Central and northern Florida is sparsely settled for farming and strategic purposes; these areas are part of the Plantation South. South Florida was largely ignored, except for one area.

15. The Florida Keys • The Florida Keys form a gateway from the Caribbean Sea into the Gulf of Mexico. • British Creoles from the Bahamas and seafaring New Englanders settled the islands, making a living by trading and “wrecking.” • Florida Keys settlers were called conchs, after one of their primary foods.

16. Keys Cuisine Conch is a univalve shellfish with sweet but tough flesh (top left).Conch must be tenderized by physical means (chopping; pounding; long, moist cooking)or chemically, with an acidic marinade. Key limes (bottom left) are small, with a complex flavor and floral aroma. They are used in marinades and sauces, such as old sour, a condiment. Key limes make authentic mojito cocktails and are essential in Key lime pie.

17. American Settlement A small number of Americans from the Plantation and Appalachian South settled Florida’s central plateau where they raised small, hardy cattle. Mostly of Scots-Irish ancestry, they were called Crackers.

18. American Settlement CRACKER CUISINE • Beef as the primary protein • Frog legs, ‘gator tail, fish, shellfish • Cornmeal, biscuits, beans, and other pioneer provisions • Plantation South frying • Palm heart is “swamp cabbage” boiled or fried • Key lime marinades • Tropical fruits FLORIDA CITRUS • In the early 1800s American settlers planted orange groves on the central plateau. • After the great freeze of 1894 citrus moved to newly reclaimed land south of Okeechobee. • Citrus is an important ingredient and spurred economic viability.

19. Modern South Florida Henry Flagler’s railroad reached Palm Beach, near the Florida peninsula’s tip, in 1894. Land reclamation creates agricultural land and beachfront property. In 1928 Carl Fisher builds Miami Beach. Air conditioning makes year-round residence viable.

20. South Beach Art Deco Style In the 1920s and 1930s the southern end of Miami Beach was built up with hotels in the new Art Deco style. The style’s pastel colors and streamlines, rectilinear forms became part of new South Florida cuisine’s presentation style.

21. Traditonal South Florida Cuisine • Plantation South methods applied to local seafood and produce • Fish and shellfish • Tropical produce • Avocados, grapefruits, palm hearts, chayote • Conch chowder, fritters • Salads and cold entrées • Stone crab claws (left) served cold with mustard sauce (season: October 15th to May 15th)

22. New South Florida Cuisine In the 1980s Miami’s revitalized South Beach Art Deco hotels and restaurants hired world-class chefs who developed new South Florida cuisine.

23. New South Florida Cuisine THE MANGO GANG • Norman Van Aiken (right) fusion cuisine New World cuisine • Allen Susser • Mark Militello • Doug Rodriguez Nuevo Latino cuisine

24. Characteristics ofNew South Florida Cuisine • bold flavors and sharp contrasts • light textures and consistencies • tropical tubers • “crusted” foods • tropical fruit sauces and salsas • salads (as starters, sides, garnishes) • coconut milk in place of dairy • strong Caribbean influence • traces of Plantation South • Asian ingredients and techniques • Art Deco plate presentations

25. Tropical Tubers

27. Puerto Rican Cuisine About 1000 miles southeast of Florida’s tip, Puerto Rico is a tropical island. Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony until it became part of the United States in 1898.

28. Roots of Puerto Rican Cuisine INDIGENOUS TAINO FOODWAYS Taino People: Seafaring peoples of Bahamas, Greater Antilles, northern Lesser Antilles. Indigenous ingredients: • Annatto • Mexican oregano • Chiles • Culantro (not cilantro) aka recao (left) • Tropical fruits • Seafood

29. Caribbean

30. Roots of Puerto Rican Cuisine SPANISH Colonial Domesticates • pork and preserved pork • beef • cheese • rice Tropical Imports • bananas and plantains • mangoes • citrus fruits • sugar • Asian soy sauce and ginger AFRICAN The Spanish brought West African slaves to Puerto Rico • okra • cornmeal • sesame seeds • true yams • Guinea hen • gandules or pigeon peas • fried foods AMERICAN • canned meats • corn oil • cooking technology

31. Characteristics of Puerto Rican Cuisine • Most Puerto Ricans are of mixed Spanish, African, and Caribbean heritage. • A strong creole culture resulted in a lively hybrid cuisine, called cocina criolla.

32. Characteristics of Puerto Rican Cuisine SEASONING BLENDS Puerto Rican cooking features pre-made seasonings blends, both dry and moist. • Adobo a dry blend of granulated onion, granulated garlic, black pepper, oregano, salt, cumin • Mojo Criollo a marinade based on sour orange juice, onion, garlic, olive oil • Sofrito onions, garlic, green peppers, celery, tomatoes, culantro, and chiles cooked in olive oil • Recaito a rough purée of onions, garlic, green peppers, and culantro

33. Characteristics of Puerto Rican Cuisine • patties, tamales, meat pies: mofongo pasteles tostones • Rice dishes: arroz con pollo arroz con gandules asopao • Soups and stews: gandinga mondongo • Seafood: grilled fish with seasoning sauce breaded fried fish bacalao (salt cod) octopus salad • Meat dishes: spit-roasted pig ropa vieja • Desserts made with tropical fruits, custards

34. South Florida and Puerto Rico Dishes (Floribbean) APPETIZERS • Caribbean Conch Chowder • Ybor City Black Bean Soup • Coconut Shrimp • South Beach Conch Fritters • Key West Conch Ceviche • Stone Crab Claws • Black Bean-Stuffed Plantain Cakes • Ruby Red Grapefruit Salad • Everglades Frog Legs DESSERTS • Key Lime Pie • Tres Leches Cake • Coconut Cream Pie • Tropical Fruit Palette ENTREES Panéed Grouper Yellowtail Snapper Malanga-Mango-Crusted Snapper Cuban Crab-Stuffed Lobster Tails Grilled Mahimahi Pompano en Escabeche Jamaican-American Jerk Chicken Ropa Vieja Double-Pork Calle Ocho