The Caribbean Dictionary
Word of the Day
August 01, 2021
Translated as ‘female devil’ from French, La Diablesse is a Caribbean Folklore Character who was born human but her dealings with the devil have made her a malicious shape-shifting spirit. To others, her poise, figure and dress make her...
July 31, 2021
A small aquatic snail often found attached to rocks in rivers. They are edible and sometimes used as an ingredient in soups
July 30, 2021
A meal made by slow cooking seasoned cornmeal. The meal is stirred or turned as it is cooked.
July 28, 2021
Turkey vulture or black vulture. A large carrion feeding bird of prey with a turkey-like bald red or black head.
July 27, 2021
The larval form of the lacewing group of insects. Also known as antlions, they are known primarily for the funnel shaped pits they make in dry soft dirt to trap ants.
July 26, 2021
A fruit of the sapodilla family. It has flesh with orange, reddish brown, or yellow colours with a custard like texture. It is valued for its pleasant taste and mixes well with a variety of other foods.
July 25, 2021
A homemade frozen pop popular with children. It is made by pouring mixed drinks into small transparent plastic bags, tying the bags to seal them, and freezing. They are normally consumed by sucking a small hole bitten in one corner of the bag.
July 23, 2021
A desert similar to payme or dukunu. It is made from mixture of grated pumpkin, sweet potato, cornmeal, flour, and various spices wrapped in banana leaf and steamed on a rack over boiling water.
July 22, 2021
A rich spicy soup made with goat meat as the main ingredient. Usually the goat's head (and sometimes tripe and testicles) is used. The soup is considered to be an aphrodisiac.
July 21, 2021
Canistel; A bright yellow ovoid fruit with a pointed tip. It is related to the sapodilla and is edible. The flesh tends to be dryer than other sapodillas and the texture is similar to that of a hardboiled egg yolk.
July 19, 2021
Gossip. Idle talk, rumours, or salacious news about the private affairs of others.
July 17, 2021
The Great Potoo: A nocturnal insectivore bird found in the Caribbean, Central and South America.
July 16, 2021
A homemade frozen pop popular with children. It is made by pouring mixed drinks into small transparent plastic bags, tying the bags to seal them, and freezing. They are normally consumed by sucking a small hole bitten in one corner of the bag.
July 15, 2021
A dish with fried meat as the primary ingredient. A typical example will have will have fried goat (tassot cabrit) or fried beef (tassot bef), fried pork (griot), fried crab or fish, marinad (salty beignets), akra (fried malanga). Fried sweet...
July 14, 2021
The Purple Gallinule is a "swamp hen" in the rail family Rallidae. This is a medium-sized rail. The adult Purple gallinule has big yellow feet, purple-blue plumage with a green back, and red and yellow bill. It has a pale blue forehead shield...
July 13, 2021
A traditional style of folk music performed using a handsaw and various instruments including the accordion and drums.
July 12, 2021
Gossip. Idle talk, rumours, or salacious news about the private affairs of others.
July 11, 2021
An unpleasant sticky, starchy taste or texture. Usually bitter and drying to the mouth. Unripen fruits usually taste 'cassa' because of its high starch content. E.g. unripene: fig (banana), kaimate etc.
July 09, 2021
Ziziphus Mauritania; A small round berry about 3/4 inches in diameter. The fruit is green and turns yellow as it ripens. Ripe fruit may occasionally develop a rust brown colour and a cracked texture. The unripe fruit is firm and slightly...
July 08, 2021
A small bird with a bright yellow underbelly. The wings and back are black with small white markings.
July 07, 2021
Round, oblate, oval, ellipsoidal, or conical fruit varying in size from 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) in width. The immature fruit is hard and has a sandpaper like texture. Typically, the fruit does not ripen until it is picked or falls off the tree....
July 06, 2021
A baked desert with a flaky, but firm crust and a filling made from sweetened grated coconut.
