Writing about food is a new experience, which started when I spent three months in Jamaica last year, although I didn't think that anything would come of it at the time! So when I was asked to write a piece about my journey to becoming a vegetarian, for a magazine called Jamaican Eats, I thought, why not?
Here is my story:
How I Became a 'Veggie'
As an experienced visitor to Jamaica, it was only a matter of time that I would feel the need to extend my stay longer than the usual two to three weeks vacation type visit. So between September to December 2007, I decided to spend some quality time there.
This was my tenth trip to Jamaica and my third visit to Kingston and I was pleasantly surprised at how quick I was able to tap into the creative writing scene in Kingston. My book Sexual Attraction Revealed, was enthusiastically welcomed in The Kingston Bookshop and the Institute of Jamaica.
As the weeks went by I enjoyed eating a healthy diet of vegetarian-only cuisine. Not only was this the right time for me to stop eating meat, but it was an excellent way to embrace the islands’ vibrant culture, which included a wonderful range of fresh and exotic fruits and vegetables to choose from. There is something really lovely about seeing a mixture of colour on your plate – from red and green peppers to the many colourful and textured yams to bright orange carrots and sun glowing ackee.
By month two, I was really absorbed with this way of eating and have to give a lot of credit to a Rastafarian male friend of mine who not only did all the cooking but showed me how to cook vegetables the Caribbean way. As well as soaking up the sun, and the social scene, I was basking in the enlightenment of discovering how to be a real veggie. So with much reasoning and seasoning, we joined forces and while my friend cooked, I started to eagerly write down the recipes so as to capture these mouth-watering and tasty vegetable dishes.
Nowhere is the belief that we are what we eat held more steadfastly than among the brethren of the Rastafari. I discovered that there is good reason to shun additives, preservatives, all processed foods; all that is generally eaten, which has no direct root in nature. I have since adapted my own cooking style as I don’t like to use a lot of oil and I have experimented with even more dishes.
OK back to my Caribbean cuisine.…with the use of a blender, an essential kitchen item, we used beetroot, carrots, cucumber, bananas, plantain, sour sop, melon, mango, orange, pineapple, papaya, ginger, grated coconut, peanuts and oats to mix and blend smoothies to die for. Once blended, and for even more zest, we added a dash of grated nutmeg and/or cinnamon.
Eating mostly blended fresh fruits and vegetable dishes for three months was enough for me to commit totally to vegetarian cuisine and with the occasional dish of steamed snapper and callaloo, my health has improved immensely and I was told I looked great. Obviously, this was also due to being in the hot and luscious Caribbean climate where I received an adequate supply of vitamin D, which I feel we lack in the UK but really I believe that we are what we eat.
As an experienced visitor to Jamaica, it was only a matter of time that I would feel the need to extend my stay longer than the usual two to three weeks vacation type visit. So between September to December 2007, I decided to spend some quality time there.
This was my tenth trip to Jamaica and my third visit to Kingston and I was pleasantly surprised at how quick I was able to tap into the creative writing scene in Kingston. My book Sexual Attraction Revealed, was enthusiastically welcomed in The Kingston Bookshop and the Institute of Jamaica.
As the weeks went by I enjoyed eating a healthy diet of vegetarian-only cuisine. Not only was this the right time for me to stop eating meat, but it was an excellent way to embrace the islands’ vibrant culture, which included a wonderful range of fresh and exotic fruits and vegetables to choose from. There is something really lovely about seeing a mixture of colour on your plate – from red and green peppers to the many colourful and textured yams to bright orange carrots and sun glowing ackee.
By month two, I was really absorbed with this way of eating and have to give a lot of credit to a Rastafarian male friend of mine who not only did all the cooking but showed me how to cook vegetables the Caribbean way. As well as soaking up the sun, and the social scene, I was basking in the enlightenment of discovering how to be a real veggie. So with much reasoning and seasoning, we joined forces and while my friend cooked, I started to eagerly write down the recipes so as to capture these mouth-watering and tasty vegetable dishes.
Nowhere is the belief that we are what we eat held more steadfastly than among the brethren of the Rastafari. I discovered that there is good reason to shun additives, preservatives, all processed foods; all that is generally eaten, which has no direct root in nature. I have since adapted my own cooking style as I don’t like to use a lot of oil and I have experimented with even more dishes.
OK back to my Caribbean cuisine.…with the use of a blender, an essential kitchen item, we used beetroot, carrots, cucumber, bananas, plantain, sour sop, melon, mango, orange, pineapple, papaya, ginger, grated coconut, peanuts and oats to mix and blend smoothies to die for. Once blended, and for even more zest, we added a dash of grated nutmeg and/or cinnamon.
Eating mostly blended fresh fruits and vegetable dishes for three months was enough for me to commit totally to vegetarian cuisine and with the occasional dish of steamed snapper and callaloo, my health has improved immensely and I was told I looked great. Obviously, this was also due to being in the hot and luscious Caribbean climate where I received an adequate supply of vitamin D, which I feel we lack in the UK but really I believe that we are what we eat.
For more information on JamaicanEats Magazine visit:
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