Stew peas is a Jamaican stew prepared using coconut milk, beans and salted meat. It is a common dish in Jamaica.
 Jamaican stew peas served with white rice. | |
| Course | Main dish |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Caribbean |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Kidney beans, cured meats and coconut milk. |
Overview
editStew peas is a Jamaican stew dish prepared using coconut milk, gungo peas (pigeon peas) or red peas (kidney beans), uncured meats and salted meats such as pork and beef as primary ingredients.[1][2][3] Additional ingredients can include onion, garlic, escallions, pig tail, herbs and spices.[2][4][5][6][7] In addition to being a main ingredient, the beans also serve to thicken the stew.[8] Pinto beans are more commonly used in the dish in Spanish-speaking areas of the Caribbean.[9] Canned beans can also be used to prepare stew peas, and the dish can be prepared using a pressure cooker.[9] It is sometimes prepared without the use of meat.[8]
In Jamaica, stew peas is often prepared using flour dumplings known as "spinners" in Jamaica.[3][10] Stew peas is commonly served atop rice or with a side dish of rice.[3][4][8] Rice is typically not included in the stew itself when it is cooked, and the stew serves to moisten and complement the separately-prepared rice.[10] Stew peas contains a considerable amount of protein.[9]
Stew peas is available in many areas of the Caribbean, is very popular in Jamaica, and has been described as a national dish of Jamaica.[3][9][10] The dish is prepared in various unique ways by Jamaicans, and has been described as a staple dish in Jamaican homes and restaurants.[8][11] In September 1992, the Jamaican newspaper The Gleaner declared stew peas with rice as "the best dish made in Jamaica" in its Home, Living and Food Guide.[10]
History
editStew peas has been a dish in Jamaica since at least the 1940s, and recipes for it began to appear in cookbooks in the 1970s.[10]
See also
edit
- List of bean soups
- List of Jamaican dishes and foods
- List of dishes made using coconut milk
- Oil down – a Grenadian stew prepared using coconut milk and salted meat
- Rice and peas – a common dish in the Caribbean
- Run down – a Jamaican stew prepared using reduced coconut milk and meats
References
edit- ^ Bigley, J. (2014). Kingston, Negril and Jamaica's South Coast. Hunter Travel. Hunter Publishing, Incorporated. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-58843-789-1. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ a b Wilk, R.; Barbosa, L. (2013). Rice and Beans: A Unique Dish in a Hundred Places. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-84788-905-8. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c d DeMers, J. (1997). Caribbean Cooking. HPBooks. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-55788-271-4. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ a b com, Getjamaica. (2008). Jamaican Cooking Made Easy. iUniverse. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-595-47957-3. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ Permenter, P.; Bigley, J. (1999). A Taste of Jamaica: Where to Find the Very Best Jamaican Food. Hunter Travel Guides. Hunter Publishing, Incorporated. p. 257. ISBN 978-1-55650-833-2. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ Nelson, Cynthia (March 21, 2015). "A Taste of Home". Stabroek News. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ "Coconut for good health - water, jelly, cream and oil". Jamaica Gleaner. May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Stew peas". Jamaica Gleaner. February 17, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c d Nelson, Cynthia (November 23, 2014). "In good taste...A vegetarian's delight: Stew-peas". Stabroek News. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Wilk, R.; Barbosa, L. (2013). Rice and Beans: A Unique Dish in a Hundred Places. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. pt69–70. ISBN 978-1-84788-905-8. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ^ "Lifestyle & Food: Tasty stew peas". Jamaica Star. February 6, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
External links
edit- Jamaican Stew Peas and Rice Recipe. Cook Like a Jamaican.