Rice and peas
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Rice and peas (or peas and rice) is a
traditional food Traditional foods are foods and dishes that are passed on through generations or which have been consumed for many generations. Traditional foods and dishes are traditional in nature, and may have a historic precedent in a national dish, regio ...
within the West Indian Caribbean islands. The 'peas' are traditionally
pigeon peas The pigeon pea (''Cajanus cajan'') is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae native to the Old World. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being commonly consumed in South Asia, Sout ...
, but more often substituted with
kidney beans The kidney bean is a variety of the common bean ('' Phaseolus vulgaris''). It resembles a human kidney and thus is named after such. Red kidney beans should not be confused with other red beans, such as adzuki beans. Classification There are ...
, and the dish is frequently served with
curry goat (''hseik-tha hnat'') hi, Bakri curry id, kari kambing ms, kari kambing , country = Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia , region = Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia) and the Caribbean (Tri ...
. In 1961, Frederic G. Cassidy made note that the dish had been referred to as Jamaica's
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
.


Anglo-Caribbean

Rice and peas is the mainstay of the cuisines of
The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
,
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
,
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
and many other English-speaking Caribbean islands. In
The Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
, it is known as peas n' rice, from which the Bahamian folk song " Mamma don't want no Peas n' Rice and Coconut Oil" is named. The dish is made with rice and any available
legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
, such as kidney beans,
pigeon peas The pigeon pea (''Cajanus cajan'') is a perennial legume from the family Fabaceae native to the Old World. The pigeon pea is widely cultivated in tropical and semitropical regions around the world, being commonly consumed in South Asia, Sout ...
(known as gungo peas), or
cowpea The cowpea (''Vigna unguiculata'') is an annual herbaceous legume from the genus ''Vigna''. Its tolerance for sandy soil and low rainfall have made it an important crop in the semiarid regions across Africa and Asia. It requires very few inputs, ...
s, the combination of grain and a legume forming a
complete protein A complete protein or whole protein is a food source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of each of the nine essential amino acids necessary in the human diet. Amino acid profile The following table lists the optimal profile of the ...
; compare
rice and beans Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foods of rice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many ...
. Gungo peas are particularly associated with Christmas. The peas are boiled with pimenta seeds and garlic until tender.
Scotch bonnet Scotch bonnet (also known as Bonney peppers, or Caribbean red peppers) is a variety of chili pepper named for its supposed resemblance to a Scottish tam o' shanter bonnet. It is ubiquitous in West Africa as well as the Caribbean. Like the clos ...
pepper,
thyme Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus ''Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus ''Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigenou ...
,
scallions Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...
and/or round onions, grated
ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...
and coconut milk are then added along with the rice and left to simmer until cooked. Variations of the recipe include the use of
salt pork Salt pork is salt-cured pork. It is usually prepared from pork belly, or, more rarely, fatback. Salt pork typically resembles uncut side bacon, but is fattier, being made from the lowest part of the belly, and saltier, as the cure is stronger an ...
or
beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...
instead of salt. Chicken is also used in the Guyanese variations of this dish and is known as cookup rice. This flavors the dish well and reduces the need for additional protein. Rice and peas, the classic Sunday lunch dish, is usually served with a stewed meat, such as chicken, beef, lamb or pork, or fish or seafood such as shrimp, crab or king fish.


See also

*
Arroz con pollo ''Arroz con pollo'' (Spanish for ''rice with chicken'') is a traditional dish of Latin America, closely related to paella. It typically consists of chicken cooked with rice, onions, saffron, and a potential plethora of other grains or vegetables ...
*
Arroz con gandules Arroz con gandules is a combination of rice, pigeon peas, and pork, cooked in the same pot with sofrito. This is Puerto Rico's national dish along with roasted pork. Preparation This dish is mainly served during Christmas season or for special oc ...
*
Gallo Pinto or Royal Spanish Academy y Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (2014)«gallopinto» ''Diccionario de la lengua española'' (23.ª edición). Madrid: Spain. . Consulted October 19, 2018. is a traditional dish from Central America. Con ...
*
Hoppin' John Hoppin' John, also known as Carolina peas and rice, is a peas and rice dish served in the Southern United States. It is made with cowpeas (mainly, Black-eyed peas, Sea Island red peas in the Sea Islands and Iron and clay peas in the Southeast U ...
*
List of Jamaican dishes This is a list of Jamaican dishes and foods. Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavors, spices and influences from the Indigenous peoples, indigenous people on the island of Jamaica, and the Ethnic groups of Africa, Afric ...
* List of legume dishes * List of rice dishes *
Pabellón criollo Pabellón criollo () is a traditional Venezuelan dish, the local version of the rice and beans combination found throughout the Caribbean. It is a plate of rice, shredded beef in stew and stewed black beans. Variants Common additions include ' ...
*
Platillo Moros y Cristianos is a traditional Cuban dish served both in homes and in restaurants. It is the Cuban version of rice and beans, a dish found throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and in the Southern United States. Etymology means 'Moors and Christians'. ...
*
Rice and beans Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foods of rice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many ...
* Stew peas


References

Caribbean cuisine Jamaican cuisine Trinidad and Tobago cuisine Barbadian cuisine Bahamian cuisine Guyanese cuisine Legume dishes Food combinations Lunch dishes National dishes {{caribbean-cuisine-stub