Florida fusion: Latin and Caribbean cooking meet the Sunshine State's native cornucopia

Vegetarian Times, August, 2001 by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

These days, Florida may be best known for dimpled chads and butterfly ballots. But those who like to whip up intriguin9 and healthful hot-weather fare know the Sunshine State, with its heavy Caribbean-Latino influences, as a hotbed of inspiration.

South Florida is a melting pot of Caribbean and Latin American cultures. Miami alone has a Cuban population of more than 250,000, and its Nicaraguan, Haitian and Colombian communities are the largest in this nation. Latin American food pervades the Floridian diet. Even mainstream supermarkets in Florida carry bonitos (Cuban sweet potatoes), plantains, chayotes, cassava and calabazas (West Indian pumpkins) as well as other Hispanic products. Restaurant-goers have the standard Italian and Japanese options but can also satisfy their palates with so many other cuisines, like Argentine, Brazilian, Cuban, Jamaican, Nicaraguan, Peruvian and Salvadoran.

Ponce de Leon had the right idea when he named Florida, which comes from the Latin word for "flowering." The state's semitropical climate supports a year-round growing season--perfect for vegetarian chefs. Citrus groves in central Florida burst with oranges, grapefruits and tangerines. Southern Florida has become an exotic-fruit capital, specializing in mangoes, star fruit, lychees, passion fruits and papayas. Marrying these natural delights with a Caribbean-Latino flavor is the heart of Florida cuisine.