Stew peas

Stew peas is a Jamaican stew prepared using coconut milk, beans and salted meat. It is a common dish in Jamaica.

Overview

Stew 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

Stew 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

•  Food portal
•  Jamaica portal

• 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. DeMers, J. (1997). Caribbean Cooking. HPBooks. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-55788-271-4. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
4. com, Getjamaica. (2008). Jamaican Cooking Made Easy. iUniverse. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-595-47957-3. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
5. 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.
6. Nelson, Cynthia (March 21, 2015). "A Taste of Home". Stabroek News. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
7. "Coconut for good health - water, jelly, cream and oil". Jamaica Gleaner. May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
8. "Stew peas". Jamaica Gleaner. February 17, 2011. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
9. Nelson, Cynthia (November 23, 2014). "In good taste...A vegetarian's delight: Stew-peas". Stabroek News. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
10. 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.
11. "Lifestyle & Food: Tasty stew peas". Jamaica Star. February 6, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.

External links

• Jamaican Stew Peas and Rice Recipe. Cook Like a Jamaican.