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Many people may not be so familiar with Caribbean cuisine. It is a blend of many influences such as Spanish, French, Indian and African. Common spices, especially in the English-speaking countries, are cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg. Despite the region's proximity to Mexico, the cuisine of the Caribbean is very different. Three of the best known Caribbean cuisines are those of Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Unlike in the English-speaking Caribbean which tends to use spices that give foods sharp flavours, Cubans prefer more subtle flavours such as those derived from lime and garlic. Cubans eat rice and beans regularly as do most Caribbeans. A typical dish is ropa vieja which literally means "old clothes". This is a shredded steak served in a tomato-based sauce with black beans, yellow rice, plantains and fried yucca. It is called "old clothes" because the steak tends to fall apart as one eats it, thus reminiscent of old clothes. Other dishes common to Cuba are black bean soup, corn soup, chickpea stew, empanadas and tamales. Empanadas are meat pies and tamales are cooked corn dough with a filling. Unlike Mexican tamales, Cuban ones are not spicy. A dessert which was imported from Spain is the churro, a fried dough pastry in the shape of a stick with sugar sprinkled on top. It is often eaten with hot chocolate.

Jamaica is famous for jerk meat and spicy patties. The traditional jerk meats are goat and pork, but other meats such as beef and chicken are also used. The word "jerk" refers to a spicy mixture used to prepare the meat. The mixture is rubbed on the meat and then it is barbecued or roasted. Jamaican patties are similar to Cuban empanadas but they are spicy. They are usually filled with beef, steamed vegetables and curried chicken. Unlike Cuban cuisine, Jamaican makes extensive use of hot peppers. Other Jamaican dishes include curried chicken goat and chicken, fried plantain, fried dumplings, rice cooked in coconut milk, callaloo, spiced buns and fried plantains. Callaloo is a soup cooked with vegetables such as okra. It is popular in many Caribbean countries such as Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. The national dish of Jamaica is salt fish and ackee, a fruit which grows in the Caribbean. Popular desserts not only in Jamaica but most of the Caribbean are pineapple pie and coconut roll.

Dishes associated with Puerto Rico are rice with peas, roast pork, stuffed turkey, blood sausage, sofrito and mofongo. Sofrito is a dish of onions and spices browned in olive oil. Mofongo is made with fried plantains which are later seasoned with garlic, mashed and served with fried meat and a fish soup. Seafood is very common. Puerto Ricans enjoy crab, cod, octopus, shrimp and oysters among other seafood dishes. For dessert Puerto Rican cuisine offers guava shells, vanilla and cheese custards known as flan, arroz con dulce and papaya chunks. Arroz con dulce, literally meaning rice with candy, is a delicious dessert which consists of cooked rice and coconut cream.

Caribbean food has been influenced by many different cuisines. It uses the roots, fruits and seafoods that are common to the region. Rum is drunk throughout the region. Though Caribbean cuisine is not very famous, it offers a number of tasty dishes which make this cuisine worth sampling.

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