Saint Vincent & the Grenadines 2.

**~~Dominicanese~~** · 11-20-2016, 08:30 PM

Saint Vincent & the Grenadines 2.

Culture:
Much of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines culture, as you might expect, is strongly linked to the sea, and to the boats which brought African slaves, Portuguese labourers, and French and British settlers together with indigenous Caribs to give St. Vincent and the Grenadines its vibrant, multi-ethnic community, that is both proud and unified.

Cuisine:
Saint Vincent is one of the few islands where extraordinary West Indian cuisine can be served in hotels. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines share traditional West Indian culture, having African, French, British, and Black Carib influences. The majority of the Grenadine islands inhabitants are keen on fishing, as their cuisine is based on fish dishes. The rich volcanic soil of Saint Vincent provides lots of vegetables and fruits that are sold throughout the Grenadines. The most popular dishes are pumpkin soup, callaloo soup, Conch, fish, shrimp, lobster, whelk, salt fish, and, of course, breadfruit and fried jackfish. In Saint Vincent people love sweet and fresh juicy oranges that have an excellent taste while they are still green, as well as distilled rum.

Saint Vincentian cuisine uses elements from various cooking traditions borrowed from their neighbours and developed from their own traditional dishes. While there are no specific or unique preparation methods for cooking in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we should point out that attention to detail is important in the Vincentian cuisine. Using the right amount of spices for example is essential - either for spicing up the taste or for coloring the dish. The diversity of vegetables and cereals found in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also noticed in the delicious dishes belonging to their cuisine. The visual attractiveness of the dish is also important, and a balance between colors and proportion differentiates. Each traditional dish has a special cooking method, which is more or less general in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Meat is one of the main elements of most Vincentian dishes and cured and smoked hams are often parts of delicious dishes.

Ranging from cake pans, can openers, colanders, egg rings, poachers and holders, food dishers & portioners, food pans & food containers to other kitchen utensils, such as food scales, food scoops and fryer baskets & accessories, the Vincentian cuisine needs a diverse cooking equipment set in order to produce the most sophisticated dishes from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. You should consider insulated food carriers if you are transporting the food and a full set of kitchen linens and uniforms if you wish to look like a pro. Here are a few other items that will come handy while cooking Vincentian food: juicers, kitchen knives, kitchen slicers, kitchen thermometers, measuring cups & measuring spoons, miscellaneous utensils, mixing bowls and skimmers & strainers. Essential utensils like serving spoons, spatulas, forks, turners, scrapers and tongs should also be part of your cooking "arsenal".

The Tombstone Feast is characteristic to these regions and it is associated with death and burial and is held when the grave is marked by the placing of a stone. There is a belief which says that the memory of the dead person must be honoured by a mass every year. Also, this feast is essential to maintain the respect for the ancestors. As for the food served during this period, it consists mainly of seafood and fish like Conch, shrimp, lobster and whelk, or pumpkin soup, callaloo soup, salt fish, breadfruit and fried jackfish, and also of asher sauce, bequian Lamb stew, or rice.

There are many chefs who creatively use the basic ingredients and cooking method for traditional dishes in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and create original and delicious food variations. Vincentian chefs are passionate about their traditional dishes and they enjoy presenting them to foreigners who have never tasted them before. Whether they are cooking dishes that go back in time for centuries or brand new, modern dishes, Vincentian chefs take pride in what they do, and this is readily noticeable in the unforgettable taste of their cooking.

Music:
The music of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines includes thriving music scenes based on Big Drum, calypso, soca, steelpan and also reggae. String band music, quadrille, bélé music and traditional storytelling are also popular.

Big drum music is performed throughout the Windward Islands and is especially known in Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. The drums are traditionally made from tree trunks, but are more often made from rum kegs now. The socially aware or satirical lyrics are usually performed by a female singer called a chantwell, and is accompanied by dancers in colorful skirts and headdresses. Big Drum is commonly performed at weddings and other celebrations, especially the launches of boats.

Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 66% Black
* 22% Mulatto
* 6% East Indian
* 4% White
* 2% Carib (Native American)

People:
Saint Vincent was one of the last Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans. The aboriginal Caribs existed there in sufficient force to hold off European incursions until the eighteenth century. In the early seventeenth century, the Black Caribs—a population composed of the descendants of Caribs and African maroons from other islands—emerged on Saint Vincent.

The importation of Africans by Europeans established the basic Afro-European foundation of Vincentian society. The labor shortage created by emancipation occasioned the immigration of East Indians, Portuguese, and Barbadian whites. Many of the freed slaves were turned into agricultural wage earners, but most became peasants. A combination of peasant and plantation agriculture remains the character of Saint Vincent in modern times.

Languages:
English is the official language of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. They also speak a local dialect in informal situations and it is known as "dialect" locally. Vincentian English or dialect has it's roots in British & Hiberno English from Southern Ireland, with influences from West African languages as well as Portuguese & French influences. It also contains many elemants and words from indigenous Kalinago/Garifuna languages.

Religion:
According to the 2001 census, 81.5% of the population of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is considered Christian, 6.7% has another religion and 8.8% has no religion or did not state a religion (1.5%).

Anglicanism constitutes the largest religious category, with 17.8% of the population. Pentecostals are the second largest group (17.6%). The next largest group are Methodists (10.9% of the population), followed by Seventh-day Adventists (10.2%) and Baptists (10.0%). Other Christians include Roman Catholics (7.5%), Evangelicals (2.8%), Church of God (2.5%), Brethren Christian (1.3%), and the Salvation Army (0.3%). There is also an unknown number of Rastafarians on the islands.

Sports:
Cricket and association football (Soccer) are most popular among men whereas netball is most popular among women. Basketball, volleyball and tennis are also very popular.

The country's prime Football league is the NLA Premier League, which provides its national (association) football team with most players. A notable Vincentian footballer is Ezra Hendrickson, former national team captain who played at several Major League Soccer clubs in the United States and is now an assistant coach with the Seattle Sounders FC.

The country regularly participates at the Caribbean Basketball Championship where a men's team and a women's team compete. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also has its own national rugby union team which is ranked 84th in the world. Other notable sports played at the regional level include track and field.

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