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Hearing someone say, "this dumb bread is really good!" isn't as uncommon as you think in the Caribbean. A traditional native food, dumb bread is a sweet baked good derived from the Caribbean and named after the style of baking in a "dum," or what you'd normally refer to as a dutch oven. When you travel
to the islands on a locum tenens assignment, track down local bakeries and authentic restaurants to find traditional foods like dumb bread, kallaloo or, for
the adventurous, whelks and rice.
Dumb bread's flour dough is typically sweetened with shredded coconut. Hot coals are placed below the skillet and above the pan's lid to achieve its toasty brown exterior and dense consistency. For an alternative flavor, skip the coconut and fill the center with cheddar cheese and serve it as a savory hors d' oeuvre.
Another classic delicacy of the Caribbean is kallaloo, a thick, soupy stew with spinach, okra and local native greens in its base. For an extra kick to the nutrient-rich soup, chefs add conch, crab, fish, salt beef or smoked pig tail and serve it with a helping of fungi, another nationally common snack of the islands. Want to feed your adventurous appetite? Try the large marine snails called whelks, marinated
in garlic butter. Bon appetit!