sorry, we barbados up in here. you’ll have to leave your bados outside, please.

Rihanna would have laughed at my joke.

thanks, wikipedia.com!

Interesting thing (well, to me) about Barbados (and unrelated to Rihanna): apparently, when the Portuguese cruised through in the 16^th century, after the Spanish had already “discovered” it and been like, “yo, we got this!”, they didn’t try to snatch it from Spain or anything. They just… left a bunch of pigs.

“Oh, no, no thanks—we don’t want to actually STAY here. We just needed a place to store our pigs ‘til we’re good and ready to eat ‘em.”

So it goes. Nowadays, the island still has pigs. And fish. And Rihanna. Two out of three of those are often there and eaten, and almost always after being seasoned with a Bajan spice blend that is seriously UH-mazing. Since it’s just a staple in Bajan cuisine, we’re gonna start with that before we move on to Part 2: The Fishening.

the stuff

This recipe makes a lot. Which is cool, because it’s supposed to stay for months in the fridge if store properly! And it’s delicious! On everything! Like EGGS! Or FISH! Or whatever!

1 lb onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
handful of green onion, coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled
4 habaneros, stems & seeds removed
A fair amount—like 2-3oz—of each:
*fresh thyme leaves
*fresh basil leaves
*fresh parsley leaves
*fresh marjoram leaves
1 cup vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove
3 tbsp salt

 the moves

note: THIS IS EXCITING. I received a food processor over the holidays, and even though it’s now several months later this is the first time I get to write about using a food processor! For real![this also doesn’t impact anything. at all.]

1. Combine onion, green onion, garlic, & habaneros & process into a pastey-like substance.
2. Add the fresh herbs & vinegar—process away.
3. Combine that bunch of deliciousness with the rest of the ingredients, and VOILA: YOU HAVE LOTS OF YUM.
4. Oh yeah—you’re supposed to let it sit for a couple days in the fridge, covered, before using so it gets extra delicious. Try to wait.

You can keep this stuff hanging in the fridge for a few months and it should stay yummy. And potent. Yumpotent? WHATEVER.

#1 recommendation, of course, would be to check out Barbados Part 2: The Fishening for a super tasty use.

thanks, naturalhistoryonthenet.com!