Oil down

Oil down is a salted meat and vegetable stew that is the national dish of Grenada.
Oil down is popular in local restaurants.

Description

Oil down is a stew of breadfruit, salted meat, chicken, dumplings, callaloo, and other vegetables stewed in coconut milk, herbs, and spices. The name refers to the fact that the oil from the coconut milk used in cooking is either absorbed by the ingredients or settles to the bottom of the cooking pot. All of the liquid is cooked down, hence the name oil down.
There is no set recipe for oil down, as each household and each parish make it to suit their preference.

Variations

Oil down is not unique to Grenada. It is also popular in nearby Trinidad and Tobago, which share a long history of cultural influences with Grenada. There are differences in how each island makes its oil down, however, with Grenadians preferring dasheen, dumplings, and turmeric, while Trinidadians tend toward a simpler dish without dumplings but with hot peppers. There are different versions of this stew in other Caribbean countries as well. In Guyana, a similar stew is called mettagee, or mettem, and in Jamaica, there is a seafood version called run down.