The Caribbean food scene in the UK is akin to a private members’ club. Invite-only. Unless you run in certain circles, you might not know much about it. Family recipes, the best butchers, where to buy a quality Dutch pot, how to make the perfect dhal puri roti… The community is powered by word of mouth, not to mention the sheer breadth of culture emanating from the islands, each of which is unique. Put simply, it can be intimidating for an outsider. Enter Riaz Phillips, who’s on a mission to make Caribbean cooking feel more accessible.
In his new cookbook-come-historical-journal East Winds, the 33-year-old celebrates the islands and countries of the eastern Caribbean (his earlier book, West Winds, already covered Jamaica). Out on 5 October, East Winds is a joyous celebration of Trinidadian, Guyanese, Surinamese and Grenadian cultures, traditions and, of course, cuisine. Its 90 recipes are grouped into chapters devoted to different dishes – think curry or roti – with each one a testament to Phillips’s expertise and passion.
Naturally, as a Brit with Trinidadian heritage myself, I was excited to learn more about the book. So, on a mild Tuesday afternoon, I took the Victoria line down to Fish Wings and Tings in Brixton, where Phillips had suggested we meet. Over curry channa, roti and ginger beer, he talked me through the process of bringing East Winds to life.
Riaz Phillips
First things first: why did you want to write East Winds?
In the past, Caribbean cookbooks in the UK have largely been focused on Jamaican dishes, which makes sense, given that the majority of the Windrush generation came from Jamaica, but many people migrated from other Caribbean countries too, like Guyana, Trinidad, Grenada, and so on. Each place is so different. Certain foods that are everywhere in Jamaica are impossible to find in Trinidad – Port of Spain doesn’t have jerk chicken on every corner the way that Kingston does, for example – but if you go to a “Caribbean” restaurant in London, you’re going to see jerk chicken, saltfish, ackee and roti all on the same menu, even though they’re native to different islands. I wanted the book to show the full breadth of culture and recipes in the Caribbean.
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