The Caribbean is a gorgeous place full of native cultural traditions.
Caribbean culture is rich with tradition. Putting together Caribbean theme gift baskets is a thoughtful way to bring the Caribbean culture to those you care about without having to travel across the ocean. Begin your gift basket with a glass bowl wrapped with ribbon. Fill the bowl halfway with white sand, and stick the gifts inside of the sand to complete the basket.
Food Basket
Each dish created by Caribbean natives is important because it represents the island's vegetation and the natives who lived there long ago. The Carib and Arawak Indians and the African slaves had a major impact on the food of this area. Popular foods in the Caribbean islands include coconut, mangoes, okra and papaya. Placing these kinds of fruits and vegetables in a gift basket along with recipes is a thoughtful and tasty Caribbean-inspired gift. Keep in mind when designing your recipes that in the Caribbean coconut is used in desserts, mangoes are popular in marinades and sauces, okra is used as a thickening agent in stews and papaya is popular in drinks and salads.
Music Basket
The African slaves who came to the Caribbean used music as recreation and, more importantly, as a way to maintain their sanity during hard times. Music still is a popular form of recreation on the islands. There are various different types of music, including easy, natural rhythms, African drum beats, Latin salsa beats (Cuba and Puerto Rico) and Reggae (Jamaica). Putting together a few CD mixes and placing them in a gift basket is a way to bring Caribbean culture to a friend.
Caribbean Rum Basket
In Barbados, rum distillation began in 1663. Rum is a popular drink in the Caribbean, and there are many different types, including white, golden, dark and spiced rums. A popular rum drink in the Caribbean is rum mixed with fruit juice. The Caribbean exports more rum than any region in the world, and every island in the Caribbean produces its own style of rum. Keep in mind that Cuban rum is illegal to ship into the United States. Include a variety of Caribbean rums in your basket, and add some fruit juices so the recipient can create the perfect tropical drink.
Tags: Caribbean culture, drink Caribbean, gift basket, African slaves, bring Caribbean