LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nothing tells the story of a race or culture like food. During Black History Month, we're looking at some traditional cooking served up right here in the valley.
13 Action News anchor Tricia Kean takes us inside a local spot offering Caribbean cuisine.
WORLD OF FLAVORS
"Here you can find jerk chicken, rasta pasta authentic, the red snapper, oxtail which is my top seller, curried goat," says Chef Oniel Smith.
He says you'll find a real taste of the Caribbean at his restaurant, House of Dutch Pot on Durango, just south of Flamingo.
"I import all the seasonings and stuff from Jamaica just to give you that authentic. So when you come to us at Dutch Pot, you're literally being on the island," says Smith.
Smith says the purity of his food is spelled out right in the restaurant's name.
"Dutch pot came from, because in Jamaica I grew up poor. We didn't have no gas or electricity... Being from the Caribbean, you got to cook your food a certain way to get that certain flavor," says Smith.
Caribbean cuisine features a number of influences and is a fusion of Creole, Cajun, and Indian to even Asian flavors.
"For instance, you can't put a jerk chicken in the oven and expect to have that smoke flavor... because the jerk is a slow cooking process that you really can't rush," says Smith.
WEST AFRICAN INFLUENCE
But the biggest impact on Caribbean cuisine comes from West Africa. As early as the 1500s, African slaves were combining okra, callaloo, pigeon peas, plantains, fish cakes and more, to staple foods found on the islands.
Smith says he hopes his kitchen can act as a melting pot for those new to Caribbean dishes, and those looking for a taste of home.
"I did my homework and I know that there's a lot of Caribbean people living in Nevada... I came to Las Vegas, not for the income, but for the outcome," says Smith.
Smith says he hopes people of all races can pull up a chair and enjoy his cooking.
"I came to Las Vegas and I noticed we don't have that Jamaican Caribbean culture out here. That's what I'm trying to create... So everyone knows that House of Dutch Pot is more than just a restaurant. It's a culture," says Smith.
