Spice Shopping

[Sundsgn]

We will be sailing the western caribbean in May...Cozumel, Ocho Rios and Grand Caymen.

 

Besides the vanilla (which I guess is risky now) and Rum..what other cooking spices or ingredients are the ones to buy there...or any that are native to the area that we should purchase for cooking at home?

 

Thanks.

Sun

[sls]

Okay, why is the vanilla risky now?

 

sls

[kjunea]

I still buy vanilla there, just make sure it is coumarin free. Coumarin has been shown to cause liver damage in lab animals. The Food and Drug Administration restricted it starting in 1940 and banned it outright from all foods and food additives sold in the U.S. in 1954. You can find real vanilla, but it isn't as cheap as you may think. It is stronger than your normal McCormick, and it is cheaper than the $39.00 a bottle for 8 ounces that Williams-Sonoma sells there for and just as good.

 

I like to buy liquors to cook with, like Amaretto, Kahlua, etc.

[Sundsgn]

There was a post on cruise foodies about an import alert, I guess some vanilla is adulterated during manufacture with coumarin?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=38012

 

 

But, I don't want this post to get off subject...Above is the post where you can read more about it...very interesting ????