Strange, Unusual, Delicious: Cayman Island Turtle Patties

     Cayman Island Turtle Patties

 

I few years back, when I was a young, immature foodie just starting out, I had the amazing privilege of visiting the Cayman Islands.  It was a very unique experience and allowed me to venture outside my comfort zone to try things I normally wouldn’t.  As a matter of fact, I think the Cayman Islands actually made me the foodie I am today!

While in the Cayman Islands, I visited Boatswain’s Turtle Farm which is one of the largest attractions there and saw some pretty interesting things. The most interesting part was the Turtle Patti Vendor inside the souvenir shop.  The man was literally selling us patties made from turtle meat INSIDE the turtle farm.  I found this bizarre and quite disturbing until I was prompted to try one. Even if the man had been selling the patties ten miles down the road the fact that it was a TURTLE he had cooked was off setting.  But, I didn’t want to be rude so after hesitating and looking back and forth between the dead turtle I was being offered and the live ones happily swimming around outside, I took the man up on his offer and tried a piece.

To say it was the most delicious thing I’d tasted in a long while would be an understatement. Think of Jamaican patties but with the most delicious, moist, fresh meat inside. I was so shocked at how delicious it was that I quickly asked for two more and took a picture of them. My palate expanded exponentially that day and I now have my own turtle farm where I kill…just kidding.  You may think me horrendous but as any foodie knows, you can’t turn own a potentially delicious meal because it was alive only moments ago.  I challenge you to try something completely foreign and see what happens. Good day!

New Journey

So recently I’ve decided I want to share my food discoveries (sweets to be exact) from my many travels.  I’ve tasted Egyptian cakes, Turkish scones, fudge from Africa and a variety of other delectable treats and want the world to taste them as well.

But I don’t want to document them in some boring journal, I want something tangible and delicious! My plan is to actually make the deserts I discover and share them with the world!  I’ve made a list of all the sweets I’ve had the pleasure of tasting and after arduous persuasion (and a few fights with the locals which I’ll tell you about later) I’ve managed to get the recipes!

I’ve already hired a graphic designer to create my logo and have made a few purchases to prepare for my baking frenzy! I even found the most amazing contraption called Baby Cakes!  It turns cakes into lollipops! Take a look!

Isn’t it fantastic?!  But I digress.  I will keep you updated on this journey and can’t wait to show you all the logo once it’s completed! Wish me luck and good day fellow humans!

Palate Exercises

Before you start on this journey with me, you must learn to savor every piece of food that enters your mouth.  Don’t just gobble up everything that comes your way in 10 seconds flat! These exercises will help you become a food tasting expert!

1) Pay attention to what you eat.  Don’t eat while watching TV or talking on the phone.  You will miss out on all the delicious flavors if you do that!

2) Slow down when you eat! When you eat slowly, you inhale more deeply. Thus draws more aromatic molecules into the olfactory receptors in the upper portion of your nose. Close your eyes when you eat and take in the flavors.

3) Spice up your life!  Opt for spicy foods like Cajun or Thai cuisine.  This will open up your taste buds to a whole new world of possibilities.

4) Try something new. Increase the diversity of texture, color and flavor of your food.  This will introduce you to new smells and flavors. This will also help you distinguish flavors in contrasts to one another.  There is no such thing as a picky food lover!

5)Cleanse your palate for the delights to come by sucking on a lemon wedge or orange segment. You can also snack on a soda cracker. If none of these are available, try sipping tepid water instead.

6) Use less salt! When you have too much salt, you over-stimulate your taste buds and lessen your ability to discern the subtle flavors in food.

7) Use less sugar for the same reasons as above.

8) Stop smoking.  Nicotine dulls your taste buds and sense of smell.  But thankfully our taste buds regenerate about every 10 days so if you quit smoking you will notice a heightened sense of taste and smell.

List courtesy of: howstuffworks.com