Natural Flava: Quick & Easy Plant-Based Caribbean Recipes

Product Information

Packed with around 100 mouth-watering vegan recipes, Natural Flava will elevate your vegan cooking repertoire with finger-licking goodness. Craig and Shaun charmed cooks everywhere with their essential introduction to home-cooked Caribbean food in Original Flava.

There's lots of interesting recipes for plantains, a squash wellington that I've never seen before, some porridge bowls, and more!I know a lot of people who love to cook, myself included, but I don't know a single person who owns a kitchen scale. This delicious, vibrant Caribbean-influenced cookbook from the bestselling duo behind Original Flava includes over 100 easy recipes. True, there’s an argument for the blanketing stodge of Beige Food, too, but it’s not a case of either/or). As with their first book, Original Flava, it draws on the generous tradition of Caribbean food, though its focus — or perhaps it would be more accurate to say its inspiration — is Ital cooking; the “ital” derives from “vital” and denotes the Rastafarian approach to eating, with its emphasis on fresh, unprocessed food and and its celebration of the earth’s bounty.

I think if you’re more familiar with Caribbean cooking this won’t be a problem for you, but if you aren’t, just be prepared for it. While I am no sun-worshipper, I do find the gloomy greyness of a long British winter slightly less than cheering. I wish the recipes had some general cook-times listed, but while they don’t, the recipes also don’t seem like they would take all day.

This is rare for many reasons that are maybe too related to neurodiversity/mental to go into but significant enough, reader, to get those 5 stars. Essentially Jamaican cooking without salt, meat, or additives, Ital is just as tasty but with the power to promote overall health and wellness. I don't know a lot about Caribbean food, let alone vegan Caribbean recipes so I was excited to learn more.