The holidays flew by in a blink of an eye and here we are in the New Year, and a new year brings new food trends. Carefully curated, sustainable foods are predicted to take 2017 by storm. Another food trend that I’m particularly looking forward to in 2017 is the transformation of desserts.  Hybrid and ‘extreme’ desserts are becoming more popular, often times becoming the highlight of the meal. These ‘extreme’ desserts are a combination of ingredients and toppings crafted into one extravagant and decadent creation that is more complex, leaving the palette excited for more. So, if your New Year’s resolution didn’t involve giving up sweets, you’re in for a real treat.

The Caribbean is rich with vibrant and natural sweet flavors, which puts us at an advantage for creating sustainable and hybrid desserts. Naturally-occurring sweets such as tamarind, coconut, mango, guava and cacao can be found throughout Trinidad & Tobago, allowing us to create indulgent desserts with ingredients that can often times be found in our own backyard. At Hyatt Regency Trinidad, we source local produce and products as much as possible. We are at an advantage with so many fresh fruits and vegetables at our immediate disposal.

Here is one of my favorite decadent desserts that will be featured at Hyatt Trinidad during the first quarter of 2017:

Yogurt Panna Cotta

Oatmeal crunch, Vodka poached apricots, olive oil sponge, cucumber gelee and Vanilla Chantilly

Panna Cotta Ingredients:

1 cup Heavy cream

5 tbsp. Granulated Sugar

½ cup Plain yogurt

Zest of one orange

1 ½ tsp gelatin powder

Method:

Bloom gelatin.

Combine the heavy cream, sugar and orange zest in a sauce pan. Bring to a slight boil.

Add in Bloom gelatin and set aside.

Combine the yogurt to the mixture and then strain.

Pour mixture into mold place in chiller overnight. 

Cucumber Gelee Ingredients:

2/3 cup water

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 cup Cucumber juice

5 tsp lime juice

6 leaves gelatin

1 pinch salt

Method:

Bloom the gelatin and set aside.

Boil water and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.

Add the cucumber to the mix and remove from heat.

Add the lime juice and gelatin with a pinch of salt.

Olive oil micro Sponge Ingredients:

2 egg whites

1 egg yolk

¾ cup whole milk

1 cup sugar

¾ tsp salt

2 tbsp. canola oil

4 tbsp. olive oil

¾ cup all-purpose flour

Method:

Combine all ingredients.

Using a stick blender or a food processor, combine the ingredients to a smooth mixture and then strain to avoid any lumps.

Pour the mixture into a whip cream canister with No2 chargers, shake well and dispense from canister into microwavable coffee cups.

Cook in microwave for 40 seconds.

— Submitted by Hyatt Regency Trinidad’s executive chef Fernando Franco and his team, who are members of the 2016 ‘Caribbean National Team of the Year’ at Taste of the Caribbean in Miami.

The post A New Dessert Recipe from Trinidad appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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We all love the beach, but there is so much more to discover in the Caribbean — and there’s nowhere better to experience the authentic Caribbean than some of its remarkable cities.

The Caribbean’s urban centers offer a mix of nightlife, culture, art and culinary adventure that will always reward the adventurous traveler. These are our favorites for 2017.

Santo Domingo

The Caribbean’s largest metro area is a pulsing, vibrant city with a modern, energetic vibe. But it’s also home to the Colonial Zone, the oldest city in the New World and a wonderful destination in its own right. The best trips to Santo Domingo combine both of these worlds.

What You Must Do:

Stay at the JW Marriott Santo Domingo

Eat at Pat’e Palo European Brasserie

Drink at the lobby bar at the Hostal Nicolas Ovando

Experience a walk around the Colonial Zone and its myriad sidewalk cafes and art galleries.

The post Five Caribbean Cities to Visit in 2017 appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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Weighing the impact of Argyle

By Kareem Yarde
Op-Ed Contributor

It was recently announced with great fervor that St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be officially opening the Argyle International Airport (AIA) on February 14^th 2017. Beset by challenges from the inception, the airport has nonetheless been touted as an opportunity to create economic growth for this small island developing state.

Indeed, the development of a strong air transport industry creates significant potential for growth in areas such as trade, foreign direct investment, and tourism.

Additionally, the skilled domestic employment associated with an airport also presents significant potential to increase the tourism multiplier (the extent to which money earned in tourism is spent throughout the rest of the economy). Therefore, it is not surprising that any small island developing state would view as critical the importance of having its own international airport.

In the context of AIA, this undertaking was executed at great financial, social and environmental expense which included the removal of three mountains, and the relocation of one hundred and forty three homes, a church and cemetery. To-date, the development had been dogged by delays and criticisms of its legitimacy.

The first phase of the development of Argyle International Airport was undoubtedly an uphill battle, but the reality is that its most difficult time might yet be to come.

As the largest capital development project in the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, it is now the behest of every Vincentian to ensure that the project does not emerge into a ‘white elephant’; a syndrome which has served as an economic albatross for citizens of destinations with far greater economic prowess and less challenges.

In our context, air transport development is often a synonym for tourism development. Therefore, growth in the air transport industry to an extent that it will be able to support a development such as Argyle calls for significant integration into the destination’s tourism development strategy.

According to International Airport Development Company, “Argyle is built to facilitate 1.5 million passengers annually”.

However, during 2015, St. Vincent attracted approximately 75,381 stayover visitors by air, the largest market of which was from the U.S (22,063; 29 %) followed by the United Kingdom (17,045; 22%).

Based on information collated from the 2016 edition of the Official Publication of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Hotel and Tourism Association, there are approximately 952 rooms across 65 properties throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines. SVGs tourism product is therefore comparatively smaller in size, diversity and therefore attractiveness when juxtaposed to many other destinations throughout the region. Many of which adopt a competitive rather than complimentary approach towards targeting the region’s major source markets.

Admittedly, a case could be made that there is significant suppressed demand for St. Vincent’s tourism product which has been deferred as a consequence of the costs associated with reaching the destination (ie financial costs, time consumption costs, discomfort from transiting etc).

Nonetheless, the destination will have a significant challenge expanding for example its US market which, depending on the demographic being targeted, can traditionally be a more brand loyal market. Hence, the lack of such brands would hamper growth in that market.

In summary, this is an extremely extensive topic and AIA, as an apt example of the challenges many other small island developing states face provides an interesting case upon which to identify strategies which some SIDS have been adopting to ensure the most substantial benefits can be achieved from tourism and air transport.  These include but are not limited to:

• Creating authentic experiences. Modern day travelers inclusive of the most wealthy are seeking authentic experiences, a trend which is being heavily driven by a visitor profile which is shifting towards being able to gain first hand experiences about the destination’s culture. The destination must therefore focus on making its product unique and attractive. A strong product creates sustainable demand.  
• Expanding available room stock using the shared economy.
• Focusing on more flights from fewer airlines (IMF recommendation) 
• Developing strong travel trade partnerships.
• Capitalizing on limited infrastructural development to target special interest/ niche markets. 
• Ensuring favorable connections in both directions. However, this is likely to present a challenge because this requires flexibility in the schedule which an emerging destination without critical mass is unlikely to have without substantial subsidisation.  

It has been an extremely costly endeavor on many fronts and the costs are likely to continue to accrue as subsidization and concession strategies are likely to be employed in attempts to lure carriers and tourism developers.

As highlighted before, this is an extremely extensive topic which this limited medium could hardly do justice to.

Nonetheless, these are strategies SVG would do well to consider, because as the largest capital development project in the country’s history, as easily as AIA has the potential to serve as the road to economic success for SVG, it could also prove to be an even greater burden if not adequately handled.

Kareem Yarde is the Founder and Creative Strategist of Tourism Analytical Services. He can be reached at kareemyarde@gmail.com.

Note: the opinions expressed in Caribbean Journal Op-Eds are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Caribbean Journal.

The post Op-Ed: St. Vincent’s Major New Airport — And What’s Next appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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WASHINGTON, USA — Puerto Rico’s longest-held political prisoner Oscar López Rivera’s sentence has been commuted by US President Barack Obama.  The news first broke on social media on Tuesday afternoon, although the pro-independence weekly Claridad…

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Luxury comes in different shapes and sizes in the Caribbean. Sure, there are grand luxury hotels, those one is used to finding in Europe, that pop up along sandy shores, just as there are boutique jewels, too.

But sifting through them isn’t always easy. That’s why we’re here to help. Our editorial team has put together a collection of some of our favorite luxury hotels in the Caribbean, big and small, as a guide to help you make your luxury travel decisions this year. These are 10 luxury hotels in the Caribbean we think you’ll enjoy on your next trip to the islands.

Cap Maison, St. Lucia

There’s just something eminently likable about this hotel. As we’ve said before, Cap Maison understands what luxury travelers want: a mix of high-end amenities and authenticity. And from the stunning beach to the spacious rooms to the world-class restaurant, it delivers.

Click here to book a stay at Cap Maison.

The post 10 Caribbean Luxury Hotels to Visit Right Now appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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