Cooking styles in the Caribbean islands are as diverse and heterogeneous as the various nations that have populated the region over the years. Generally, French and Spanish styles predominate, with lots of garlicky, tomato sauces served over fish, and meat cooked very simply in an oven or on an open grill. Vegetables usually come on the side, as do rice and beans.

Yet despite similarities in cuisine, most of the islands have distinct leanings that show through in the most local of dishes and from top-notch restaurants to street-side stalls. Criollo cooking is popular on Spanish-speaking islands such as Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and makes liberal use of cilantro and mixed seasonings like adobo . Chefs in the Netherlands Antilles add Indonesian touches such as soy sauce, satay and nasi goreng, while old French colonies in particular have a tendency to cook in a Creole style, in which chives, bouquet garni and tomato are made into a delicious, thick sauce and applied liberally to fish and chicken.

Jerk cooking is also common throughout the Caribbean, and originated with the African slaves who came to the islands in the 1600s, coated meat in spice mixtures (jerk) using island-grown ingredients such as ginger, thyme, allspice, hot peppers and green onion and then marinated it before cooking it very slowly in a pit, smoker or on a barbecue grill.