Oil down is the national dish of Grenada, the "Spice Isle" in the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles within the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. Oil down is a stew of breadfruit, salted meat, chicken, dumplings, callaloo, and other vegetables, all stewed in coconut milk, herbs, and spices to make a hearty and flavorful one-pot meal. It is called oil down because the coconut milk simmers down and releases its rich flavored oil into the pot. All of the liquid is cooked down, hence the name oil down. Grenadians might also use the term oil down in reference to a traditional neighborhood party where they serve the oil down stew cooked over an open fire. Traditionally it is the men who cook the oil down at such parties. Oil down is also very popular in local restaurants. There is no one, set recipe for oil down, as each household and each parish makes it to suit their preference.
Unlike most stews, in which the ingredients get a thorough mixing during the cooking process, a pot of oil down is "packed." Exactly how to "pack the pot" is a matter of taste and tradition, as well as a subject of occasional controversy. Everyone has a different order and method, but usually the breadfruit and meat goes on the bottom, most of the vegetables in the middle, and the callaloo leaves and dumplings on top. The ingredients simmer in situ.
Traditionally, the dish is finished when all the liquid has been absorbed, which usually takes at least an hour, depending on the size of pot.
Oil down is not unique to Grenada, as it is also very popular in nearby Trinidad and Tobago, which shares a long history of cultural influences from the Spice Isle. There are differences in how each island makes its oil down, however, with Grenadians preferring dasheen, dumplings, and turmeric while Trinis tend toward a simpler dish without dumplings, but with hot peppers. There are different versions of this stew in other Caribbean countries as well. In Guyana they make mettagee, or mettem, and in Jamaica they have a seafood version called run down.
On the small Caribbean island of Grenada, where locals have to deal with limited freshwater, seasonal rainfall, and natural disasters, and where the majority of the food is imported from the US and neighboring islands, oil down is one dish that Grenadians can call their own.
Although many things in Grenada have been influenced by the Europeans over the years, oil down remains something purely Grenadian. No imported spices or seasonings, no choice cuts of meat here. This one-pot meal is made up of local vegetables, “provisions”, salted meat, and aromatic seasoning — all easily accessible, affordable ingredients in Grenada.
Nearly every ingredient in this hearty stew has a unique origin and story to tell. For example, callaloo, and its root, dasheen, are indigenous to the Caribbean and were cultivated by Grenada's earliest Amerindian inhabitants. Today, oil down is a staple at the family table and at special gatherings, during the annual Carnival bacchanal or simply as a weekend feast.
