To make oil down, cooks layer breadfruit, salted meat or salt fish, callaloo leaves (a leafy green vegetable), dumplings and sometimes plantain into a large pot. Coconut milk is poured over everything along with turmeric, which turns the whole dish a beautiful golden yellow. The pot is then covered and left to cook gently until the coconut milk reduces down to its oil — which is where the dish gets its name.
Oil down is traditionally made in large quantities and shared with family and neighbours. At festivals and community gatherings, you will often see a huge pot of oil down cooking outdoors over a wood fire, with the smell drifting across the whole street. It is the kind of dish that brings people together. Everyone has their grandmother's version, and everyone is convinced theirs is best.
Every ingredient in oil down tells a story about Grenada. The coconut palms, breadfruit trees and callaloo plants all grow on the island. The salt fish connects Grenada to its history as a trading island. The spices — especially turmeric — remind you of the Spice Isle. In one pot, you can taste the whole of Grenada.