Discovered by Europeans in 1498, Guyana, South America's only English-speaking state, has been struggled over for 500 years by the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British and as recently as 1966 achieved independence from Britain. It's fair to say that anytime there is an ethnically and culturally diverse group of people (think Aboriginal, African, Indian, Irish, Dutch, German, Portugese, Chinese, British, Spanish, etc.) fused together by a common language (think English and Creole), ethnic and culturally diverse culinary delights are just waiting to happen!
Guyanese Pepperpot (pictured above), an Amerindian dish, is Guyana's national dish and is traditionally served at Christmastime and other special events. Typically a stewed meat dish strongly flavored with cinnamon, hot peppers, and Cassareep - a special sauce made from the Cassava root - beef, mutton, and pork are the most popular meats used, though some have been known to use chicken. Pepperpot is popularly served with dense bread and butter, though it is equally as good with rice or roti. And just like there are different versions of just about every dish in the universe, there are different versions of Guyanese Pepperpot as well (See here, here and here, just for starters). In fact, versions of the dish are also served in several other countries in the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and St. Vincent.
