CARIBBEAN GREEN SEASONING

If there is one recipe every Caribbean household holds close, it’s Green Seasoning. This vibrant, herbaceous paste is more than just a marinade, it’s the holy grail of flavor in our kitchens. You’ll find it tucked in the back of fridges, passed down from grandparents to parents and now to us. 

The ingredients may shift depending on which island or kitchen you’re standing in but the essence remains the same: a paste that carries heritage in every spoonful building a deep foundation of flavor for almost any dish.

Fish, chicken, pork, beef, rice, soups or stews …it all begins here. Fresh herbs, fiery peppers, pungent aromatics and just enough acid and oil to bring it together into a paste that can season, tenderize and transform. The richness and versatility of this seasoning remind us that some recipes aren’t just for cooking, they’re for keeping and passing down.

For me, this recipe is deeply personal. Both of my parents are Guyanese and while I am a first-generation American, my upbringing has always been a cultural bridge. Brooklyn is the garnish, Guyana is the foundation and America is the plate that holds it all together. Green seasoning is part of that bridge, it ties my heritage, my home and the flavors I want to pass on to the next generation. Here’s our family recipe: 

 

Yield: 5-6 cups 

Ingredients

• 2 medium to large onions, rough chopped

• 1 bunch parsley, rough chopped

• ¼ bunch cilantro

• 4–5 pieces culantro (optional, but traditional)

• 20–25 sprigs of thyme (a generous handful)

• 3 ribs celery, rough chopped

• 10–12 scallions

• 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (or 2–3 wiri wiri peppers)

• ⅓ cup garlic cloves

• ½ green bell pepper

• ¼ red bell pepper (for color)

• 1 thumb or knob ginger

• 3 tablespoons white vinegar

• 3 tablespoons light-tasting olive oil

• 1 tbsp Dash of Dacy Salt & Pepper Blend (or similar blend)

• 1 cup water (adjust depending on machine—less if using a food processor, more if using a blender)

• Optional: squeeze of fresh lime juice, a few pimento (allspice) berries

 

Method

1. Rough chop the herbs and vegetables to make blending easier.

2. Place everything (except the vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper blend into a food processor) Blend until you reach your desired texture. Some families prefer their seasoning chunkier others smoother, either way is right.

   • If using a blender, you may need to work in batches and add extra water to help it along.

3. Once blended, stir in the vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper blend.

    • Vinegar brightens the flavor, helps preserve the vibrant green color and extends shelf life. It also works as a natural tenderizer for meats.

    • Olive oil smooths the paste, deepens the flavor and aids preservation.

4. Store in clean glass jars or freeze in 8–16 oz deli containers or ice cube trays for easy use.

 

This is one of those recipes you don’t let slip through the cracks. Keep it. Use it. Pass it down. Because once you taste a dish built on this foundation, you’ll understand why every generation before us made sure it stayed alive.

 

 

                                                       RECIPE VIDEO HERE