Oil down is a salted meat and vegetable stew that is the national dish of Grenada.Ken Albala, Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia: Four Volumes, ABC-CLIO, 1400 pages, 2011.
Oil down is popular in local restaurants.
Description Oil down is a stew of breadfruit, salted meat, chicken, dumplings, callaloo, and other vegetables stewed in coconut milk, herbs, and spices.Jeanne Jacob, Michael Ashkenazi. The World Cookbook for Students, Volume 1, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 - 296 pages, The name refers to the fact that the oil from the coconut milk used in cooking is either absorbed by the ingredients or settles to the bottom of the cooking pot. All of the liquid is cooked down (dried out), hence the name oil down.
There is no set recipe for oil down, as each household and each parish make it to suit their preference.
Variations Oil down is not unique to Grenada. It is also popular in nearby Trinidad and Tobago, which share a long history of cultural influences with Grenada. There are differences in how each island makes its oil down, however, with Grenadians preferring dasheen, dumplings, and turmeric, while Trinidadians 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, a similar stew is called mettagee, or mettem, and in Jamaica, there is a seafood version called run down.Jamaica - Montego Bay, Port Antonio and Ocho Rios - John Bigley - Google Books p. (unlisted)
See also Culture of Grenada List of stews Stew peas – a similar Jamaican stew
References
Further reading West Indian kitchen gardens: A historical perspective with current insights from Grenada (United Nations University website) The Secrets of the Caribbean Cuisine - Facts & Reviews (WPB Magazine) 12 Grenadian Foods Every Island Transplant Should Try (Caribbean Life | St. George's University) Grenada Today On-line Archived Web Site (Grenada Today, Ltd., Grenada, 2001) Top 10 foods to try in the Caribbean (BBC Good Food) West Indian Cuisine and recipes