Cayman’s national symbols celebrate and preserve the islands’ rich cultural heritage and identity. Five new symbols were added earlier this year, including a national dish, drink, dance, dessert and dress.
“As these symbols take their place in our national identity, they will serve as a living testament to the vibrant and diverse history of the Cayman Islands,” said Heritage Minister Isaac Rankine when announcing the new symbols.
The five new symbols include:
NATIONAL DISH:
Stew turtle – a unique culinary dish that reflects the Cayman Islands’ rich maritime heritage.
NATIONAL DRINK:
Swanky – made with brown sugar and Seville orange (bitter orange), which has a distinctive bitter and sour taste.
NATIONAL DANCE:
Cayman quadrille – characterised by six distinct figures and eight counts embodying the spirit and rhythm of Caymanians.
NATIONAL DESSERT:
Caymanian heavy cake – traditionally made from cassava, yam and sweet potato.
NATIONAL DRESS:
Includes women’s everyday wear, men’s working-on-land wear, and the clothes of turtle rangers/seamen.
“These symbols represent the way of life for Caymanian ancestors, how they used what they had to eat, live and celebrate,” the ministry noted in a media release.
CAYMAN’S OTHER OFFICIAL NATIONAL SYMBOLS INCLUDE:
CAYMAN PARROT: The Grand Cayman parrot is iridescent green with a white eye-ring, red cheeks, black ear patches and brilliant blue wing feathers.
SILVER THATCH PALM: The tall, slender silver thatch palm was an important national resource for early settlers who used the leaves to make rope, brooms and roofs.
WILD BANANA ORCHID: The wild banana orchid is the best known of Cayman’s 26 species of orchids.
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park in North Side is a good place to view the silver thatch palm, spot a Cayman parrot and the wild banana orchid.
Catch old-time quadrille dancing and dress of yesteryear at various community and cultural events.
Cayman Turtle Centre serves up the national dish – stew turtle – along with refreshing swanky and delicious heavy cake.
Looky Ya! heritage showcase at the Cayman Islands National Museum highlights traditional Caymanian dishes along with thatch plaiting and traditional arts. Looky Ya! is held on the last Tuesday of the month at the museum in downtown George Town.
This article originally appeared in the Love Local newspaper supplement.
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