Food
CARIB | Sep 22, 2022

Caribbean chef features in Nissan’s Hispanic American Month celebration

/ Our Today

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Chef Digby Stridiron

Award-winning Chef Digby Stridiron, from St Croix in the United States Virgin Islands, was recently selected to participate in a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month by automobile manufacturer Nissan.

Los Angeles-based Mercedes Rojas from Venezuela, and Jonathan Pérez, who holds Guatemalan-Mexican roots, joined Digby for the culinary celebration in ‘The Nissan Flavor Garage’, which recognised the history, culture and influence of Hispanic Americans.

SPECIALISES IN ‘SLOW FOOD’

“That’s why we decided to bring together three talented chefs from the Latino community to our Nissan Flavor Garage, so they can show us that with creativity, collaboration, community and passion, you can create new flavours and open new culinary paths,” read a statement on Nissan USA’s website.

Digby, who prepared roasted red snapper with tostones, was billed in the promotion as an “Afro-Caribbean chef, with Puerto Rican roots”, who specialises in what many today call ‘slow food’, which consists of fresh, locally harvested, ingredients and proteins gathered from the sea.

“As a Virgin Islander and Puerto Rican it was an honour to be selected to represent my region of the world! A lot of ppl might not know it but our Hispanic heritage in stx [St Croix] is a part of our DNA!”

Chef Digby Stridiron

A significant segment of St Croix’s population has strong ties to Puerto Rico and many residents speak both English and Spanish.

Chef Digby is an award-winning Caribbean chef and community leader who has worked closely with World Central Kitchen and other aid organizations. On social media, he commented: “As a Virgin Islander and Puerto Rican it was an honour to be selected to represent my region of the world! A lot of ppl might not know it but our Hispanic heritage in stx [St. Croix] is a part of our DNA!”

In the feature, Rojas, who has a restaurant in a local farmers market, prepared arepas, while Pérez, who collaborates with his community through food programmes for lower income families in downtown Los Angeles, served up oxtail and tasty tacos.

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