British Virgin Islands

Let’s dream about… white beaches, the Caribbean, delicious food and diving into the unknown. All this can be turned from a dream into a reality in the British Virgin Islands. A small group of 60 volcanic islands located east of Puerto Rico. Discovered by Christopher Columbus during his second expedition, these islands were first take over by the Spaniards, who did not, however, remain here to colonize them. After that, British, Dutch, French, Danes, and pirates showed interest in the area. At the end of the 17th century, the main islands of the group – Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Anegada – came to power in England.

Today, the British Virgin Islands are under the control of the United Kingdom. In addition to being one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world, the islands are an extremely attractive offshore investment center. The region is attractive for its stability – political and economic, as well as its well-developed banking and international communications systems. About 45% of the offshore companies in the world are registered there. There is no corporate tax, no personal income tax, no VAT and sales tax. Companies pay an annual fee, depending on the volume of the shares marketed and the date of registration of the company.

Since the islands are of volcanic origin there is not much soil for cultivation of different crops. Sugar cane, coconuts and fruits are grown. Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats are bred for livestock farming. The main port is in Rhode Town and the international airport is in Beef Island. There are no railways in the country. The main sector in the economy is tourism. The islands are mostly visited by tourists from the USA.

The best part of the island’s cuisine is the abundance of exotic local fruits, fish and seafood. The locals make great fish soup, snails, mussel pie and shark specialty. It is said that being on Tortola Island and not tasting the local lobster is almost a crime – it was the most delicious in the whole Caribbean. I can’t claim to be so, but I would definitely try it when I get there because I intend to add this destination to my ToDo list. Quite logical from the drinks is the preferred rum and all cocktails with the main ingredient rum. You can’t be in the Caribbean and drink not rum. It kind of sounds weird if this ingredient is missing.

For you, I decided to make a cheesecake – Raw Coconut Mango Cheesecake. I am not an avid fan of raw foods, but this recipe, except that it is related to today’s country, but it sounded like something fresh and tasty to me and I decided to try it. Here are the necessary products for her:

For the mango puree:

2 mangoes, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

For the base:

450 grams of almonds

150 grams of dates

90 grams of coconut flakes

90 grams of oat nuts

For coconut cream:

450 grams of cashew

240 grams coconut butter

240 ml of coconut milk

240 ml of coconut oil

240 ml of lime juice

8 tablespoons coconut sugar

vanilla

Steps of preparation:

Soak cashews, almonds and dates in separate containers for at least 4 hours. Cover a pan with rolling ring with a diameter of 22cm with baking paper. Prepare the mango puree in a blender from the diced fruits and lime .

Drain the almonds and dates, and together with the coconut flakes and oat bran, make the cake base. It must be dense enough to form a cake base. Press well into the cake form.

Drain the cashews and whisk together with the coconut milk and lime juice in a blender. Add the coconut butter, coconut sugar and coconut oil and beat well. The mixture should not be too thick or too liquid. If it is thick you can add coconut milk or lime to taste.

Pour the mixture onto the prepared swamp and top with the mango puree. Leave in the fridge for 4-5 hours until the cake has solidified. Remove the cake from the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before serving.

I reduced 1/3 of the cheesecake ingredients and made three small cakes. In addition, I was unable to find coconut oil and coconut sugar and replaced them with coconut butter and brown sugar, respectively. I wasn’t sure if I would like the taste, but it turned out to be an incredibly fresh hit. Also healthy. 😉 Both the palate and health are satisfied. Try too this fragrant and different Caribbean dessert . We may not have been to the British Virgin Islands, but we felt their taste and dreamed a bit about the beaches and the warm Caribbean sun, because here the autumn is coming and the sun is shining but not warm…

Next destination – Brunei.