Syrup

Caribbean syrups are for diluting, not drinking neat — a splash in a jug of cold water makes the drink that goes with Sunday dinner, and they turn up in everything from snow cones to sponge cakes.

Johnson is the household name: strawberry, cherry, banana, pineapple and tropical, plus a diet strawberry. These are the syrups most people grew up with, and the strawberry in particular is a fixture at Caribbean parties.

Pure Jamaican make a heavier, more concentrated range — fruit punch, ginger, pineapple and strawberry, in a 1 litre bottle or a 3.88 litre for households and caterers. The ginger syrup is worth knowing about: good in water, better in rum.

Mauby is the one that divides opinion. Windmill's mauby syrup is made from mauby bark and has a bittersweet, almost medicinal edge that mauby drinkers find impossible to replace. Dilute heavily and serve very cold.

Beyond drinks: syrup poured over shaved ice makes a snow cone, and a spoonful in a sponge mix or over ice cream is a shortcut to the right flavour.

For ready-made drinks see Roots, Sorrel and Tonics.