The gelatinous meat found in the lower shell or belly of a turtle, considered a delicacy and used in soups and stews.
From Creole or Caribbean origins, likely from an African language. Like 'callipash,' the term emerged during the colonial period when turtle dishes were highly valued in European and Caribbean cuisine.
Callipee and callipash represent how culinary vocabulary reveals what cultures valued—the fact that they have distinct names shows people were eating turtles systematically enough to categorize the different parts as special dishes.
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