I can speak authoritatively on Jamaican Food since not only do I live here and by default eat it, I also prepared a few of the dishes myself- thanks to my belated grandmother, an expert chef, mother and disciplinarian.
Our food is truly a celebration of the diverse cultures we boast, along with a touch of novelty and innovation. The distinctiveness of our food and culture was contributed primarily by the Arawaks or Tainos- the earliest recorded inhabitants, The Europeans, The Africans-who came as slave labourers and The Indians and Chinese– who came as indentured servants.
Thanks to The Tainos who contributed the ‘Jerk’ flavour, ‘Jamaican Jerk’ is popular the world over. We owe the British (who captured the island from the Spanish) for the patty concept. Today, Jamaican Patty is a favourite globally. They now come in many varieties and caters to varying tastes. Juici Patties and Tastee are the two principal preparers of this delicious pastry.
The Indian influence is dominant in the curry dishes. Today, we not only have curry meats but [listen to this] curried vegetables and fruits!
The Annual Westmoreland Curry Festival which started in 2001, celebrates this aspect of our culture. Incidentally, this area of Jamaica had the greatest concentration of Indians (Westmoreland). I have only been to the festival this year, but I have learned a lot. I tried the Curried Crab. It was awesome! There was curried conch, curried fish, curried goat, curried octopus,curried rabbit, curried mango pudding, curried dasheen pudding, curried this and curried that 🙂
Some of the other popular dishes in Jamaica includes:
‘The National Dish’: I have not yet met a fellow Jamaican who does not relish this dish. This is usually served with roasted breadfruit or boiled bananas. It is a Sunday morning breakfast favorite!
Curried Goat:
…is not only popular but a favourite food from Jamaica as well.
Curried Chicken
Manish Water: Also known as ‘power water’ and ‘goat belly soup’. This is a must at large gatherings, including
Patties: Now famous the world over. I owe my US co-worker, Rukhsana , over 100-she told me! Whenever I ask her for a favour she usually says, ‘that is another Jamaican patty!.
Festivals: I love them unending! Festivals are usually served as part of Jerk dishes.
Blended Roots Drinks: These have become increasingly popular. They are believed to help with masculinity [if you
know what I mean]. I had one brand which had no less than 15 different roots ingredients!
Cocount Water: Cool and refreshing!
Coffee: How could I forget coffee? Jamaica’s Blue Mountain Coffee is world renowned. Coffee now is used to make various coffee related products or others with ‘flavours of coffee.’
..and the Tasty Fruits?
In addition, to the popular Soursop and Coconut, there are:
Sugar Cane (not sure about the classification, but there you go)
Avocado Pear
Guava and
Guinep
Star Apple: Despite the stain it can emanate, I can’t get enough of it….really tasty!
And by the way, did I mention that many of these fruits are also used to make juices and even cakes? Yes, we use them like that too! So regardless of the nature of your trip, you won’t get a complete Jamaican experience unless you experience our delectable foods, fruits and juices.
