
Eating Foods Jamaica Syle
Eating in Jamaica has never been a formal event. After all, most of us are decendents of slaves, who, weren't privy to formal meals. It is no wonder why almost every Jamaican enjoy eating out - not at formal restaurants or eatries, but at roadside and beach food kitchens and stands that are standard fixures all across the island. As a tourist spending your vacation in Jamaica, your hotel will most likely have a few local dishes sprinkled across its menu. It might even have a Jamaican buffet night when a sampling of various local fares are made available. But be assured that (with a few exceptions) what you get is not the real deal but a watered down version prepared for tourists.
Real Jamaican foods are best sampled inside the ragtag thatch or zinc covered shacks, huts, and shed located on roadsides and beaches just about everywhere in Jamaica. Very often, it is just an oil drum cut in half (length wise) and pearched on four legs in the open. By the way, this is the standard improvised Jamaican styled grill found on most street corners in Jamaica. There is nothing more Jamaican on a hot sunny day, than to enjoy some jerk chicken or patties and wash it all down with an ice-cold Red Stripe beer or Ting - a local grapefruit drink, or one of the many others Jamaican sodas.
Many of the roadside kitchens and stalls have no-frills tables and chairs or makeshift wooden tables with benches attached. However, what they lack in decor and ambience, they make up in taste. As a tourist who is used to foods being prepared in a certain environment, you might be hesitant to eat from such primitive looking places where food is sometimes cooked over open wood fire. But don't let this stand between you and and a great Jamaica experience and, more importantly, some of the best tasting food you will have on your vacation.
Some Jamaican foods that originated in roadside stalls are now main stream cuisine - both in Jamaica and abroad. Jamaica famous jerk which started on the streets of Portland by the Maroons, is now served in most hotels on the island and in restaurants both local and international. Although jerk pork and jerk chicken still rule roadside grills, roast fish is just as popular a Jamaican food. Roast fish is really fish wrapped in aluminum foil and steamed on an Jamaican styled charcoal grilled. Other Jamaican foods you will find in roadside kitchens are roast corn, roast yam served with roast salted fish, roast sweet potato, and fish and red peas soups. Of course you will usually find Jamaican favorite beef and chicken patties at most of these stops.
If you decide to indulge in the true Jamaica experience of eating at a roadside kitchen, here is what you should expect - or not expect. Don't expect any fine dining experience. If the food is served in a container and you get a fork to eat with, you are good to go. At many places, you'll get foods like jerk chicken, pork, and roast fish wrapped only in aluminum foil. If you find somewhere with tables and chairs, you are at an upscale establishment. Don't expect quick service - the folks behind the counter are usually not in any hurry. Instead, enjoy listening to great Jamaican tales and stories while you wait. While many of these kitchens have graduated to portable gas grills for cooking, many still prefer charcoal since it provides better tasting food. For jerk, don't be frightened if you see them take your food from under a currugated sheet of zinc because this is how good jerk is done.
So as you plan your Jamaica vacation, think about the kind of experience you really want on your vacation. If you want to taste a little more of Jamaica than what your hotel or vacation package has to offer, then stop by one of the many roadside kitchens and let them serve you a tastier slice of the Jamaica that will linger in your mouth and memory long after your vacation has ended.