
Jamaica Food: A Carnival of Taste and Flavors
Jamaica food is shaped by its diversity and created out of circumstances, coincidences, and hardships. It is a carnival of taste and flavors. From the well known such as hot and spicy jerk pork and mouth watering "curry goat" to lesser known local dishes like ackee and salt fish and "run down", Jamaica foods will exite your palette and have you asking for more.
Jamaica's rich cuisine and styles of cooking are products of its ethnic diversity. The various ethnic groups - Africans, Indians, Chineses, and Europeans each brought and contributed something unique and special. The result is a taste and cuisine that is an eclectic blend of spices, recipies, and styles of cooking. Combined this with the tropical foods, fruits, and flavors of the Island and you have a tantilizingly tasty treat that is uniquely Jamaican.
Jamaica food history
Like its people and culture, Jamaica food is tied closely to its history. And like its people its food is not indigenous to the Island. Rather it is a marrying of traditions cooking styles, and flavors of people from various countries and ethnics groups.
Each period in our history brought a different set of circumstances and challenges to Jamaica. They also brought different groups of people to the Island. It is the intersection of these various groups of people and circumstances together with Jamaicans ability to adapt and survive in any situation that resulted in many of our foods and cuisine.
Most of Jamaica foods and favorite dishes were invented either out of necessity, circumstances, or coincidences. Nevertheless, over time through traditions and our common way, they have become part of the fabric that make up the Jamaica culture.
- Foods of Circumstances
- Foods of coincidences
- Foods of necessity
Take our national dish - Ackee and salted fish eaten most often with breadfruit. Both the Ackee and breadfruit were brought into the Island to feed the slaves cheaply and healthily. Our favorite jerk process was invented by both circumstances and out of necessity. The Maroons slaves needed a way to preserve their meats because they were always on the run hiding from the British.
Curried goat served over rice is a favorite Jamaica food. But Jamaica knew nothing about curry - an exotic blend of many spices, until slavery was abolished. To replace slave labor, indentured servants were imported from India and China. The Indians introduced the curry spice to Jamaica and it became a part of the cuisine.
Our spicey escoveitched fish is part of Jamaica cuisine because the Spanish Jews brought this recipe to the Island. The dish was, of course, made much better with the addition of Jamaican spices. Similarly, Bammie, a starchy toasted cake eaten with fried fish is made from cassava (yucca) which was grown by the Tainos - the first inhabitants of the Island.
Jamaicans are very creative and resourceful when it comes to their foods. As our saying goes "Wi tun wi hands and make fashion" which means we will make anything good and fashionable when we need to.
Many of our favorite foods and dishes were invented out of necessity. One of these is stewed peas. Because peas are easy to grow in Jamaica and are readily available, they were quickly stewed and served over rice When there was nothing else available or affordable to eat.
Another favorite is Run-Down - whole mackerel simmered in coconut milk, tomatoes, onions, scallions, thyme and hot peppers, and served with boiled green bananas, yams, or dumplings. Both of these dishes were cheap and very affordable to most Jamaicans which is why they became such favorites Jamaican foods.
Jamaica food cooking styles
The taste and flavor of Jamaica food is as much a part of the styles of cooking as the spices and seasonings which are used to prepare it. Here are the most popular styles of cooking Jamaican foods.
- Jerk
- Escoveitched
- Curried
- Fricassee or Brown stewed
- Roasting
Jerked is one of Jamaica's famous cusine. Learn more about this unique and original Jamaican cooking style.
Whether home made or from restaurants and street vendors, escoveitched fish is a mouth watering treat that Jamaicans savor. Spices and seasonings are rubbed both inside and into small cut are made on each side of the fish. Afterward it is lightly dusted in flour and deep-fried and then based with vinegary mixure that has been marinated with hot peppers, sliced onions, pimento seeds, whole black pepper grains.
The most favorite curried Jamaica foods are goat, chicken, lobster, and shrimp. The meat or seafood are season as usual and then rubbed throughly with curry powder and allowed to marinade overnight. They are, generally, then allowed to cook in their own juice until succulent.
This cooking style is used mostly on poultry and fish and is similar to braising. The meat is seared in a small amount of hot oil and then allowed to simmer in a liquid marinade of light vinegar or beer with various other spices and vegetables.
Prior to 1970, most Jamaicans used wood or coal for cooking. This provided an ideal environment for roasting many popular Jamaica foods over live coal. The most popular Jamaican roasted foods are breadfruit, yam, bammie, fish, and corn.
The Secret of Jamaica Food
So what is the secret of Jamaican food. It start with a foundation of fresh meats, special spices and seasonings which gives it its unique flavor. But these are just the beginning.
To get that special Jamaican taste and flavor, spices and seasoning are not just sprinkled onto meats. They are rubbed and grounded into every crevices. Cuts are made into fishes and meat and are further stuffed with spices and seasoning. The meats are then allowed to marinate with the spices and seasonings for - at least over night. Foods are usually cooked slowly and allowed to simmer to retain their flavor.
There are two kind of spices used in every kind of Jamaican foods. Flavorful spices like allspice - made from pimento, onions, scallions, and thyme among others. Then there are hot spices like black pepper and scotch bonnet pepper that gives our foods that "kick" that most Jamaicans love and enjoy.
Experience real Jamaican Cooking
Do you really want to, not just taste but experience real Jamaican foods? You'll not find it in on your hotel buffet line. You'll not even find it when they have Jamaican night at your hotel. So where can you taste authentic Jamaican cooking? >> Find out where.
Who created Jamaica's famous Jerk foods?
Jamaican jerk chicken and pork can be found locally and in restaurants around the world. But where
did this spicey Jamaican dish came from? Who created it and why? >> You'll be surprised.