Cuisine of Jamaica

Cuisine of Jamaica contains cooking techniques, flavors, spices and influences from each of the many waves of immigration to the island. Today, dishes which grace nearly every Jamaican menu include curry goat, fried dumplings, ackee and salt fish (cod) (the national dish of Jamaica), fried plantain, "jerk", steamed cabbage and "rice and peas" (pigeon peas or kidney beans).

History

Cuisine of the Tainos

Christopher Columbus visited Jamaica multiple times towards the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, once even shipwrecked off the north coast for 2 years (1503-1504 ). During these visits he described a way the Taínos (the indigenous inhabitants of Jamaica) preserved meat by adding peppers, allspice and sea salt to make what is now known as Jamaican jerk spice.

Development of the cuisine

The Spanish, the first European arrivals to the island contributed dishes such as the vinegary concoction escovitch fish [Spanish escabeche). Later, English influences developed the Jamaican patty, a turnover filled with spiced meat. African cuisine developed on the island as a result of waves of slavery introduced by the European powers. Chinese and East Indian influences can also be found in Jamaican cuisine, as a result of indentured labourers who replaced slaves after emancipation brought their own culinary talents (especially curry, which Jamaican chefs sometimes use to season goat meat for special occasions).

African cuisine, Indian cuisine and American cuisine, Chinese cuisine and British cuisine are not new to the island. Through many years of British colonialism the cuisine developed many habits of cooking particular to a trading colony. The natives of Jamaica drink the most tea per capita in the Caribbean to this day as a result Fact|date=August 2008.

Popular ingredients

*There is a difference in the flavors of meats, such as turkey and chicken, from other countries because of differences in the diet of the animals being fed on local foodstuffs as opposed to imported grains. Jamaican chickens in particular some allege compared to other chickens have an unusually rich flavor. Jamaicans eat much more chicken than beef or pork.

*Ackee
*Cassava
*Plantain
*Green Banana
*Scotch bonnet (pepper)
*Chayote (locally known as "chocho")
*Taro (locally known as "dasheen" or "coco")
*Pigeon peas (locally known as "gungo peas")
*Allspice (locally known as "pimento")
*Ginger
*Jamaican jerk spice
*Callaloo
*Escallion
*Breadfruit
*Yam (vegetable)
*Garlic
*Black Pepper
*Dried and salted cod (locally known as "salt fish")
*Salted Beef
*Thyme
*Oxtail
*Cow Feet
*Pig Tail
*Pig Ears
*Coconut milk
*Coconut
*Guava
*Soursop
*Passion fruit
*Sugar cane
*Ketchup
*Onion
*Browning Sauce
*Boniato (locally known as "sweet potato")
*Calabaza (locally known as "pumpkin")
*Anatto
*Avocado (locally known as "pear")
*Gungo pea
*Kidney bean
*Roselle (plant) (locally known as "sorrel")
*Tamarind
*Acerola (locally known as "cherry")
*Lima bean
*Chondrus crispus
*Tahitian apple (locally known as "June plum")
*Jackfruit
*Pineapple
*Malay apple (locally known as "apple" or "Otaheite apple")
*banana
*Vinegar

Popular dishes

*Ackee and saltfish
*Jerk chicken - grilled Jerk-spiced chicken
*Curry goat and Curried Mutton
*Rice and peas - rice stewed with beans and coconut milk.
*Jamaican beef, chicken, curry patties
*Jamaican spiced bun
*Brown Stew Chicken, Brown Stew Beef
*Red Peas Soup
*Stewed Peas
*Mannish Water (Head of Goat Soup)- This is said to be an aphrodisiac and is a common New Year's Eve tradition.
*Escoveitch Fish
*Coconut Rundown - spicy mackerel and coconut stew
*Oxtail
*Pepperpot Soup
*Callaloo and Saltfish
*Cabbage and Saltfish
*Corned Beef and Cabbage
*Steamed Fish
*Okra (also Okra and saltfish stew)
*Pigfoot
*Cowfoot
*Renta Pineapple Drink

Desserts

Mango and soursop ice Cream are two popular desserts. Jamaican ice cream is traditionally made with coconut milk, rather than milk or cream as used elsewhere. The most popular Jamaican ice cream flavours are grapenut and rum & raisin.

Other popular desserts include potato pudding, gizzada (a small tart shell with sweet spiced coconut filling), toto (a small coconut cake), banana fritters, coconut drops, plantain tart.
Dookoonu is a Ghanaian dish made with sweetened starch (usually cornmeal but can also be cassava) wrapped and boiled in a banana leaf. Also called "blue drawers'. [Asham] is ground or powdered sweetened parched corn.

External links

* [http://www.foodjamaica.net Jamaican Food and Recipes]
* [http://www.my-island-jamaica.com/pictures_of_jamaican_food.html Pictures of Jamaican Food]
* [http://www.caribbeanchoice.com/recipes/countryrecipe.asp?country=Jamaica Jamaica Recipes] (includes description of Jamaican Cuisine)