Jamaican Cuisine

The Jamaican food and Jamaican cuisine reflects our rich culinary heritage, a unique blend of cultures from all over the world, all bearing their different ingredients. The first persons to arrive on the island were the Tainos, they were known as the Arawaks Indians.

One of the popular foods for them was the cassava, but they feasted on other food such as fish, small birds, iguanas, yellow snakes and conies. Their main skill was in agriculture so they cultivated the cassava, chili peppers, cassava, sweet potato, corn, arrowroot, coco, guava, pineapple, cashew and star apple.

Most of these foods are still eaten in Jamaica today, such as the bammy which is made from the cassava. The principle of making this flat bread today is still the same as when the Tainos would prepare it, but as the people on the island likes to add their own creativity you will see different styles emerging.

The Tainos never cooked in water, but instead prepared food on charcoal. To get their meat tender, they would wrap it in papaya leaves; today extract from the papaya can be found in meat tenderizers.

When the Tainos were cooking this meat, they would make a slow fire place a wooden crate on top of it. This type of cooking was called “barbosa”, which means barbecue today; this was how grilling on the barbecue started. Today this method of cooking is very popular and everyone refers to it as jerk.

Then the Spaniards came with their love of seasonings, especially hot peppers and vinegar; this is where the escovietch sauce came from. Some of their other foods include stew peas with cured meat, peas and beans dish, sugar cane, sweet and sour oranges, lime and lemon, coconut, tamarind, grapes, bananas, ginger, pomegranate, date plum, figs and plantain.

They also left us with hot chocolate made from the cocoa beans, the tradition of soaking fruits in wine for those delicious Christmas puddings and the coconut tarts. The very popular bammy and escovietch fish that is loved by many is a combination of the Tainos and Spanish cultures.

The British then came and introduced the ackee, breadfruit, mangoes, otahiti apples, rose applies, turmeric, jackfruit, coffee, black pepper, roasting of beef, corned and salted beef, ham, sausage, eggs and bacon.

They also brought the sweet and savory such as the puddings, buns, jams, fruit salad, cakes, pies, wines and rum. They were to the ones that influence the use of menus and recipes and the very popular Jamaican patties.

The Asiatic immigrant introduced the spices, ginger, eggplant, flour, wheat, roti and curry powder. The curry is very popular today and can be seen on dishes with meats such as seafood, chicken and goat.

Today the Chinese method of cooking is very much an intricate part of the Jamaican cuisine with their stir fry, sweet and sour and deep fried dishes; the ginger, sauces and noodles are frequently used in the meal preparations.

The Germans also had some influence on the Jamaican cuisine as they brought us the smoked pork, pork sausages, frankfurters, wieners, baked hams and smoked marlin. The Jews are also to be credited for way that we create the exotic aubergine or eggplant as it is commonly known on the island. The French also introduced the cros michel, this is a popular banana here today.
The African influence is added to this mixture and the variety they left behind include one pot meals, for example the soups. The Africans utensils were mortar, three legged iron pot, wooden turn stick, grater and pestle.

They did not have a lot of meat only what the plantation owners would give to them, this they would then combine with the ground provisions that they planted and create numerous one pot meals. Some of the popular dishes today are as a result of this such as the national dish, ackee and salt fish, mackerel rundown and fritters.

The Jamaican food and recipes is very colorful and creative and a lot of dishes today are modified from how the first inhabitants use to prepare them. With the addition of food and spices all combined in a variety of dishes, we have what makes up the Jamaican cuisine today.