About Jamaican Food
When it comes to Jamaican food culture and its people, there is a lot of creativity and diversity that is involved. Food is like an occasion on this island, there has to be special preparation and planning and there are special days and occasions when you will get some specialties.
On many specials occasions such as holidays, parties and dances there are dishes that are specialties such as the curried goat. You will see persons all across the island on a holiday morning or the day before, killing the goat early in the morning and persons waiting anxiously for their portions.
The meat is used for the curried dish and insides would be used to make the manish water, which is a popular soup.
Then there is the ham, which is a special dish that is eaten during the Christmas season. This specialty can be traced back to days when the slaves used to purchase it in large amounts and have huge feasts.
They used to cure the ham by placing it in baskets; this was called “kreng kreng”, over a slow fire. The pimento was used heavily as a spice even in these times. Today, the ham is a favorite for most Jamaicans Christmas dinner.
The sorrel is also a favorite during the Christmas season and a big part of Jamaican food culture. This is made from the sorrel plant which is said to be indigenous to Jamaica; from the hibiscus family that is only found in some other Caribbean islands.
The sorrel drink is made by steeping the pulp in boiling water and is flavored with sugar, cloves, ginger, brandy or rum. This drink can be stored for long periods of time and enjoyed throughout the year.
Another specialty during this season is the Christmas pudding; you will never get the same taste anywhere else. There are Jamaicans who starts soaking their fruits in wine or rum for months before its time to bake. This was derived from the Europeans, but the rum and other spices is the true Jamaican flavor.
During the Easter holidays this is the time when the favorite bun and cheese is eaten extensively. Throughout the year it can be found in supermarkets but this is the special season when you get a wide variety of Easter buns.
There are some days in Jamaica when persons have special foods that are reserved for this day. This tradition dates from way back, but you have some persons who will still continue these practices.
On a Sunday, there would be a big breakfast of boiled banana, yam or dumplings, fried dumpling, bammy or breadfruit. This would be served with ackee and salt fish, liver, calaloo, mackerel or red herring. There would also be some hot beverage in the form of tea, cocoa tea, coffee, mint, milo or the very popular old time chocolate.
The Sunday dinner is also a big event as there has to be the rice and peas; this would be accompanied with the popular fried chicken. Today, it is served with many different meats including curried goat, roast beef, bake or stew chicken or any other that is preferred.
The popular side dishes would be raw vegetables or tossed salad. We cannot forget drinks as on this day it is the best of the best. You will have juices such as sour sop, carrot and beetroot and many other fruit mixes. This works well Jamaican food culture.
The rest of the week they will mix the many dishes that are available for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The only other day that would be slightly different would be on a Friday, as most persons do not cook on this day. You will see persons eating out at fast foods outlet or street vendors selling jerk, roast fish and other delights.
Some of the dishes that you will get during the week would include fried eggs, fried plantain, porridges, soups, cereals, stew pork, stew peas, steam cabbage and corned beef, tripe and beans, escovietch fish, oxtails and many more wonderful dishes. We must not forget that Saturdays is a soup day.
There are many other dishes that are mentioned here, but this is just highlighting how the food is such an important aspect of the Jamaican food culture. Rich and unique, once you sample the recipes it will please any palate and have you craving for more.