Jamaican Spices What You Should Know

If you are a regular visitor to the island of Jamaica, then you probably know that dining can be enjoyed at upscale resort restaurant, casual restaurants or even on the street corners. This island boast a wide assortment of cooking style, restaurants and dishes which will give everyone a chance to sample the spices of Jamaica. This means, if you are hard to please when it comes to food, if you don’t like what your hotel is serving, it is easy for you to find delectable dishes anywhere.

It is a well-known fact that most people are trying to eat healthy these days and it can be difficult to find good tasting meals outside of the home. But, you will have no such problems in Jamaica, as you can easily stop at any of the Rastafarian ital restaurants if you are a strict vegetarian. You cannot miss these facilities as they are usually painted in the Rastafarian colors of green, red and gold. If you are in the resort town of Negril, stop at the Just Natural Restaurant on the West End.

If perhaps you prefer to dine in a casual atmosphere, the wide choices will certainly overwhelm you. You can get this experience in small spots like at the corner at Catherine Hall in Montego Bay, across from the newly built Mega Mart shopping center or if you prefer the Island Grill is nearby. However, if you want to experience the best of both the casual and fine dining, simply check out the Marguerites and Margaritaville on the hip strip area in this resort town as well.

The resorts and hotels also provides a wide variety of dishes and dining option, so if you feel like having your meals in one place this can be done as well. It is popular for the all inclusive properties to provide a wide selection of food on the buffet line three times daily. You are given choices along with the authentic Jamaican dishes, as they know that some people might feel more comfortable eating their own kind of cuisine. So, you can enjoy American, Italian, Asian and a number of combinations that will leave your mouth watering. But, even if you don’t feel like spending all your nights at Sandals or Riu in Negril, you can find good eateries such as Kuyaba or Xtabis for excellent cuisine just the same.

For those persons who have their days packed with endless activities, then you might prefer the fast food outlets where you can just grab a meal to go. It is also possible for you to sample the spices of Jamaica, as the popular pastry establishments such as Juice Patties, Tastee and Mothers. You can indulge in patties made with beef, chicken, shrimp, lobster, vegetable and soy, so there is something to tantalize the taste buds of everyone. In addition to the patty, these days you can also get soups, porridge, puddings, cakes, rice and peas with chicken and more at these restaurants just the same.

When you dine at any of the restaurants, you are not only sampling the delicious food, but it’s a good way to make friends as you chat with the locals. I guarantee you that even years after you get an experience at one of the authentic Jamaican spots, you will talk about it for years.

Authentic Jamaican Cuisine

Some people visit the island of Jamaica for endless days of fun in the sun, sea and sand, while others want to indulge in the mouth watering cuisine. If you have never traveled to this beautiful paradise or perhaps have never tried any of the authentic Jamaican cuisine, then the rest of this article will give you some idea of what you can expect.

The popular jerk: This is a meal of jerk pork, chicken or fish and is a popular treat for most visitors and locals alike. If you are into tasty and spicy food, this style of cooking would be ideal for you as any meat that is prepared this way is well seasoned with spices such as pimento leaves and the hot scotch bonnet peppers. To get some of the best jerk pork, ensure that you stop at the Boston Beach in Portland.

The ackee and salt fish: This is the national dish of Jamaica and is a favorite for breakfast. You might have seen it at your resorts or hotels as it looks similar to a plate of scramble egg. Most Jamaicans have this dish with boiled bananas, roast or fried breadfruit and boil or fried dumplings.

The escoveitch fish: This is prepared by frying the fish and then pouring a sauce which is made from hot peppers, vinegar and onions on top of it. This is also loved by many and most beach trips are not complete without some escoveitch fish and a festival or two. The next time you visit the city of Kingston you should take a drive to Hellshire Beach in nearby Portmore and sample this sumptuous meal.

Festival: This is a part of the dumpling family and is generally made in a long shape with cornmeal, sugar, spices, flour and water. It is then fried until it acquires a nice golden brown color and is served with any of the popular jerk dish or escovetich fish.

Soups: The majority of the Jamaicans love soup in any flavor and generally most families has to prepare soup for Saturday dinners. There is the pepper pot soup which is very spicy with callaloo, hot peppers, dumplings, yam, potato and more. Next, there is the pumpkin soup which is made with pumpkin, yam, dumpling, potatoes and meat of your choice, but mostly beef and chicken. Then, you have the popular red pea’s soup which you can get at any of the restaurants and roadside diners. These are not the only types, but would be enough to start with on your next visit.

Peanut porridge: This is also one of popular dish on the island and almost everywhere you go, you can find a street vendor selling it. Most people don’t start their day without having a bowl of peanut porridge and it is said that it makes them last longer at work with the energy that it provides. On your next visit to Montego Bay, stop at the corner of Juice Patties on St James Street and get a cup from one of the vendors on the street or in this fast food outlet.

Curry goat: This dish is a popular choice for any type of gathering, whether it is street dance, birthday party, corporate luncheon, weddings, funerals, you name it. If this authentic Jamaican cuisine is not served at most of these places it would seem as if a link is missing, it is usually served with a plate of white rice or rice and peas.

This is certainly not all the dishes that you will find, as one article cannot begin to describe everything. But make an effort to delight in any of the authentic Jamaican cuisine, you will have no regrets!