Why is Jamaican food so good? Is it because I spent the first five years of my life there and it’s in my DNA? 

It could be because of the dancing and singing when being cooked and the food just absorbs the good vibes.

Well, it certainly has resonated with my soul… and my palate.

Visiting the Caribbean is not exactly a hard-sell. With its white sandy beaches, azure sea, lively culture and balmy weather, this cluster of islands is a dream holiday destination. What’s more, sampling the food is a journey in itself.

Typical Jamaican cuisine is the result of an incredible blend of cultures and influences from around the world.

As well as the influence of the Rastafarian religion, immigration and colonialism have allowed Jamaican food to become a unique mixture of tastes, cooking techniques and flavours.

Different inhabitants to the island and a range of different ingredients have been brought over from areas such as India, China, Africa, Britain and Spain mean that many Jamaican foods have evolved with changes in environment and mixing cultures.

During your visit, you’ll find there are endless delicious options when it comes to what to eat in Jamaica, but if you’re unfamiliar with the names of the various dishes, you might be a little lost when you’re offered some of the national favorites. 

Here are some great suggestions from the Jamaica Tourist Board. 

Jerk chicken is a dish you would most commonly associate with Jamaican cuisine, it’s a style of cooking that has migrated to the Western world as a popular feature at barbecues.

Jerk is a style of cooking with any meat being eligible to be cooked this way. The process is to use a spice rub of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers to marinate the meat before cooking on a barbecue grill, most commonly an oil barrel.

Jerk chicken is then commonly served with rice and peas or fried plantains.

Jerk Chicken

Total time: more than 2 hours
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinating time: 2-8 hoursCooking time: 2-3 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
3 small chickens, halved
2 limes
6 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. Jamaican allspice
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. mace (or else double the amount of nutmeg)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) shallots
2 onions
2 Scotch bonnet peppers or other hot chilis
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1. Cut the chickens in half; place in a bowl of water with the lime juice; soak for two minutes and remove; sprinkle with chopped garlic.  
2. In a blender, pulverize the spices, onions, shallots and chilis. 
3. Rub the chickens with this mixture and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
4. Heat the barbecue – place the chicken on, skin side down; cook gently until done, turning occasionally to keep from blackening.  
5. Cut up and serve.  

To enjoy this dish, you must have a good Jamaican drink to go along with it. Here’s a recipe featuring my favourite rum.  Check out this great video from Joy Spence, Master Blender for Appleton Rum making a Jamaican Mule. 

Chill …like a Jamaican!