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What to eat in Kingston? Where to eat in Kingston? 12 Traditional Foods You Have To Try in Kingston

The best traditional dishes in Kingston and the best authentic restaurants that make them, recommended by industry professionals.
Last update: Sun Feb 16 2025
12 Traditional Foods You Have To Try in Kingston
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01
Jamaican Patty
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Although pies filled with meat are popular in many countries throughout the world as a great way to turn cheap cuts of meat into savory bites and making sure that no food goes to waste, Jamaican meat patties are enhanced with unique African and Indian touches.


Derived from English favorites - meat pies, and Spanish pasteles, they are universally loved in Jamaica as a simple street food that can also be served as a main course. Jamaican patties are flat, baked in a half-moon shape, and coated with turmeric on the exterior, while on the interior there is a fragrant, aromatic filling usually consisting of finely ground beef meat, breadcrumbs, and a selected variety of spices such as thyme, onions, garlic, Scotch bonnet chilis, and a zesty curry powder. 

MOST ICONIC Jamaican Patty

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02
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Brown stew fish is a Jamaican delicacy made by combining marinated and fried fish fillets with a brown sauce consisting of onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, butter, and water. The stew is often additionally seasoned with thyme and various types of hot peppers.


It is traditionally served with rice and peas or yams and bananas on the side.

MOST ICONIC Brown Stew Fish

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03
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Bammy is a traditional cassava flatbread. The dough is often soaked in coconut milk, then fried, steamed, or baked. It originates from the Arawaks, who are the island's original inhabitants. The bread can usually be bought from local vendors, and it is served either for breakfast or on the side as an accompaniment to fish dishes.

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04
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Mannish water is a popular Jamaican soup made from goat offal (legs, head, intestines, testicles) combined with yam, coconut, green bananas, dumplings, and hot peppers. There are variations of the dish where white rum is added into the soup in order to further enhance its flavors.


The soup is traditionally served hot in cups, at festivities or other large gatherings such as funerals. It is believed that the soup is an aphrodisiac, which is the reason why mannish water is sometimes referred to as "Jamaica's favorite party soup".

MOST ICONIC Mannish Water

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05
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Jamaican fish tea is a light soup or a fish broth seasoned with salt, pepper, and thyme, unlike other Jamaican soups that are usually hearty and thick. It features small, inexpensive fish such as herrings, and vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, onions, and green bananas.


Some believe that the soup is a strong aphrodisiac, and it can be found throughout Jamaica, where it is usually sold at beach shacks.

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06
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Escovitch fish is a classic Jamaican dish made by seasoning, marinating, and frying fish with a peppery, vinegar-based dressing consisting of bell peppers, carrots, and onions. Fish such as red snapper, mullet, king fish, or any other firm-bodied fish can be used in the preparation of this dish.


It is traditionally prepared during the Easter festivities, and many believe that the dish tastes even better the next day.

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Janga soup is a Jamaican soup consisting of janga (Jamaican word for fresh water crayfish) and vegetables such as pumpkin, carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes. It is usually seasoned with garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet peppers, and pimento. When it's done, janga soup is spooned into bowls and garnished with parsley.


Interestingly, it is believed that this soup is an aphrodisiac which gives long endurance to men.

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Sweet potato pudding is a favorite Sunday dessert throughout Jamaica, consisting of sweet potatoes, flour, coconut milk, dried fruits, and flavorings such as vanilla, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. Although it can be baked in an oven, some Jamaicans still prepare it on a coal pot, where the charcoal is placed under the bottom and on top of the baking pan.


It is recommended to pair sweet potato pudding with a glass of milk.

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This unique pizza variety is a Jamaican invention, consisting of a pizza crust that is topped with sliced onions, shredded cheese, tomato sauce, and cooked ackee and saltfish, which is one of the most popular Jamaican dishes. Most commonly, the pizza is baked without ackee and saltfish, until the cheese melts just slightly, but not completely.


It is then topped with ackee and saltfish and baked for another five minutes. The bold combination of fruit, fish, cheese, and onions make this pizza variety popular throughout the island.

MOST ICONIC Ackee and Saltfish Pizza

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This healthy and flavorful Jamaican dish is made by cooking firm white fish such as snapper in a sauce consisting of butter, vegetables such as tomatoes and onions, and herbs such as thyme, garlic, and black pepper. The fish is usually seasoned with salt and garlic, while the sauce is additionally flavored with scotch bonnet chilis for a spicy kick.


Once it's done, Jamaican steamed fish can be consumed on its own or paired with rice, boiled bananas, and crackers.

MOST ICONIC Jamaican Steamed Fish

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