MAIN INGREDIENTS
In the past, jerk was used to refer to a pig that was slowly grilled over a fire of pimento wood. Today, the main ingredient is typically chicken, pork, or beef. Jerk refers to a unique Jamaican cooking method where pork, chicken, beef, seafood, and even fruits and vegetables are cooked over a fire pit or on a grill.
Regardless of the meat, the key ingredient to real jerk is a unique, spicy seasoning - a blend of onions, green onions, thyme, Jamaican allspice (also known as pimento), chilies, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon - perfectly encapsulating Jamaica: spicy, hot, and sweet.
MOST ICONIC Jamaican Jerk
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
Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica consisting of an unusual fruit of West African origin and any sort of dried and salted fish, usually cod, mahi mahi, or mackerel. The dish is very popular either as a nourishing Jamaican breakfast or as an appetizer served for lunch or dinner.
Ackee is a tricky ingredient due to its toxicity, so it is not safe to consume it until the vivid yellow meat and characteristical black seeds (three of them) are visible on the interior of the fruit. It was introduced to the island in the 18th century and looks like a smooth, reddish peach.
MOST ICONIC Ackee and Saltfish
Peppered shrimps is a popular Jamaican street food item consisting of shrimps with a spicy kick and tons of flavor. They are usually cooked in a skillet with garlic, hot pepper, butter, and thyme, absorbing all of the flavors in the process. In Jamaica, peppered shrimps are often sold to hungry travelers along the roadways by women who have the snacks prepared in little plastic bags.
MOST ICONIC Peppered Shrimps
Brown stew chicken is a spicy Jamaican dish consisting of chicken pieces that are browned and simmered in a rich gravy made with onions, peppers, ketchup, and water. The dish is traditionally served with rice, peas, fried ripe plantains, and sliced tomatoes.
It is recommended to garnish it with finely chopped green onions.