Jamaica: Cuisine and Recipes
Ackee, pawpaw, jerk, stamp-and-go...the cuisine of Jamaica is as fun to say as it is to eat! Cooking on this Caribbean island has been influenced by immigration from several areas of the world — Africa, Asia, Europe — as well as by the Arawaks, Jamaica's original inhabitants. The result is spicy, nourishing food with a powerful punch of flavor.
Jamaican Recipes
Akkra
(Senegalese black-eyed pea fritters)
These bean fritters originated in Western Africa, but with the slave trade they spread to the Caribbean and Brazil. Crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle, they are variously known as akra, acra, accra, acrat and acarajé. Read more »
Bammie
(Jamaican cassava flatbread)
Bammie, or bammy, is a cassava bread descended from the simple flatbread eaten by the Arawaks, Jamaica's original inhabitants. In Jamaica, bammie is usually bought from a local vendor and served for breakfast or as a side dish with fish. Read more »
Beef and Okra
(Jamaican beef and okra stew)
This recipe makes a simple meat and vegetable stew with tons of flavor. It's a typically Caribbean concoction using that favorite vegetable import from Africa -- okra. Try using goat instead of beef if you can find it. Read more »
Blaff
(Caribbean lime-poached fish)
Blaff is a way a preparing fish that is popular in the Caribbean, especially on the island of Martinique. Fish is marinated in lime juice, garlic and hot peppers and is then poached in the marinade. Some say the name comes from the sound the fish makes as you plop it in the simmering broth. Others say it comes from a mispronunciation of the word "broth" itself. Read more »
Fish Pie
(Jamaican baked fish and eggs)
Fish pie is a traditional English dish of creamy baked fish and eggs, often topped with a layer of mashed potatoes. The basic recipe was adopted and revised by Jamaicans, who gave it the tropical twist of coconut and the fiery punch of hot pepper sauce. Read more »
Ginger Beer
(Jamaican ginger beverage)
Ginger beer is a very popular beverage in Jamaica. This zingy drink goes well with spicy jerk chicken or pork. It is sometimes fermented, but the simpler, non-alcoholic recipe version is given here.
Jerk Chicken
(Jamaican spicy grilled chicken)
Jerk is a method of cooking meats that comes from the original inhabitants of Jamaica, the Arawaks. They roasted meats over fires of pimento wood from the allspice tree. Pimento wood gave a distinctive flavor to the meat and is still used for jerk grilling in Jamaica. Jerk marinades and rubs are often quite spicy with Scotch bonnet peppers. Recipes vary widely, but true jerk seasoning contains allspice. This recipe is for chicken, but pork, goat and even fish are also jerked. Read more »
Plantain Fritters
(Jamaican fried plantains)
Plantain fritters are popular in many tropical cuisines. They are eaten throughout the Caribbean and are also popular in the Philippines. Read more »
Rice and Peas
(Jamaican rice with beans and coconut milk)
Rice and peas, as kidney beans are called in Jamaica, follows the Caribbean and Central American tradition of bean and rice dishes. Jamaicans give their version a rich, tropical flavor with the addition of coconut milk. Read more »
Sorrel Punch
(Jamaican hibiscus flower beverage)
Sorrel punch is a traditional Christmas beverage in the Caribbean. Dried hibiscus flowers — known as sorrel in Jamaica and not to be confused with the pungent green — can be found in most Caribbean or Latin markets. In Latin markets hibiscus flowers are known as jamaica, and so is the beverage. In West Africa the flowers are known as roselle or bissap and in Nigeria the drink is called zobo.
