Jamaican cuisine

National Jamaican cuisine absorbed the features of the cuisine of African peoples, India, Spain, China and England. Most of the dishes on the island are made from meat (pork, goat meat), poultry and fish, all very generously flavoring with a variety of condiments.

What is the difference between the cuisine of Jamaica?

Among the characteristics of Jamaican cuisine is also the presence of thick and fragrant meat and fish broths (sometimes with the addition of fruits), which are often used as gravy in side dishes. Special attention here deserve a dish of chicken. This, perhaps, is one of the most popular gastronomic specialties of Jamaica. Spicy snacks from dough, vegetables, rum, beer, tea and flour confectionery are very common.

Exotic fans will like the oranik, which is a hybrid of orange and mandarin, and the coals are a mixture of mandarin and grapefruit.

For adherents of vegetarian food in Jamaica, there is a rastafarian meal, based on dishes from vegetables and cereals without the use of meat and dairy products and salt during cooking.

Beverages

Of the drinks, cocoa, black and herbal tea (always try "Lemon grass tea"), tea with milk and / or rum, coconut milk, juice from exotic fruits and, of course, the world famous coffee "Blue Mountain" ", Grown at the foot of the Blue Mountains .

Speaking about alcoholic beverages, we can not fail to mention rum. In Jamaica, it is drunk both undiluted (with ice) and with the addition of cola in a variety of cocktails. Apply this alcoholic beverage also for the preparation of flour confectionery, the most common of which is a rum.

Wines in Jamaica are mainly imported - from Chile, Argentina, Spain or America. They are not so expensive, but their quality at a decent level. Beer in Jamaican cuisine is also in high esteem. Especially highlight "RedStripe" and "RealRockLager" - this is a light beer of the traditional method of cooking. For exotic lovers we recommend ginger beer.

Top 10 Jamaican dishes

Consider the top ten most common dishes in Jamaica:

1. Aki and Saultfish. The leading position is occupied by this dish from fruits of the exotic tree, to taste reminding avocado. It is served mainly with vegetables, chopped boiled and salted cod (this is saltfish), green bananas, bread from wholemeal bread or with sweet loaves.
2. Jerk Chicken. Perhaps, many people heard this name when it came to the dishes of Jamaica. Strictly speaking, Jerk Chicken is a pickled chicken in a special sauce and then cooked on pimento charcoal grits. It is the smoke from the coals of this tree that gives such a unique aroma to the chicken. Jerk Chicken is usually served with vegetables, rice, beans.
3. Goat Curry. The dish came to Jamaican cuisine from India and immediately became very popular with locals and visitors in the Caribbean. Here it is prepared not so sharp, marinated in lemon juice with seasonings, fried in olive oil and served, as a rule, with rice.
4. Rice and beans. In the list of national dishes in Jamaica, this treat takes a significant place. Red beans are cooked in coconut milk, which gives them a soft creamy taste, then add there onion and pepper and serve on the table with rice. As a drink to beans and rice, fresh coconut milk directly from the fruit is perfect. This dish is an excellent choice for vegetarians.
5. Pattis. These are pies cooked on a thin dough using fillings from meat, fish, seafood, cheese or vegetables. Varieties of toppings are huge, so you can try a lot and choose a dish to your liking. Pattis is a local fast food and reminds everyone of the famous chebureks and samsa, differs from them only in taste and spicy aroma. By the way, there is also a vegetarian version of Pattis, in the filling of which vegetables, curry and other Caribbean seasonings.
6. Kalalu soup. The Kalalu plant resembles spinach or tops. Soup from it is quite simple in cooking, but at the same time rich, useful for digestion and very tasty. Due to the simplicity of preparation and uncomplicated ingredients, Kalalu soup can be found in restaurants in all Jamaica resorts .
7. Fish Eskovich. In the waters of the Caribbean Sea, there are a lot of fish, mainly, snapper, perch and sunfish. The kitchen of Jamaica has in its arsenal a special way of processing and cooking fish of marine species. Her first pickled in vinegar, then add the onions and rub with spices, and after frying in oil until crisp and served with onions and peppers. The taste of the fish is better the longer it is marinated.
8. Soup Manish Water. This exotic Jamaican dish, the main components of which are goat heads, hoofs and giblets. All these ingredients are boiled in a large container, adding bananas, potatoes, carrots and spicy seasonings. Such soup is very popular with visitors of parties and nightclubs, it perfectly eliminates traces of a hangover and perfectly influences the male reproductive system.
9. Snack from the plane tree. Platan is a relative of the banana. Slices of it are fried and served either with sugar and honey, or with hot sauces.
10. Gizzada. And, finally, a few words and desserts and goodies. A special love for tourists is the gizza. It's a basket stuffed with butter, coconut, nougat and ginger. Crispy and sweet to the taste, with a soft and delicate aroma, gizzad necessarily have to taste even to those who do not rank themselves as sweet tooth.