A fusion of world influences...

That a country like Jamaica has a cuisine with influences from all over the world, should not surprise you. Indian, Spanish, British, African, Chinese and more... If you take a good look in a Jamaican cookbook you will find it all.

Food
Primary ingredients are chicken, fish, fruits, vegetable and spices based on pepper. The Jamaican loves spicy food, 'Empty bag can, tan up' he said, which means that when someone is hungry, he can not work.

Breakfast is big in Jamaica. Bacon and eggs, but also ackee and saltfish, callaloo, fried dumplin plantain and pancakes are all there during the first meal of the day. For those who think this start is to heavy, the fresh tropical fruits are a good starter too.

Soup
Lunch and dinner often start with soup: pepperpot soup (spicy, with callaloo, pork and coconut milk), red pea soup (kidney beans, beef and vegetables), 'Mannish Water' (verrrry spicy, made with goat's head, garlic, cho-cho, spices, green bananas and sometimes white rum) and pumpkin soup

Main dishes
Many dishes in Jamaican are accompanied with 'breadkinds' vegetables like plantains and yam or with 'bammy', a fried bread made of cassava flour.
The most popular dish in Jamaica is jerk. The main ingredient -pork, chicken or fish- is marinated with a fiery mixture of spices, including Scotch bonnet, a pepper that makes a jalapeño taste like a marshmallow, pimento or allspice, nutmeg and thyme. It’s all served up with even more hot sauce, rice and peas, and festival bread.
Also very Jamaican is curried goat, spiced goat meat served with rice. The best taste is in the bones, you have to suck them!


Rice and peas is found on almost every lunch and dinner plate in Jamaica and is made of rice and either peas or beans are cooked in coconut milk and spices.

Fish, of course, is also on the menu. Besides saltfish and snapper, Escovitch fish is very popular. This fried fish is marinated with vinegar, onions and spices. The Escovitch cooking style was brought to Jamaica by the Spanish Jews.
Very tasty are pepper shrimps, fried shrimps with pepper and spices. The best place to try these is Middle Quarters in St. Elizabeth.
Other seafood like crab and lobster is available everywhere.

'I-tal' food has nothing to do with the Italian cuisine. It's the food of the Rastafarians, a vegetarian cuisine that does not make use of salt, red meat and alcohol and is very healthy. When in Jamaica, you should try a Rastafarian restaurant, 'I-tal' really is not bad at all!

Some desserts
Matrimony is available only near Christmas time. It’s made from purple star apples, which ripen in the winter.
The recipe for Duckanoo was brought from Africa. Duckanoo is made with cornmeal, coconut, spices and brown sugar, all of which are tied up in a banana leaf and slowly cooked in boiling water. You should try this, it is delicious.
Other desserts are pies like coconut cream, pecan, key lime or coconut cake. Or what about a tropical fruit sorbet?

Restaurants
In Jamaica you can find restaurants of all kinds. Jamaican, American, European, Asian... Almost all cuisines in all styles are represented.
And if you want a fast-food-day, then you have enough snack possibilities on the road. Or drop in at Mc. Donald's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken or Pizza Hut.


Coffee and tea
Of course you have to try Blue Mountain coffee, one of the best coffees in the world. It is relatively mild and light-bodied and you can't get enough of it.

Tea is very common in Jamaica, but actually it is a generic term for a hot and non-alcoholic drink. Popular are 'herbal' teas (ganja tea, mint tea, ect.) and ginger tea.
Another tea is Fish tea, made of boiled and seasoned fish broth. And what about Irish moss? Mixed with rum, milk and spices it tastes not bad. And oh yes, original English tea also is available in Jamaica :)

Soft drinks
'Ting' is Jamaica's national soft drink, made of grapefruit and soda, and a nice refreshment on hot days.
At stall along the road you can by a 'Skyjuice', made of crushed ice and flavored with a sweet fruit syrup. It is available in many tastes. A 'Sorrel' is a typical Jamaica Christmas drink, made from flower petals.

Drinking coconut water straight from the nut is an excellent way to quenching your thirst. And it is very healthy to.
For fruit lovers, a fruit punch is a must. This non-alcoholic cocktail can be made of almost all tropical fruits, mixed with crushed ice and orange- juice or pineapple juice. There also is the spiced fruit punch.
And, of course, world soft drinks as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Fanta, ect. are available almost everywhere.

Alcoholic drinks
Red Stripe is Jamaica's national beer and it is crisp and sweet. A delicious refreshment after a hot day on the beach. Heineken and Guinness are also brewed in Jamaica.

Of course, the drink of Jamaica is rum. Appleton, Gold Label and Meyers are well known in the world. Rum ranges from dark and matured to white and clear. Most rum is used in cocktails (rum-punch!) and long drinks, but you have to try a 21 year old Appleton pure and with no ice. It is absolutely the same as a XO Cognac or a glass of Dom Perignon!

Jamaica produces many liqueurs, based on rum, coffee or fruit. Famous and still popular is Tia Maria coffee liqueur. And also Sangster's 'Old Jamaica' liqueurs are worth to try.

Remember that drinking much alcohol in the tropics (and elsewhere) is not good for your health. So enjoy your cocktail, but drink responsibly, oki?