Jamaican Food

PROFILE :
Jacqueline Anastasia Fuzairi XI Science 3 SMA Binaan Khusus Manado

Jamaica, the third largest Caribbean island, was first settled by Spain, then colonized by Britain in 1655. It eventually gained independence in 1962, though still remains within the British Commonwealth. Sugar has traditionally been . Jamaicas major crop, with African, East Indian, and Chinese laborers brought in to the plantations. Jamaicas hot and humid climate in the coastal plains is ideal for bananas and other tropical crops, the temperate interior mountains are ideal for coffee, and the coasts yield fish and seafood. Jamaican food is spicy and reflects its mixed culture with African, Caribbean, East Indian, British, and Chinese influences.

 Staples: rice, cornmeal, beans, cassava, plantain. Vegetables: yam, callaloo (leaves of Amaranthus viridis, also known as Chinese spinach or Indian kale, and different from callaloo in the eastern Caribbean, which refers to leaves of taro tubers), pumpkin, sweet potatoes, okra, cabbage, sweet and hot peppers, christophene (called cho-cho), avocado, breadfruit. Fruit: citrus, mango, pineapple, guava, star apple, jackfruit (related to breadfruit but larger and aromatic), June or Spanish plum, naseberry (a small, brown, heart-shaped fruit tasting like cinnamon), unusual Tinkin Toe (also called Stinking Toe), an oblong-shaped fruit with very sweet flesh. Goat, chicken, preserved meats (salt pork, corned beef), fish, shrimp, conch, crab, lobster. Seasonings: allspice, Scotch bonnet hot peppers, curry spices (from the East Indian legacy), thyme, nutmeg, mace, jerk (a spice and herb blend; see recipe below), fresh ginger, star anise (from the Chinese influence)..

Foodstuffs

Typical Dishes
Ackee and salt fish is the national dish, usually eaten at breakfast. Ackee, the fruit of a West African tree, is poisonous until ripe. Its yellow flesh has a nutty, delicate flavor like avocado, and is used as a vegetable (see box Poisonous Foods). Salt fish is usually salted cod. Escovitch fish: fried fish marinated in vinegar, spices, and vegetables. Jerked chicken or pork, curried chicken, souse (pickled pigs trotters), cowfoot soup.

POISONOUS FOODS
A number of foods that humans eat are poisonous in their natural state and require careful handling or processing to be made edible. The three most prominent poisonous foods are akee, cassava, and fugu. Akee is the fruit of a tree (Blighia sapida) originating in Africa and now common in the Caribbean. The aril (fleshy pulp around the seeds) is edible when the fruit is ripe and has split naturally. Unripe and overripe fruit are both poisonous, as is all the fruit except the aril. Cassava, a bush originating in tropical South America produces cyanogenic glucosides in the edible tubers, which, in some species, needs to be removed before the richly nutritious root can be consumed.. Fugu, one of several species of the puffer fish (Tetraodontidae sp.) are eaten in Japan and some other Pacific islands. An algae resident in the fishs tissues, and particularly concentrated in the liver, produces tetrodotoxin, one of the deadliest poisons. Nontheless, the flesh of the fugu is esteemed as a delicacy. Only specially experienced and licensed cooks are allowed to prepare and serve fugu in Japan. How these various poisonous foods came to be eaten is something of a puzzle. The answer may lie partly in the variation in poison concentrate in specific specimens (which means that some people who ate these foods survived to tell how good the foods tasted) and partly in the inherent human desire for exotic and interesting things to eat.

 Curried goat (called curry goat), mannish water (goat soup), for special occasions such as Sunday dinner, birthdays, and anniversaries. Rice and peas (usually kidney beans or, less often, gungo peas). Pan-fried breads: bakes (actually fried), bammies (made of grated cassava), johnnycakes, coconut bake, hot pepper bread (sweet and spicy). Snacks: fresh tropical fruits, roasted corn on the cob, panfried breads, meat pies (patties). Sweets: tropical fruit ice creams (mango, soursop). Drinks: sky juice (shaved ice with flavored syrup), suck suck (cold, fresh coconut juice, called jelly coconut because of the soft interior meat), exotic fruit juices (tamarind, soursop, strawberry, and cucumber), ginger beer, limeade, local bottled soft drinks (carbonated grapefruit). Blue Mountain coffee, the worlds most expensive coffee, is grown here and widely drunk. Rum and beer are also locally brewed.

Styles of Eating
Three meals a day and snacks. Breakfast is substantial, with fresh fruits, bully beef, and johnnycakes (spicy corned beef hash and fried biscuits); cornmeal porridge with fried or boiled plantains. On weekends, goats liver fried with onions, served with bammies or boiled dumplings and yam. Coffee, hot malted milk drinks (Milo, Horlicks), or chocolate to drink. Lunch is similar to dinner but lighter: fried chicken or grilled fish with baked sweet potato or yam, boiled breadfruit or dumplings Dinner is the heaviest meal and consists of three courses: jerked, curried, or stewed chicken or shrimp, stewed pork or peas, served with rice and peas, or pan-fried breads or baked sweet potato; salad (potato salad or fancy coleslaw with pineapple and coconut); dessert of fresh fruits or ice cream. Sunday meals are extra special, featuring drinks such as sorrel (in season), carrot, or beet juice. Take-out meals (buy and bring home) at dinner once a week, usually Friday: jerked chicken, pork, or sausage; fried chicken; pizza; fried fish and festival (sweet cornmeal fritters); roast fish and yam.

 These deep-fried cornmeal fritters, often sold at street stalls, are usually eaten with fried fish or jerked meats as snacks.
1 cup flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 tsp baking powder 12 tsp cinnamon a pinch of salt 1 TBS sugar 12 cup salted butter 14 tsp almond extract 12 tsp vanilla extract 231 cup whole milk vegetable oil for deep-frying

Festival

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Rub the butter well into the flour mixture. Add flavorings and just enough milk to flour the mixture to make a stiff dough. Knead lightly and divide into twelve portions. Form into small, flattened cigars. In a deep skillet or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat enough vegetable oil for deep-frying to 3508F. Fry just a few festivals at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve hot.

Corned Beef Scotch Eggs

This Jamaican version of a Scottish favorite originates, no doubt, from the managers of traditional sugar plantations, many of whom were from Scotland. The use of corned beef, salt pork, and salted cod was from historical necessity, because before refrigeration, it was difficult to keep fresh food from spoiling. As well, beef and cod are not local Jamaican ingredients; being imported from the United States and northern Europe. Even with modern refrigeration and transportation, however, these preserved items remain popular, as their flavor and texture now form an essential element of traditional Jamaican taste. Serve this dish with coleslaw (the Jamaican version features pineapple slices and shredded fresh coconut) or a tossed vegetable salad with pan-fried bread as a light dish for lunch or as a snack.

1 beaten egg 4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled flour for dusting 1 cup bread crumbs oil to deep-fat fry (or bake in oven) Mix the corned beef well with herbs, black pepper, and beaten egg.

12 ounces corned beef 3 stalks spring onions, chopped fine 3 stalks fresh thyme or parsley, chopped fine 12 tsp black pepper

Divide into four portions. Dust your hands with flour and place one portion of the corned beef mixture on your palm to make a patty. Place 1 hard-boiled egg in the center of the patty, and stretch the patty to cover the egg completely. Dip in bread crumbs, lay on a plate, and chill until ready to fry. In a deep skillet, heat enough oil for deep-frying to 3508F. Fry the Scotch eggs until golden brown. Cut across the middle of each Scotch egg and serve at once.

Jamaica Ginger and Apple Drink

Apples are not locally grown in Jamaica, so this is one imaginative way of making apple juice at home. Another popular homemade drink in Jamaica that features ginger is ginger beer, which, contrary to its name, is not a true beer.
10 cups water 6 apples, washed, cored, and diced 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup grated fresh ginger

In a large stainless steel pan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Add apples and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Add ginger. Set aside to cool. Strain through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth.

Jerk Burger
Jerk seasoning, said to have been introduced by the Maroons (who were escaped black slaves) to preserve their food, has become very popular not only in Jamaica and the Caribbean but also worldwide. The Jamaican method of jerking is to slowly grill the wellmarinated meat (chicken, pork, sometimes fish or sausages) over coals from allspice wood, covering the entire grill with metal sheets, which at the same time keeps the smoke in, imparts a smoky flavor to the meat, and preserves its moistness. This variation teams up with a U.S. importthe burgerwhich has become a popular snack. Serve this with festivals and potato salad (another familiar food, but which may have sweet potatoes together with regular potatoes in the Jamaican version).

2 TBS butter 12 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 onion, finely chopped jerk seasoning 3 garlic cloves, minced parsley 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 12 pounds ground beef 8 red onion rings young spinach leaves or lettuce leaves 12 pound ground fatty pork mustard

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until soft, for about 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, quickly frying until mushrooms have absorbed the butter, for about 3 minutes. Place the mushroom mixture in a large bowl, using a rubber scraper to get all the pan juices. Add meat, jerk seasoning, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight. Shape the burgers into four large or eight medium patties. Grill or fry in a skillet over medium-high heat for 78 minutes on each side, or until done. Serve on toasted crusty rolls with mustard, spinach or lettuce leaves, and red onion rings.

Jerk Seasoning
Jerk seasoning has many variations, but the traditional elements are allspice, thyme, hot pepper (preferably Jamaican Scotch bonnet), green onion, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper. The freshness of the ingredients is key.
3 TBS oil 3 stalks green onions 3 stalks fresh thyme (leaves only) 1 Scotch bonnet or other hot pepper (optional) 12 tsp allspice berries or ground allspice 1 tsp brown sugar 12 tsp ground cinnamon 12 tsp ground nutmeg 2 TBS malt or cane vinegar 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

In a blender or food processor, put the oil, then add the rest of the ingredients. Process to a puree.

Coffee Ice Cream

Rich ice cream flavored with Jamaicas fruits such as soursop or coconut is the most popular dessert. If you can get Blue Mountain coffee, that would make the perfect Jamaican flavor for this cream. If not, any strong and freshly brewed coffee will make just as good a result.
6 egg yolks 1 cup sugar 1 cup strong, freshly brewed coffee 2 cups double cream 1 TBS vanilla 1 TBS instant coffee

 In a bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar till thick. In a saucepan, mix coffee and cream and heat gently until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat and set aside. Spoon, little by little, about a quarter of the coffee-cream mixture into the yolks, mixing well. Pour the entire yolk and coffee mixture into the saucepan, to make a rich coffee custard, which is the basis of the ice cream. Cook the custard at low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, for about 15 minutes. Take care not to overcook the custard as it will curdle. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and instant coffee. Set aside to cool. When the custard is completely cold, chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Pour into an ice cream maker following manufacturers instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a covered container for 212 hours or until the edges have started to freeze. With an electric hand mixer, beat the frozen custard for about 5 minutes. Return to the freezer and keep for another 23 hours. Beat again. Then let freeze completely.

Jamaican other food

Athens

Cuisine Ambassdor

Jamaican BBQ Seitan

Jamaican Beef Patty

Jamaican Dutchy Food Cart

Jamaican Jerk Turkey Burger

Jamaican jerk with festival

Stuck Sweet