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Traditional Jamaican food is one of the most underrated cuisines in the world. From Rastafarian specialities to everyday dishes, including the famous Jamaican patties, the variety of foods and recipes found on this small Caribbean island are always well-spiced, highly aromatic and sometimes even a little intimidating.
Follow this Air Transat guide to find the best food on the north side of the island!
Jamaican Patties
This is the quintessential traditional Jamaican food. It’s found in the frozen food aisle of huge suburban supermarkets across Canada, and has even wheedled its way into fusion and vegetarian restaurants in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. But in Jamaica, the Jamaican patty is more akin to a fast-food snack, a quick lunch, the equivalent of a burger or a poutine.
Two national chains, Juici Patties and Tastee Patties, contend for the title of best Jamaican patties in the country. In both cases, the flaky dough and spicy filling are always satisfying. Choose how you want your patty, hot or extra-hot, veggie or not.
- Juici Patties: DaCosta Drive, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
- Tastee Patties: Market Street, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Jerk marinated dishes
While Jamaican patties may be the best-known traditional Jamaican food, the cornucopia of jerk-marinated dishes is equally tasty and accessible to the Canadian palate. Jerk pork, jerk chicken, jerk tofu, jerk fish: all can be marinated in jerk sauce and all taste sublime in it.
Jerk is a mixed marinade of spring onions, onions, garlic, ginger, lime juice, salt, sugar, pimento, pepper, thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, soy sauce and varying amounts of scotch bonnet peppers. And yes, it can be extremely spicy!
Jerk chicken and pork can be found all over the island, from resort buffets to roadside shacks and everywhere in between. However, Scotchie’s is by far the most famous destination. Located in Drax Hall, just outside the town of Ocho Rios, the meat – pork, chicken and sausage – is cooked over a wood fire, laid on wet logs and covered with tin. The meat is super hot and spicy; it demands a sip of beer and is extremely addictive. And it’s a chain, so you can get Scotchie’s almost anywhere on the island!
- Scotchie’s: Drax Hall, St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica
Tons of amazing fruit
Like any Caribbean island, Jamaica is full of unique natural resources from both land and sea. The variety of fruit here is magnificent!
Jamaican apple, naseberry, star apple, ackee, breadfruit, custard apple, June plum… the island is home to many fruits that can’t be found in Canada. This is in addition to the abundant plantain, banana, cashew, cocoa and coconut that can be found in the many markets throughout Jamaica.
The fruit and vegetable market in Ocho Rios, not to be confused with the arts and crafts market in the same town, is local, vibrant and bustling. It’s a great window into daily life on the island, and it’s full of fruit that deserves to be tasted.
Ackee and saltfish
This is one of the breakfast staples of traditional Jamaican cuisine. It’s a simple dish that combines salt cod, which is exactly what the Spanish and Portuguese call bacalao or bacalhau, and the local fruit called ackee.
The fruit is rather bland and has a thick, custardy texture. The fish is salted and boiled, so it’s easily digestible and has a very subtle fishy flavour. It’s a serious contrast to most of the hot and spicy dishes on this Caribbean island!
- Mom’s: Evelyn Street, Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Curried goat
You won’t find this dish everywhere, as it’s a dish for special occasions. However, many restaurants have their own version, including Sweet Spice in Negril, and it’s a good introduction to the rest of traditional Jamaican cuisine. Many dishes in Jamaica combine a stew with one or more sides of plantains, rice & peas and potatoes. In this case, the curried goat is the centrepiece.
Jamaican curry powder is very similar to the famous Madras curry powder. It’s one of the remnants of the shared English heritage between Jamaica and India. Its main ingredients are turmeric and coriander seeds.
The goat is braised and then served with the ubiquitous garnishes. Jamaica equals spice!
- Sweet Spice: White Hall Road, Negril, Jamaica
BONUS: Red Stripe beer and some of the world’s best rums!
The cute little bottles of Red Stripe will be a source of nostalgia for some, and the product served inside is one of the most refreshing beers in this part of the world. And when Jamaica is hot, the cooling properties of this fizzy nectar will have you wanting a second!
Don’t forget that Jamaica is also home to some of the best and most aromatic dark rums in the world. Appleton Rum is famous and well deserved, but Plantation and Screech are also worth a try. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum is mainly used to make extra-strong cocktails and will burn your throat if you try it on its own.
