The Essence of.....Jamaica An exploration of the world through food and drink

www.visitjamaica.com Essence -ial Information UK Tourist Office 1-2 Prince Consort Road London SW7 2BZ Currency Jamaican Dollar  Capital Kingston Language English  Main Airlines British Airways, Virgin Flying Time from UK 9 hrs 15 mins Visa No

PROFILE Christopher Columbus visited Jamaica multiple times towards the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th century, once even shipwrecked off the north coast for two years (1503-1504). During these visits he described a way the Arawaks (the indigenous inhabitants of Jamaica) preserved meat by adding peppers, allspice and sea salt to make what is now known as Jamaican jerk spice. Cuisine of Jamaica includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavors, spices and influences from the indigenous people on the island, and the Spanish, British, Africans, Indians, and Chinese who have inhabited the island. The first Europeans to settle in Jamaica was the Spanish who gave the island the vinegary concoction Escovitch Fish. English influences can be seen in the Jamaican Pattie, which is a turnover filled with spicy meat and tea. According to the statistics, the natives of Jamaica drink the most tea per capita in the Caribbean to this day as a result. The people of Jamaica prefer chicken much more than beef or pork. Dishes Ackee and saltfish - The Salt Fish (cod) is the national dish of Jamaica. Jerk chicken - grilled Jerk-spiced chicken/pork Curry goat and Curried Mutton Jamaican patties (beef, chicken, vegetarian, cheese, curry) Brown Stew Chicken, Brown Stew Beef Escoveitch fish (like Spanish cuisine escabeche) Oxtail Corned Beef and cabbage Saltfish with cabbage or callaloo Mannish Water (Head and "man meat" of Goat soup) - said to be an aphrodisiac. Traditionally eaten at New Year's Eve[citation needed] Coconut Rundown - spicy mackerel and coconut stew Rice and peas - rice stewed with beans and coconut milk. Pilau - a dish containing rice, chicken, pork, shellfish, and vegetables, similar to Paella Spinners - dumplings shaped by "spinning" them in the hands The Scotch bonnet pepper is an essential ingredient of Jamaican cooking because of its distinctive flavor. It looks almost identical to a habanero pepper but it has its own unique flavor. To get the flavor of the scotch bonnet without the heat, which is mostly in the seeds, you can use the skin sparingly. Or use it whole in soups and remove it without breaking the skin after the soup is cooked. Scotch bonnet peppers are available at Jamaican food stores, but be careful and ask questions, because many times regular habanero peppers are sold as Jamaican scotch bonnet