How Jamaican Food Got Its Distinctive Flavor

Feb 19, 2016 by Marcin

Jamaica is a unique culinary melting pot that combines influence from all over the world to create its own uniquely delicious flavors. Jamaicans combined a variety of foreign cultural traditions with locally grown ingredients to build something new. Let’s take a look at some of the important things that make Jamaican cuisine unique and distinctive.

 

Scotch Bonnet Peppers

The Scotch Bonnet Pepper is the source of Jamaica’s reputation for spicy foods. It’s what provides the kick to jerk seasoning, and it’s used to flavor everything from stews, to meats, to salads. Scotch Bonnets aren’t the hottest pepper in the world, they’re locally grown Caribbean peppers that rank on the upper middle end of the Scoville scale and are about 15 times as spicy as Jalapenos. Despite their intense capsaicin content, they have a well-rounded flavor that makes them perfect as a cornerstone of Jamaican cuisine.

Jerk Seasoning traces its roots back the West Africa and was brought to Jamaica via the trans-atlantic slave trade. Lacking some of the original ingredients, Jamaicans improvised and incorporated local flavors to create the delicious Jamaican Jerk we know and love today.

 

Coconut

A natural choice for islanders all over the world, the coconut has had a strong influence on Jamaican food. Coconut milk is incorporated in a large variety of dishes, and transforms foods like rice and peas, which might sound relatively unimpressive at first, into a real culinary experience. Jamaica is full of these gastronomic surprises, and tourists should avoid judging dishes by their names unless they’re willing to miss out on some of Jamaica’s greatest culinary treasures.

 

Sorrel

Sorrel is a type of hibiscus plant that’s used to make sorrel drink, which is a refreshing, fruity beverage that’s perfect after or during a day on the beach It’s most commonly drunk around Christmas time, though there’s no real reason to limit yourself to just one time of year. Sorrel can also incorporated into some desserts and sauces and adds a delicious tangy flavor and bright red color to any dish.