From tropical fruits to exotic spices, Jamaican food is a vibrant fusion of European, Asian, African, Caribbean and indigenous flavors. According to Food by Country, the waters of the Caribbean Sea provides a plethora of fresh seafood while the diverse in-land terrain produces an assortment of fruits and vegetables that form the base of Jamaican cuisine.
Akee and Salt Fish
The akee is a tropical fruit with a creamy yellow flesh used to make akee and salt fish, the national dish of Jamaica. The akee flesh is cooked with reconstituted salted cod, vegetables and pork fat, and eaten for breakfast with fried flat bread and cooked plantains.
Jerk seasoning is made up of herbs and spices such as scotch bonnet peppers, cinnamon, allspice, thyme, onion, chives and nutmeg. The seasoning is a marinade for chicken, fish or pork before cooking the meat on a Bar-B-Q grill or a fire pit.
Resembling a large green banana, cooked plantains accompany main courses. In Jamaica, cooks pan fry, bake, mash, puree and sauté plantains, or add them to soups and stews.
Made from shredded cassava root, the bammy is a fried flat bread that is soaked in coconut milk. The Jamaicans eat bammies as a snack or as an accompaniment to fried fish. .
Thick and sweet, Irish moss is a beverage made of carageenan seaweed mixed with sweetened milk. It is seasoned with spices such as cinnamon, vanilla or nutmeg before serving. Irish moss is available commercially in flavors such as peanut and strawberry.
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