Caribbean Exploration
Sometimes you just need to relax.
That was what Tim and I discovered on our recent trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica.
It's hard not to relax when you are surrounded by the laid back attitude of Jamaicans, the rhythmic crashing of waves on the beach, and the sweet smell of tropical fruit and rum.
In addition to enjoying the beauty of the scenery, the trip opened our taste buds to a new variety of foods and flavor combinations.
Jerk Chicken
Jerk Chicken - If you ask someone what food they think of when they hear Jamaica, jerk chicken or jerk pork will probably be one of the first things that comes to mind. That's because 'jerk' is a style of cooking native to Jamaica. This method uses a spicy jerk seasoning as either a dry rub or a marinade for the meat. The jerk seasoning is primarily made up of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers (one of the hottest peppers around, similar in heat to a habanero), but also includes cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, and salt. The seasoned meat is then smoked or grilled, resulting in slightly charred, tender meat, that will really heat up your taste buds.
Ackee - The national fruit of Jamaica. (Ackee and saltfish is the national dish of Jamaica.) Despite the fact that it is a fruit, it is cooked and used as a vegetable. After it is cooked, it looks and tastes very similar to scrambled eggs, with a slightly firmer texture.
Cho Cho - Is a member of the melon and gourd family. It is roughly the size of a small pear. Again, even though this is a fruit, it is cooked and used as a vegetable. It is used quite often in soups and stews.
Mackerel en papillote
Saltfish and Salt Mackerel - This fish has been salt cured and dried. Before cooking it is re-hydrated to remove some of the salt. It was introduced to the Caribbean in the 16th century, brought by shipping vessels from North America. Salting the fish was an ideal way to preserve it, and the re-hydration process makes it taste nearly fresh.
Bammy - A traditional Jamaican flat-bread made from cassava, a starchy, South American root vegetable. Cassava is also known as yuca, but not to be confused with the similar sounding "yucca", which is a non-edible perennial plant native to similar areas as cassava.
Cod with shrimp beurre blanc and saffron rice.
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Our trip has inspired us to start cooking with more fish and to try to recreate the jerk chicken we had from a small Tiki Bar on the beach at our resort.
Strawberry mousse
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Baby Lady & I thoroughly enjoyed Montego Bay when we went a few years back for her 50th birthday. Did you get your jerk at Scotchies? The way they cook the meat is amazing. They have a grill with no grates. Instead, they use green wood (I don't recall the type) and lay the thin poles next to each other side by side. They start a fire underneath and load the meat directly on top of the green wood. The green wood doesn't burn but gives off a wonderful smoke and transfers the heat to the meat as the meat is never over direct flame. Best meal we ate in Montego Bay.
That sounds fantastic! We did not eat there. But, if we're even in the area again, we'll have to find it!
Wish I could buy me some Jerk Chicken here in Norway!
Looks like you'll just have to make your own! We hope to be working on a recipe for it in the near future.
Good to hear! I spent 4 months in Kingston in 2001 and have been missing it ever since.
I'm looking forward to the recipes 🙂
Thanks Tandy! I'm sure it will take a few tries to capture some of the flavors, but we are looking forward to the challenge!
Love the size of that strawberry mousse (cake?)!
It was monstrous! It had to have been at least a foot in diameter. And it confused us quite a bit too. It was essentially a thick strawberry mouse, covered in slices of a jelly-roll-style cake, and covered with a citrus glaze. It took us a bit to figure out what was going on, but it was SO GOOD!