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Italian, Japanese, and Indian are three of the most popular cuisines in the world, according to social media trends. Other favorite cuisines in the international dining scene are Chinese, Mexican, and Thai.
Where does Jamaican cuisine sit in the global culinary stage?
Influence in the Culinary World
You may have eaten Jamaican food and not known it. If you’ve enjoyed a hearty bowl of curried goat, you’ve enjoyed a beloved Jamaican dish. If you’ve grabbed a beef patty (or Jamaican patty) for a quick lunch, you’ve had a typical Jamaican snack.
Although Jamaica’s food may not be in the spotlight as much as the three most popular cuisines in the world, it has been gaining attention — one dish, one ingredient at a time.
One of the more common ingredients in Jamaican cooking is oxtail. Previously considered a mere meat byproduct in the US, the oxtail is having a moment being featured prominently in American menus. It’s even become the focus of many food-centric social media posts, according to The New York Times.
Restaurants use oxtail in a variety of cuisines, such as oxtail empanadas, oxtail cheesesteak, oxtail burger, oxtail pizza, and even a plant-based oxtail (dubbed Voxtail).
Oxtail’s popularity as the “it” ingredient of the season is being compared to the popularity of kale and matcha. And why not? This cut of meat truly makes an unforgettable dish, like Jamaica’s slow-braised oxtail.
The Jerk
It’s not just ingredients that are putting Jamaica’s cuisine in the spotlight. One of the Caribbean country’s cooking techniques, the highly popular jerk, has been gaining attention for some time.
Everywhere in the world, in every Jamaican food menu in Dubai, London, Rome, or South Africa, jerk chicken will always have a place. But what is “jerk”?
Jerk is not, as most people think, just the spices that create the delectable meat. Jerk is a way of preparing and cooking the meat using a blend of spices that carries quite a kick. What’s in the blend?
Jerk seasoning has two primary ingredients: allspice (called pimento in Jamaica) and Scotch bonnet peppers, the chili of choice in the Caribbean. Scotch bonnets are about 70 times hotter than jalapeños. Also included in the mix are thyme, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, scallions, garlic, and black pepper.
This spicy blend is applied to any meat, but chicken is the most popular protein. The chicken is marinated in the spice blend and then grilled over woodfire.
For those who know the history behind the cooking technique, the grill must be “smokeless.”
The smokeless cooking technique allowed the indigenous people (the Arawak and Taino) on the island to hide from European colonizers who were enslaving locals. The indigenous people achieved this technique by placing planks of wood over the fire, cleverly concealing the flame along with their location.
The seasoning from the jerk cooking technique has become so popular it has launched a number of prepared products, including powders and pastes. These products are allowing home cooks across the globe to try their hand at jerk cooking. Although it might be easier to enjoy it in a restaurant.
Popularizing the Cuisine
The popularity of Jamaican cuisine may be attributed to the migration of some of the country’s locals. Many have found new homes in North America, others in Europe, or the Middle East. As such, Jamaicans have taken their traditional food with them and introduced it to a wider population of diners.
Jamaican cooking works well with other cuisines, like Chinese, Korean, Latin, or Italian. Like migrants from other countries, Jamaicans have embraced other cuisines as well while staying loyal to the food they’ve grown up with. The results are delicious combinations that create dishes like oxtail arancini, jerk falafel, arroz con jerk, or rasta pasta.
Jamaican migrants spreading the goodness of their cuisine bring an interesting angle to the country’s food and its evolution. The cuisine on the island is a rich collection of influences from the countries that colonized it. Spanish, British, and Indian flavors are unmistakable in Jamaican dishes.
From the Spanish:
- Cooking methods, such as frying and roasting
- Ingredients, such as citrus and sugar cane
- The introduction of cattle and pigs on the island
From the British:
- Ingredients, such as potatoes and bread
- The introduction of puddings, pasties and pies, which have led to the now Jamaican staple, beef patty, and hot cross buns, which locals turned into bun and cheese
- The practice of afternoon tea, which has influenced Jamaican baked goods and pastries
From India:
- Spices, such as turmeric and curry powder or simply the Indian spice blend so essential to curried goat and chicken
- Cooking techniques like roti-making and pilaf rice
Jamaicans used what was introduced to them, and owing to their ingenuity, have made them their own. Today, the culinary world is much richer and heartier with the influence of Jamaican cuisine.
Whether it’s a cooking technique or a once overlooked ingredient, Jamaican food is leaving a lip-smackingly delicious mark in the culinary world.
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