If you find yourself visiting Jamaica, this gorgeous, popular tourist destination, you may want to explore with more of a local’s set of eyes. Ok, I’m not a local at all, but being married to a native Jamaican means our family trips have taken a very different perspective than most people gain from leaving the cruise ship or all-inclusive resort.
Here are three things I loved exploring on our last trip:
1. Jamaican Food
If you’re like me, you’re going to want to taste local flavors. In Jamaica, that means curried goat, jerk chicken, or ackee and saltfish. For your carbs, taste boiled or fried dumplings (think biscuits), fried bammy, or festival. Some fruits will be mangos, june plum, plantains, and boiled banana. Don’t forget your veggies: callaloo is a popular side dish. And when you get rice and peas on the side, expect rice with red beans.
My son is obsessed with porridge for breakfast. Like eats it every day, obsessed! Another favorite meal for us vegetarians on the trip is ital stew. Red beans, flour dumplings, carrots, and sweet potatoes simmered together and served with white rice are delicious. I always look forward to the amazing taste of Blue Mountain coffee grown right here on the Jamaican mountainside. This smooth, bold taste has worldwide coffee lover followers!
One item my husband could not go without on a trip is pudding. This is nothing like the Jello snack packs you may be picturing. Pudding’ is more like a dense cake without the super sweetness we’ve come to expect in American cakes. Whether or not you love the taste, watching how pudding is made is fascinating. It is baked in Dutch pots (metal pans) stacked on top of fire-burning coals. The whole process takes 20 minutes to cook and just seconds to devour!
2. Read di papers, watch di news
One way to immerse yourself in the local culture is to take in the local sounds of Patois (Patwah), or Jamaican Creole. Patois is an English-based language with West African and French influences and definitely with its own styling. The local papers (yes, a printed newspaper is still a thing, my digitally-based friends), the Star, the Observer, and the Gleaner all capture hyper-local stories written in Patois. Listen to the local news reported in Patois. Go beyond the over-used example of, “Yea, mon” and learn what “goh pik a bok!” means!
3. Juici or Tastee?: Jamaica’s culinary debate
If you want to hear some true Patois exclaimed almost as loud as a game of dominos, listen to two locals debate Juici and Tastee patties. Here’s a super quick explanation of this long-standing Juici vs. Tastee debate: Coke or Pepsi?
Both of these brands sell patties, another Jamaican dietary staple. Similar to the Spanish-based empanadas, the flakey dough crust contains either beef, callaloo, vegetables, or beef and cheese. (Another way to devour this food is placing the patty inside a loaf of bread called Patty Coco Bread. This is not for the faint of carbs!)
The rivalry here is real. Ask anyone in Jamaica where they would go to get a patty, and hands down, they’ll have a favorite place. I’ve had friends request patties as a souvenir, but only from their favorite brand. They refused to eat patties from the other place.
For me, my Italian-carb-loving side will eat patties from anywhere. I guess growing up outside the island means I haven’t developed true loyalty for one brand yet. Maybe on the next trip…
