Friday, August 24, 2012

A Peek Into Jamaican Cuisine

By Carlos Buford


A basic glance at the rich and varied past will give us a solid idea of just how Jamaican food has managed to grow to be such a unique blend of cultures. The origins of Jamaican cuisine can be traced back in time to the peace-loving Arawak Indians, who named their tropical haven Xaymaca, or "the Land of Wood and Water".

These people were considered to be one of the primary people who barbecued their meals, which involves cooking various meats over wood, giving the various meats an extra smoky flavour from the wood.

Even so, the influence of the indigenous people was limited by the belief that the Spanish took over the island and also enslaved the locals in the early sixteenth century. On the other hand, along with the oppressors, came a brand new choice of meals, the most popular of which included the vinegary escovitched fish introduced by the Spanish Jews.

When the native populace started to dwindle in numbers because of the harsh ways of slavery, the Spanish began to transfer African slaves to improve their workforce. The African diet played a major part in framing Jamaican foods, as many of the common elements were created by the African-american slaves, like okra, ackee, saltfish, mangoes, and yams.

In fact, the most well-known Jamaican food, jerk, originated in the West African Coromantee Tribe. Jerking consists of marinating various meats such as chicken, beef, seafood etc. in a spicy mixture made of pimento, pepper, thyme, cinnamon, brown sugar, fresh lemon juice, onions, cayenne pepper, and soy sauce, then grilling it slowly.

In 1655, the English took the territory from the Spanish, bringing with them typical English meals. One combination dish that remains well-liked till this day is the Jamaican patty, this is a turnover that has a hot and spicy meat stuffing.

That is certainly not the only influence which the English applied to Jamaican food. During the early nineteenth century, slavery ended up being eliminated, necessitating the transfer of indentured servants from China and also Eastern India.

The Chinese brought with them rice, mustard and chili peppers, helping to make Jamaican foods stand out even in the Caribbean. The Indians, on the other hand, introduced their well-known curry spices and the endearing belief that practically everything could be curried. Goat curry is a particularly unique curry that is certainly well-known throughout Jamaica, and you can find all kinds of various other curried meats as well.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment