thumb|250px|[[Jamaican jerk spice|Jerk chicken and pork served with hard dough bread, jerk sauce, festival, fried pressed plantain and coleslaw, in Jamaica.]]

thumb|The Taínos jerked, smoked and roasted foods on a range of wooden grills.

thumb| Taíno (Arawak) women preparing [[bammy in the 1500s.]]

Jamaican cuisine includes a mixture of cooking techniques, flavours and spices influenced by Amerindian, West African, Irish, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern people who have inhabited the island. It is also influenced by indigenous crops, as well as crops and livestock introduced to the island from Mesoamerica, Europe, tropical West Africa and Southeast Asia, which are now grown locally. A wide variety of seafood, tropical fruits and meats are available.

Some Jamaican dishes are variations of cuisines brought to the island from elsewhere, which are often modified to incorporate local produce and spices. Many others are novel or Creole dishes, created from a fusion of dishes, techniques and ingredients from different cultures, which have developed locally over time. Popular Jamaican dishes include curry goat, fried dumplings, brown stew (oxtail), ackee and saltfish and jerk.

Jamaican patties along with various pastries, breads and beverages are also popular. to establish businesses, and work in agriculture and the construction of railroads, ports and the Panama Canal, contributed Jamaican dishes to the region. Also, Jamaicans who have sought economic opportunities in other parts of the world, have spread their culture and culinary practices.

History

Development of the cuisine

Taíno and Arawak influences

thumb|Bammy

thumb|Jamaican Pepperpot

The Indigenous inhabitants of Jamaica, the Taínos, developed dishes such as jerk meats, Jamaican hominy corn porridge and Saturday beef soup. They kept a stockpot in which meat, fish and vegetables were collected for soup. The Taínos also made intoxicating drinks from cassava and maize,

Many native crops and local staples, such as peppers (Scotch bonnet, cayenne pepper and other cultivars) and beans (like kidney beans) were taken to Jamaica in canoes from Mesoamerica, along with corn, sweet potato, cashew, cacao and cassava. They also cultivated chayote (cho cho), arrowroot, kenep (guinep), mammee apple, coco, squash, pumpkin, yam (yampi or cush-cush yam), peanut, guava, potato, pineapple, starapple, papaya, soursop, naseberry, custard apple, sweetsop and other native crops. According to historian, James Delbourgo, the brewing of cocoa beans, which led to the recipe for chocolate milk and traditional Jamaican chocolate tea, was practiced by the Taínos, as far back as 1494.

Cooking techniques such as jerking, grilling, roasting, smoking and barbecuing, as well as, the use of earth ovens, charcoal, pimento wood, plantain or banana leaves and corn husks in cooking, can be traced back to them. as were calabash (gourd) bowls and utensils, and tools which were used to grind cocoa beans, corn, and cassava for flour and bammy the traditional way. These include stone and wooden mortars, pestles, grinders and graters called metate, mano and guaio/guayo, a long funnel-shaped basket called a matapi, used for extracting cassava juice, herbs and spices such as rosemary, thyme, garlic, onion, oregano, ginger and others.

who had escaped the inquisition in the 1500s, also introduced coconut macaroons, gizzada, steamed and fried fish, saltfish fritters and salted codfish which is used in breakfast dishes and Jamaica's national dish— ackee and saltfish. It has become a staple from the time it was eaten by enslaved Africans as a long-lasting source of affordable protein. By the 1700s, saltfish, also called "the faithful friend" in Portuguese cuisine, was not only consumed as a cheap, accessible source of protein, as it had become a staple food for most Portuguese people, including the upper echelons of society

— like escoveitch, it has been a dietary mainstay during Lent and other holy days. The Jamaican patty, a pasty or empanada-styled turnover filled with spiced meat was influenced by the Spanish and Cornish. Sweets like peanut drops/cake, coconut drops, peanut brittle and grater cake have Portuguese and Spanish influences, as well as, African and Middle Eastern influences.

Cooking and preservation techniques which include stewing, frying, brining, pickling and curing meats cow peas and pigeon peas (known as 'gungo' locally) in the Americas, which are key ingredients in some local dishes. While some crops were taken from Africa on ships by the Europeans, it is believed that enslaved Africans also brought seeds of plants which they grew, such as African rice, kola nut (bissy), sesame, watermelon, bonavist beans and sorrel. They adopted and added the use of certain spices and ground provisions to variations of dishes from other cultures, It is primarily consumed as a tea and spice-infused drink, which is sometimes combined with rum.

A popular Jamaican sweet called Bustamante backbone or stagga back can be traced back to the Africans, along with the names of foods like "asham", and "gungo".

In the past, tools like the wooden mortar and pestle were used to grind dried and roasted coffee and cocoa beans, while clay pots called 'yabba' were used for mixing cakes or puddings and seasoning or salting meats—both of which have African origins. who arrived on the island after the abolition of slavery to replace slaves. As such, Jamaican Easter bun and cheese, teas, macaroni and cheese, and some colonial era Creole dishes have British influences. Sunday roast variations which include pot roast meats, potato and vegetables, as well as, breakfast dishes which include baked beans (adopted from Native Americans by the British), are made in Jamaica. British influences can be seen in the way Jamaicans prepare dinners for holidays and Sundays. Irish moss and porridges were influenced by the Irish and Scottish respectively.

Also, deep frying, a cooking technique used to prepare dishes like Jamaican fried chicken, fried dumpling and festival may have been influenced by the Scots, along with the Spanish and Portuguese.

Staple crops like breadfruit, Otaheite apple, various mangoes, rose apple, coffee, rice (Gold Seede), Their influence can be found in Jamaica's toffee-like sweet, Bustamante backbone.

Due to the migration of British settlers, enslaved and emancipated Afro-Jamaicans and Creole Jamaicans to coastal Central America, between the 17th and 20th centuries, Jamaican dishes some of which were influenced by the British, were introduced to Belize and the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina.

Indian influences

thumb|Curry shrimp

thumb|Curry goat and roti

thumb|Tamarind balls

During the period of indentureship other labourers migrated to Jamaica from India, China, Germany and the Azores in Portugal. Consequently, East Indian influences can be found in Jamaican cuisine like roti,

which have been modified to create Jamaican curry powder, a key ingredient in dishes such as curried goat/mutton, chicken and seafood (shrimp, lobster, crab, fish and conch). Indian influences can also be found in eggplant dishes,

A flat iron griddle called tawah, which is used to make flatbreads, was adopted from the Indians. who arrived during indentureship also contributed to Jamaican cuisine. Chinese (especially Hakka and Cantonese) influences can be found in dishes with pak choy, pork, dungoo (Chinese mushrooms) and mustard. Upon arrival many of the original ingredients used in China were not available, and they were imported later, so the Chinese had to improvise and adapt in order to recreate their dishes and the use of soy sauce, ginger and escallion on meats,— which can be found on the menus of non-Chinese local restaurants. In Jamaica, many Chinese restaurants have their own variations of Chinese dishes, modified with a local twist,

A cast iron pot called 'Chinese karahi' (a Cantonese-style wok) was also introduced by the Chinese,— contributing to the dish's popularity and demand.

French influences

thumb|Jamaican smoked herring pâté

thumb|Jamaican fricassée chicken (not to be confused with brown stew chicken)

The French, possibly those who fled from Haiti during different periods, or French Jews who went to Jamaica during the inquisition, along with the Spanish, may have influenced dishes like Jamaican fricassee chicken, lobster thermidor, casseroles and pelau made with chicken or shrimp. French and English influences can be found in the use of bouillon or stock cubes, and Jamaican smoked herring pâté called Solomon Gundy. Many Jamaican gourmet dishes, desserts and pastries like tarts, gâteaux and macarons, were adopted from the French. Local variations of French dishes like crêpe, bisque and fries have also been adopted by Jamaicans, including cutting techniques such as batonnet and julienne used for vegetables in escoveitch and stir-fry dishes, as well as, rondelle. Bouquet garni (made with escallion, thyme and other herbs) is used in local stews and soups, and béchamel sauce or roux are used in macaroni and cheese, stews and sauces. Other French cooking techniques which have been adopted include sautéing, blanching, braising, rotisserie and flambéing with rum. A traditional cooking tool used for Jamaican beef and pork pot roasts, called a 'Jesta pot' (Digester pot)

Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee and the introduction of coffea arabica to Jamaica can be traced back to one of three coffee plants sent to Martinique by King Louis XV of France— gifted to the Governor of Jamaica from the Governor of Martinique, in the 1700s.

The French who fled to Jamaica during the Haitian Revolution, partly helped with the rapid expansion of the local coffee industry— French masters and their slaves brought their experience and expertise in coffee production. Also, before and during the Holocaust, Dutch Jews and Polish Jews sought refuge on the island.

Between the late 1700s and 20th century, German Jews, Other dishes which have been adopted with German and other European influences include Christmas ham, coleslaw, donuts, coconut rolls, cinnamon rolls, ginger biscuits, Black Forest cake, raisin bread and marble cakes.

Middle Eastern influences

thumb|Shrimp kebab

thumb|Peanut brittle

Middle Eastern contributions to Jamaica's culinary repertoire began when Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian people, mostly Christians and some Jews, Jews from other places such as Egypt also settled on the island. Though some of these dishes are not widely prepared by all locals, their influences can be seen in some fusion dishes, and Syrian, Lebanese and kosher restaurants can be found across the island. Jamaican peanut drops or cake and peanut brittle have Middle Eastern and other influences.

Simmering, a popular cooking style in Jewish cuisine is also used for Jamaican stews, and the use of garlic as a primary seasoning is a culinary tradition inherited from the Jews. Rastafari dishes are referred to as ital,

Main courses

Meat and seafood dishes

thumb|Fried chicken and oxtail, with a side of rice and peas (with gungo) and coleslaw.

thumb|Honey barbecue pork chops with stir-fry vegetables.

thumb|Garlic shrimp with okra and carrot, served with pumpkin rice and tostones.

thumb|Jamaican seafood platter—fried lobster, shrimp, crab and fish with mussels, fries, festivals and tostones.

  • Baked chicken
  • Barbecue meats (chicken, wings, pork, beef etc.)
  • Barbie-fry chicken
  • Boiled crab
  • Brown stew (beef, chicken, fish, goat, mutton, pork, oxtail and turkey neck etc.)
  • Chop suey (chicken, shrimp, beef and pork)
  • Coconut curry (shrimp, fish, lobster and chicken)
  • Conch (stewed, roasted, jerked and curried)
  • Corned pork or beef
  • Cow foot stew
  • Curried meats and seafood (chicken, goat, mutton, shrimp, lobster, fish, crab, beef, pork and oxtail)
  • Escoveitch fish (and other seafood)
  • Fricassee chicken
  • Fried chicken
  • Fried fish and seafood (shrimp in batter and lobster)
  • Garlic chicken and seafood (shrimp, fish, lobster and conch)
  • Grilled meats and seafood (chicken, steak, fish and lobster etc.)
  • Jerked meats and seafood (chicken, pork, fish, conch, shrimp, lobster and sausage etc.)
  • Liver (typically brown stew chicken or cow's liver)
  • Lobster thermidor
  • Mala chicken
  • Meatballs
  • Minced meat (chicken or beef)
  • Pan chicken
  • Peppered shrimp
  • Pepper steak
  • Pineapple chicken
  • Pot-roast (chicken, beef, pork and mutton etc.)
  • Roasted meats and seafood (chicken, ham, beef, pork, fish etc.)
  • Rundown
  • Saltfish (sautéed or roasted)
  • Salt mackerel (sautéed)
  • Stir-fry (chicken and shrimp)
  • Steamed fish with okra and carrot
  • Stew peas
  • Sweet and sour (chicken, pork and shrimp)
  • Tripe and bean

Soups

thumb|Chicken soup

  • Beef soup (also Saturday soup)
  • Busso (river snail) soup
  • Chicken foot soup
  • Chicken soup
  • Conch soup
  • Corn soup
  • Cow skin soup
  • Fish tea
  • Gungo peas soup
  • Janga (crayfish) soup
  • Mannish water
  • Mutton soup
  • Pepperpot
  • Pumpkin soup
  • Red peas soup

Side dishes

thumb|Rice and peas

thumb|Stir-fry vegetables

thumb|Jamaican Spanish rice

  • Boiled plantain
  • Bok choy
  • Breadfruit (boiled, fried or roasted)
  • Callaloo
  • Callaloo rice
  • Coconut rice
  • Cooked rice
  • Dumplings (boiled or fried)
  • Festival
  • Bammy (fried or steamed)
  • Fried plantain
  • Pressed green plantain
  • Fried rice
  • Green banana
  • Ground provisions (boiled or roasted)
  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Potato (boiled, fried, mashed, roasted or baked)
  • Potato salad
  • Pumpkin rice
  • Rice and peas
  • Roti
  • Spanish rice
  • Seasoned rice (containing saltfish and spices).
  • Shredded cabbage and carrot (coleslaw)
  • Stir-fry or steamed vegetables
  • Turned cornmeal

Breads and pastries

thumb|Jamaican patty wrapped in coco bread

thumb|Jamaican bun and cheese

thumb|Jamaican rum cakes

  • Bammy
  • Banana loaf
  • Bread pudding
  • Black cake
  • Bulla cake
  • Carrot cake
  • Cheese bread
  • Cinnamon roll and loaf
  • Coco bread
  • Coconut bread
  • Coconut roll
  • Corn bread (a smooth, sweet, yellow roll)
  • Donut (including twist donut)
  • Grotto bread
  • Hard dough bread
  • Hummingbird cake
  • Jamaican patty
  • Madeira cake
  • Marble cake and sponge cake
  • Peg bread
  • Raisin bread
  • Rock cake
  • Rum cake
  • Spiced bun
  • Sugar bun (similar to cinnamon roll)

Beverages

thumb|Jamaica's first cold brew Blue Mountain coffee drinks, in traditional flavours— carrot ginger, chocolate vanilla and carrot vanilla.

thumb|Rum from Jamaica's oldest rum distillery— rum was first produced at Worthy Park Estate in 1741.

thumb|Red Stripe beers and cocktails in various flavours—such as sorrel, lemon, coconut pineapple, etc.

  • Bigga and D&G sodas
  • Box juices
  • Bush/herbal teas
  • Carrot juice with spices such as nutmeg and vanilla
  • Cherry malt
  • Chocolate tea
  • Chocolate milk
  • Coconut water
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee drinks
  • Cream soda
  • D&G Malta
  • Eggnog
  • Fruit juices (june plum, guava, mango, otaheite apple, pawpaw, pineapple, soursop, cherry, ribena, starfruit, jimbilin etc.)
  • Ginger beer
  • Guinness punch with spices such as nutmeg and vanilla
  • Irish moss
  • Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee
  • Kola Champagne
  • Lasco Jamaica food drinks
  • Limeade
  • Liqueurs (Sangster's, Tia Maria, etc.)
  • Mauby
  • Peanut punch
  • Pimento dram
  • Red Label wine
  • Red Stripe
  • Rums
  • Rum creams (including flavours like coffee, chocolate, rum & raisin, coconut and banana)
  • Sorrel
  • Supligen
  • Tamarind Fizz
  • Tia Maria
  • Ting (grapefruit soda)

Desserts and sweets

Women selling desserts in [[Kingston, Jamaica, c. 1899|thumb]]

thumb|Plantain tart

Grapenut and rum and raisin ice cream are popular desserts. Jamaican ice cream comes in many flavours like, coffee, pistachio, jackfruit, coconut, mango, pineapple, guava, soursop and Dragon Stout.

Other popular desserts include batata pudding, cornmeal pudding, cassava pone, gizzada, grater cake, toto, banana fritters, coconut drops, plantain tarts, guava cheese, banana bread, rum cake, carrot cake, pineapple cake, fruit cake and coconut macaroons.

Tie-a-leaf or blue drawers is a dish made by combining a starch (usually cornmeal, cassava or sweet potato) with coconut milk, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, sugar and vanilla, then wrapped and tied in banana leaf before boiling.

Asham is parched corn that is ground and combined with brown sugar.

Jackass corn is a sweet thin biscuit that is made from corn, and is hard to bite.

Tamarind balls are candy made with the sticky flesh of the fruit, rolled with brown sugar into sweet and sour balls. A spicy version containing hot pepper can be made.

Bustamante Backbone, also called Busta, stagga back or buss mi jaw, is a toffee-like candy named after Jamaica's first Prime Minister Alexander Bustamante. It is made with brown sugar, coconut, ginger and molasses, and can also include coffee, vanilla and lime juice.

<gallery>File:Jamaican cornmeal duckunoo.jpg|Blue drawers or tie-a-leaf

File:Devon House ice cream Jamaica.jpg|Devon House ice cream

File:Jamaican rum cakes.jpg|Rum fruit and coffee cakes

</gallery>

Jamaican food abroad

thumb|Costa Rican dinner from [[Puerto Limón (an area with Jamaican descendants).]]

thumb|Jamaican food— jerk chicken served with rice and peas, in [[Guam.]]

Jamaican cuisine is available throughout North America, the United Kingdom, and other places with a sizeable Jamaican population or descendants, such as coastal Central America Juicy Patties, one of Jamaica's first patty companies to be established, has also expanded to other regions.

Other cuisines in Jamaica

thumb|Jerk chicken tacos, in Jamaica

International cuisines have been introduced and blended with Jamaican cuisine,

due to waves of migration from other parts of the world, tourism, the growth of the restaurant and hotel industries, the establishment of businesses (including eateries) by foreigners in Jamaica, and the exposure of locals and the diaspora, particularly Jamaican chefs, to international gastronomy and culinary practices. Japanese, Korean, Thai, Italian, Greek, French, Spanish, Mediterranean and American cuisines can be found in Jamaica.