Latest posts
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Jamaican Fried Dumplings: The Breakfast Favorite I Had to Learn to Perfect
Fried dumplings are one of my absolute favorite things to eat, especially for breakfast. There is just something about a hot fried dumpling on your plate that makes the whole meal feel right. It does not even matter what you are having it with — ackee and saltfish, liver, sardines, salt mackerel, corned beef, or…
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Jamaican Sorrel: The Christmas Drink That Brings the Season Home
There is only one place on earth where I truly celebrate Christmas, and that is Jamaica. Christmas in Jamaica is not just another holiday. It is the biggest holiday of the year, the one people prepare for, talk about, cook for, clean for, dress up for, and look forward to. After traveling and seeing Christmas…
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Jamaican Peanut Punch: The Creamy Drink People Say Gives You Strength
Some Jamaican drinks come with a reputation before you even taste them. Peanut punch is one of them. It is creamy, rich, sweet, filling, and full of flavor. But if you grew up around Jamaican culture, you already know peanut punch is not treated like just any ordinary drink. People talk about it like it…
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Jamaican Passion Fruit Juice: The Country Girl Drink That Tastes Like Summer
One of the perks of being a country girl is having fresh fruits and vegetables almost everywhere. While city girls may have to go to the market or shop to buy certain fruits, country life often gives you the blessing of seeing them growing right around you. Fruit trees, vines, backyard gardens, and neighbors sharing…
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Jamaican Festival: The Sweet Fried Dumpling That Belongs Beside Jerk Chicken
Some foods are called sides, but they do not behave like sides. Jamaican festival is one of them. It may sit beside jerk chicken, escovitch fish, or fried fish, but festival has a personality of its own. It is slightly sweet, golden on the outside, soft on the inside, and shaped in that familiar long…
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Jamaican Rundown: The Coconut Dish That Tastes Like Country Comfort
Some Jamaican dishes do not need to be loud to be memorable. Rundown is one of those dishes. It is rich, creamy, salty, savory, and full of coconut flavor. Depending on who you ask, you may hear it called rundown, run down, or even run dung, but the heart of the dish is the same:…
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Jamaican Ice Cream: The Sunday Treat We Waited For
Jamaica has no shortage of sweet treats. We have puddings, cakes, drops, gizzada, grater cake, toto, sweet potato pudding, cornmeal pudding, and so many other things that can satisfy a sweet tooth. But those were the kind of sweets you could have almost any time, once somebody made them or bought them. Ice cream was…
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Jamaican Corned Beef & Cabbage: The Simple Tin Food That Tastes Like Home
Not every Jamaican dish has to be fancy to be memorable. Some foods do not come with a big celebration, a long cooking time, or a table full of people. Some foods are simple, quick, and still manage to carry a whole childhood with them. For me, corned beef and cabbage is one of those…
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Jamaican Curry Goat
The Dish That Makes Every Gathering Feel Complete There are some dishes that feel bigger than food. For me, curry goat is one of them. It is the kind of dish that shows up when people are serious about eating well. Family gatherings, celebrations, Sundays, Christmas dinner — curry goat belongs in those moments when…
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Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken: The Dish That Works for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner
Brown stew chicken is one of those Jamaican dishes that does not need to wait for a special occasion. It can show up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and still make sense every single time. I remember seeing people argue online about whether brown stew chicken, rice and peas, plantain, and cabbage could really be…
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Jamaican Jerk Chicken: The Spicy Street Food That Always Wins
Jerk chicken is one of those foods you smell before you see it. The smoke, the spices, the heat, the sound of chicken sizzling over fire — it is the kind of food that pulls you in before you even decide if you are hungry. Growing up, jerk chicken was not just something you ate…
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Ackee & Saltfish: The National Dish I Had to Grow Into
It is Jamaica’s national dish, the one people talk about with pride, the one that shows up on breakfast plates, Sunday tables, hotel menus, and family gatherings. sad to say, as a Jamaican child, I didn’t like ackee. For years, something about it just never clicked with me. Maybe it was fear. Growing up, I…
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Jamaican Patty & Coco Bread
The Food I Never Outgrew There are some foods you out grow as you get older. Jamaican patty and coco bread isn’t one of them. I loved it as a child and I still love it today. Matter of fact, living away from home has only made me appreciate it more. Out of all the…
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Why I’ll Always Choose Cocoa Tea Over Hot Chocolate
There are some smells that instantly take you back home. For me, one of those smells is a pot of Jamaican cocoa tea simmering on the stove early in the morning. Growing up, for most people it’s called cocoa tea. In my house and other family member it was simply “sweet tea.” Not because it…
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Escovitch Fish: The Dish I Avoided Until I Fell in Love With It
As a child, I was a foodie, but fish wasn’t exactly my favorite. The reason was simple: bones. Eating fish felt like too much work. While everyone else patiently picked through their meal, I would rather pass and stick to chicken. Of course, you can make escovitch with fish fillets nowadays. Almost any fish can…