There is no comparison to Jamaican cooking. With a heady mix of tongue tingling spices, mouth watering flavours, and the freshest produce available, Jamaican food is food for the soul.
  
The vibrant tastes of Jamaica have evolved over time, and Jamaican cuisine has been heavily influenced by the many different cultures that made Jamaica home throughout history - West African, Spanish, British, East Indian, Dutch, French, and Chinese.  Throughout the years, all of these different styles of cooking have blended together to create the world famous Jamaican cuisine that we know and love today. 
  
It began in the 1500s with the arrival of the Spanish Conquerors; they drove out the native Arawak Indians and claimed the island for their own. The Spanish brought with them their own traditional recipes, but they also brought thousands of African slaves, who had to adapt their own traditional recipes and cooking methods to cook with local Jamaican produce.  They used African spices to flavour the unfamiliar fruits and vegetables. When Spanish Jews arrived on the island they brought with them many unique dishes, including “Escovitch fish” – a dish marinated in vinegar – which still remains hugely popular today.
  
The Spanish lost Jamaica to the British in 1655, who soon put their own stamp on the local fare. The British brought with them porridge, puddings and tea, but their biggest culinary influence was the invention of the “patty” – chunks of spiced meat wrapped in golden yellow pastry.  This dish, a variant on the traditional British pasty but with a Jamaican twist, is still a firm favourite amongst locals and tourists alike.
  
But whilst the British colonists enjoyed the best food Jamaica had to offer, the slaves were left the remnants of what the plantation owners had rejected. Consequently, this gave rise to use of pig, cow and chicken feet in cooking- and pigs feet stew can still be found on many menus across Jamaica.
  
After slavery was abolished, the British imported indentured workers from China and East India, who brought new and diverse spices to the island. Perhaps the most important arrival was curry powder from India; as any Jamaican will tell you, you can turn any ingredients into a curry. The Chinese brought sweet and sour dishes and hard dough bread; a sweet sturdy loaf that you will find in any Jamaican kitchen.
  
Jamaican cooking has even been influenced by the Rastafarian movement; Rastas concocted “I’tal” cuisine, which adheres to their strict vegetarian and salt free diet.  Jamaican food is considered quite healthy, owing to the use of lean meat, fish, and fresh fruit and vegetables; locals make use of produce grown or reared in their own back gardens. Cooking is a huge part of Jamaican life, and family recipes are passed down from one generation to the next.  After years of influence, the food of Jamaica truly represents the island’s motto- “Out of Many, One People.”
Popular dishes
  
The food of Jamaica is fresh, fragrant and, most importantly,spicy. A trip to Jamaica is a real culinary experience, and no trip is complete without sampling some of these well known and mouth watering dishes.
 
Jerk Meat the meat (usually chicken, pork or fish) is dry rubbedwith the jerk seasoning- a hot spice mixture made of Scotch bonnet chillies, pimento, thyme and garlic, and then left to cook slowly over a smoke pit for the spicy, smoky taste that is synonymous with Jamaica.
 
Chicken, Rice and Peas isJamaica’s answer to a traditional Sunday dinner.  The “peas” usually aren’t peas at all- most Jamaicans prefer red kidney beans.  The chicken is flavoursome and the rice is often cooked in coconut milk for a sweet, sticky texture.
 
Ackee and Saltfish is known as Jamaica’s national dish. The saltfish is sautéed with ackee, tomatoes and Scotch bonnets, resulting in a dish with a salty yet spicy kick. It’s served with fried dumplings, known to locals as Johnny Cakes.
 
Curry Goat originated in India. Sweeter than lamb, the meat is marinated in spices and slow cooked until it melts in your mouth. It’s served with rice and plantain- slices of fried savoury bananas.
 
Sea food is caught and cooked right in front of you on the beaches; crab, lobster, snapper, shrimps, tuna - the choice is endless. No seafood dish is complete without a serving of Bammy, a traditional cassava flatbread fried in coconut milk.
 
The Food Scene
 
 With so much amazing food on offer, it’s hard to pinpoint Jamaica’s best restaurants. However, there are a few firm favourites among locals and tourists, largely due to the owner’s passion and expertise in Jamaican cuisine.
 
Scotchie’s, Drax Hall, Ocho Rios is one of Jamaica’s best loved Jerk restaurants.  The popularity of this restaurant means you might have to wait for a table, but once the food is served you’ll realise it was well worth it.  Generous portions, friendly service and an open air bar all equal a great eating experience.
 
Little Ochie Resturant, Alligator Pond, Manderville is a little off the beaten track, but the bumpy ride is worth it, as Little Ochie is considered the best seafood restaurants on the island. The fishermen unload the seafood straight onto the grill; you can’t get fresher than that.
 
Tosccanni Resturant, Tower Isle, Ocho Rios Toscanni’s is run by two Italian siblings who deliver authentic Italian dishes with a Jamaican twist. This vibrant mix of cuisines makes Toscanni’s one of the most exciting restaurants on the island.
 
Jamaica is populated by thousands of road side eateries- tiny shacks that serve up every type of food you could wish for, providing you with a completely different culinary experience than what you’d find in a restaurant. Now, if you ask the locals which one is best, you’re sure to get a different answer every time, but some do stand out for their straightforward service, rustic charm, and of course, delicious food.
 
Mickey’s Jerk Shack, Boston Beach, Port Antonio Boston Beach is widely credited as the birthplace of Jerk, and Mickey’s is considered the best Jerk shack on the beach. Providing casual dining at its finest, the meat is weighed out to your specification and handed to you on a paper plate. No fuss, no frills- it’s about the meat and nothing else. Jerk as it should be.
 
Aunt Merle’s Fish Shack, Hellshire Beach, Portmore Aunt Merle’s is actually made up of a row of shacks, and fisherman come up on shore to sell their catch. You will find every kind of seafood imaginable here, cooked to your specifications.  Eat under the blistering sun then wash off in the sea.
 
Faith’s Penn Vendors, Faith’s Penn,  St Ann  On the road to Ocho Rios, 30 vendors occupy a lay by, selling all the Jamaican favourites- jerk chicken, fried fish, corn on the cob, ackee and saltfish, mannish water (goat soup), freshly picked mangos, pineapples and watermelons, and much more. You’ll be spoilt for choice. 

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