Jamaica is a culturally diverse country whose population most notably includes Africans, African-Europeans, and Chinese. The various races have reached Jamaica either through expeditions to conquer the land or for trading purposes that have left countless influences on Jamaican culture, particularly in Jamaican cuisine. Jamaican food may not be as popular as Chinese, Japanese, or Chinese food, but it is strongly making its mark in the food industry.
Original Jamaican inhabitants, the Arawak and the Carib Indian tribes have established a rich variety of cooking styles and techniques, using the fresh produce native to the island. Although Caribs are known to be cannibals, they are known to spice raw meat and seafood using chili peppers, a staple in Jamaican cooking. Arawaks, on the other hand, devised a slow-cooking method of meat by placing it on a makeshift wooden grill over open fire. Food historians believe that this method is what pioneered barbecuing.
At present, one of the staples in Jamaican diet is breadfruit. Introduced in the 1700s together with other fruits and crops once unknown to the island, these imports became part of Jamaican cuisine as we know it. African settlers also introduced the use of okra, callaloo, and ackee, which are now common ingredients in Jamaican cooking.
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Chinese and Indian servants who once worked in vast Jamaican coffee plantations also imported their own cooking methods and ingredients to Jamaica. Their influence is apparent in Jamaican's fondness for curried goat, a Jamaican favorite usually reserved for special occasions. Rice is also included in the vast array of Jamaican food and offers neutral flavors to complement naturally spicy Jamaican cuisine.
Since Jamaica is surrounded by water, it is no wonder that seafood plays an important role in Jamaican cuisine. Salted cod is one of the best-known Jamaican foods that is usually served with ackee. Jamaican jerk is also a popular dish renowned for its spicy, tangy flavor. Jerk can either be a dry seasoning rubbed directly into the meat or can be combined with water in which to marinate meat. Jerk recipes all have allspice, chili, salt, and a variety of up to thirty herbs and spices and may be used with meat, chicken, and fish.
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