Jamaican cuisine is one of the tastiest you can find worldwide. Jamaican food lovers may travel far and wide to enjoy the authentic flavors of the island and usually keep going back for more. Reggae is a huge part of the culture, but food has made its impact as well. You can find Jamaican food all over the world, but the best experience is on the island as you can fully immerse in the culture.

Common Jamaican Flavors

Some of the iconic flavors of Jamaica are scotch bonnet pepper, pimento seeds, red scallion, thyme, ginger and all-spice. Curry originated from India but was adapted into the Jamaican cuisine with its own spin. Jerk is a combination of flavors with scotch bonnet peppers and pimento as key ingredients. These flavors can be used on almost any type of food from meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. For people that don’t like to eat vegetables, this is a great way eating them while enjoying the taste. In addition, the benefits of herbs and spices are equally important.

Benefits of Jamaican Herbs and Spices

In future posts, I will be sharing how to use the various herbs and spices of Jamaica to create healthy meals that are delicious. These meals can be enjoyed by everyone with small adjustments to the ingredients as needed. There are huge health benefits from using herbs and spices in your meals plus they add flavor, color, and fragrance without the extra salt, fat and sugar. It is easy to eat healthy when your food taste good. Jamaican cuisine includes the use of a variety of flavors from herbs and spices. Most of the herbs and spices we use prevent inflammation, cancer, control glucose and improve mood.

How to Cook with Jamaican Herbs and Spices

There are many cooking techniques used to prepare Jamaican cuisine. One of the most popular is jerk, a method of cooking over charcoal in a grill. The seasonings and the type of wood used, make all the difference in the flavor. Food are first seasoned with various herbs and spices and is left to marinate for more potent flavor. After marinating, it may be baked, fried, boiled or stewed. Roasting food directly in a wood fire is another way food is prepared in Jamaica. Breadfruit and yam are common foods prepared with this cooking technique.

Enjoying the Flavors of Jamaica

If you love eating Jamaican cuisine, learning to prepare some of the dishes can be very rewarding. You can also add flavor to your traditional cuisine by using Jamaican herbs and spices in your meals. You will reap the benefits of adding herbs and spices to your meal and will definitely enjoy the taste.