If you ask any local Jamaican about the best foods to try on the island chances are the first thing they’ll say is Jerk Chicken.
Jerked meat originated in Jamaica and is one of the most renowned of Jamaica’s cuisine, and it has quite a following in the United States, especially in urban Florida.
Add a little jerk sauce to your chicken, pork or other meat dishes, and you’ll be licking your ten fingers (it’s a guarantee).
Jerk chicken is one of the most highly requested meals by returning residents and those visiting Jamaica for the first time.
A Bit of History
While there is some debate on the full history of it, the largely popular theory is that when the British invaded Jamaica in 1655 and the Spanish colonists fled, they left behind a good number of their African slaves. These slaves brought over this cooking technique from the Coromantee hunters in Africa.
Instead of being recaptured and returning to their previous lives, they chose to escape into the mountains, where they blended in with the Tainos and were left alone. The method of cooking remained and is one of the most popular in Jamaica today.
Jerk In the Kitchen
As with many techniques in cooking, jerk has evolved over the past three and a half centuries to include new spices, which includes Scotch bonnet pepper, which is largely responsible for that sweet heat that we all adore.
Nowadays, jerk is now grilled over hardwood charcoal in a jerk pan, which enhances that heat as well as cooks the meat in a more even manner than the traditional fire pit or “barrel method.” If you visit popular eateries such as Scotchies, you’ll find the meat being cooked over pimento tree wood while being kissed by the smoke.
When you go to Jamaica, jerked chicken is such a popular dish that you will eventually give into temptation and try it, and you may just become so enthralled with it that you want to try emulating it at home.
Sad to say, though, most “jerk seasoning” that you find in the States is just not going to measure up to the real thing. Many a tourist before you have discovered this sad truth, and have come up with their own creative solution: buying bottles of jerk sauce and bringing it home with them.
Buying Jerk Sauce in Jamaica
One of the most popular places to buy your jerk sauce is definitely Walkerswood Caribbean Foods. In fact, it is so popular that international markets make it a point to carry their jerk seasoning and sauce on a regular basis. It can be bought in 17 oz bottles and multi-packs.
By far the most popular of the set is the Hot and Spicy, but it also comes in regular and mild flavors for those that are not too big on spicy foods. You’ll find others, of course, but Walkerswood Jerk Marinade is world renowned for a reason and is also accessible when you head home.
When you’re applying this jerk sauce, be sure to poke some holes in your meat before you marinade it.
You’ll want it to absorb as much of this delicious sauce as it can. You’re going to love the finished product. In fact, you may like it so much that you will be tempted to put a little more on when it’s finished. That’s alright; it never hurts to “indulge” in a little bit of Caribbean culture from the comfort of your home! We won’t tell, we promise.
[kkstarratings]
