A message from Rasheedah Harken, the author of this collection of recipes
Surrounded by an endless expanse of turquoise wonder that stretches towards the gold stitched horizon, is an island of unfathomable beauty and divinity bathed by the warm glow of the brilliant Caribbean Sun, that hangs in the sky like a shining medallion. Jamaica is an island like no other with its rolling forest green hills, laid out like a casually discarded blanket along the backbone of the countryside rising and falling in soft waves.
These hills are the companions of forests all across the island peopled by exquisite flora and fauna who coexist in one accord adding to the delicate equilibrium of forest life judged by a council of tightly knitted trees innumerable in their shapes and sizes. With their canopies pierced by lances of sunlight, ethereal streams of soft sunlight escape from the thick foliage clothed in the green of every palate. The rivers, fed fat by the mountain streams are the homes of tribes of fish and marine life darting peacefully over the moss smattered pebbles strewn across the river bed.
Yes, Jamaica is indeed a most beauteous isle, however, its beauty is not only seen in its picturesque landscape but also in the rich interactive cultures hybridized from the plethora of people that inhabited the island. From this hybridization of culture emanated the world renowned cusisine uniquely Jamaican that is a kaleidoscope of bold flavours, intense spices and cooking techniques influenced in part by the cooking traditons of:
the indigenous Ameridian tribes that settled on the island from as early as 100 A.D to the 1560’s. Characterized as gentle and loving by nature, the Tainos were expert fisher men, crafters and hunter-gatherers who sustained themselves from the land principally consuming fish and the Green West Indian Turtle, herbs and berries, birds and small wild animals
the Spanish ‘conquistadors’ led by Christopher Colombus who ruled Jamica for 161 years until the island was seized in 1655 by the British. They left not only a history plagued by the decimation of the Taino race and the introduction of European diseases such as Smallpox and Measles but they are also responsible for the expansion of Jamaica’s agricultural profile through the introduction of several crops and livestock on the island
the English who seized control of the island from the Spaniards in 1655 and ruled supreme until Jamaica’s independence from Bristish soveirenigty in 1962. The English were not only responsible for introducing the wide array of culutral groups namely the Chinese, Indians and other foreign ethnicities but like their counterparts who previously occupied the island, they contributed significantly towards the diversification of Jamica’s agricultural profile. This was done primarily thorugh the introduction of agricultural produce from the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia via slave ships in Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. They too instituted a legacy of monoculture in the agriculrural sector with the widespread cultivation of sugarcane by African slave labour
the Africans who were forcibly uprooted from their homes and bought to the Jamica to work as enslaved labourers on vast sugarcane planations . They bought with them, across the Atlantic Ocean, classic West African cuisine which is evident today in Jamaican cuisne through jerk sauces for meats such as chicken and pork; a favourite for many Jamicans and international guests to the island. The Jamican favourite of Rice and Peas which is a popular delicacy for many Jmaican homes for Sunday Dinners conatins West African flavour being cooked similarly as the Ghananian Waakye.It is from the African continent that the ackee fruit and breadfruit where bought via slave ships to Jamica. On Jamican plantations, the ackee fruit was combined with the meager rations given to the slaves by the planation owners, particularly salted fish and became a precipe for a Jamaican delicacy
The Indians and Chinese who were brought to Jamica after the Emacipation of the enslaved Africans to work as indentured labourers on sugar plantaions.These two ethnic groups contributed to the expansion of flavours in the Jamican gastronomical palate through the introduction of spices such as curry, which is fused with island flavours to produce a host of unique Jamican dishes inspired by Asian recipes.
The Indians also are responsible for the widespread popularity of roti, which can often be found wrapped snuggly around a wide array of Jamican goodies. The Chinese much like the Indians expanded the culinary profile of Jamaica with modern Jmaican favourites such as Chow mein, sweet and sour meats and fried rices often sold in the numerous Chinese restaurants which can be found in any town in Jamaica. The Chinese are also particularly credited with popularizing rice as a common Jamican staple.
Inspiration for Jamaican cusine can not only be seen by the influences of the island’s inhabitants but also the crops introduced to Jamaica by these people and the wide variety of those that are grown locally. It is often said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. This is indeed true in the case of some Jamican dishes which are variations of regional and international cuisines brought to the island. In true Jamican fashion these have been modified to incorpoarte local produce and spices to substitute the more exotic tastes and to add that unique Jamican flare. Other dishes that constitute the all encompassing Jamican cuisine marries old recipes with new fusions of flavours and spices to enable the flow of culinary creativity which has made Jamaica a gastronimic meccha.
Just as no adventurer worth their ‘salt’ can resist the hypnotic lure of the saline opera emananting from the Caribbean Sea and the Afro-Carib beats that serve as a soundtrack for island life; no cook can resist the allurement of his/ her favourite recipes. The recipes within the pages of this book are critic friendly guaranteed to bring rave reviews from enough the pickiest of eaters. These recipes have been perfected by culinary masterminds with years of cooking experience and are assured to give you a taste of culinary dreams.
It is my belief that food should be a pleasure to prepare and serve. The recipient to which any dish is served should not just be given sustennace but must also be provided with a culinary experience that incorporates sight, touch, and smell to yield the highest quality of taste. The pictures that grace the pages of this book are a prelude to the immense tastes that will follow, they are in a metaphorical sense, appetizers for the eyes, providing your sense of sight with a nibble of the dish presented in high definition.
Once you open the pages of this book, you will be brought to a culinary wonderland of delights where you will be presented with a fine selcetion of Jamican recipes bursting with bold flavours and intense spices, artfully fused together to provide the ultimate gastronomical experience guaranteed to whet your appetite and tantalize your taste buds.
Bon Appetite!