Jamaica Traditional Fruit Cake

To many individuals a good quality cake is seen almost as an exotic foods. In Jamaica the traditional rich old time Jamaican fruitcake is among the most popular. Unknown to many, this is a spin-off of the age old English plum pudding

It is the dream of every Jamaican woman to be able to make this queen of cakes. Many have tried and have gotten aged old generations recipes passed down to them but some how never really got it quite right since each household has its own secretly guarded variation and never really give out all the ingredients or the exact method used..

This best variation of this cake is made by the creaming method. It is packed with dried fruits. It may come as a surprise but none of the fruits used are from the island such as raisin, currants, prunes, cherries except mixed peel which is sometimes made in Jamaica. The others are imported and thus hike the price of the commodity. Continue reading “Jamaica Traditional Fruit Cake”

How Do You Say Eat in Jamaican Patois

Learning to speak another language or dialect helps us broaden our vocabulary. As a matter of fact, some people say that learning new languages helps us keep our minds active because we are teaching our brains new things. Whether you’re learning a language such as Spanish or a dialect such as Jamaican Patois, both would qualify as being potentially beneficial exercises for the brain.

Jamaican Patois is spoken by millions of people. The dialect, has its own vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and syntax; similarly to other languages. Jamaican Patois, sometimes referred to as creole, has its own rules for the order in which words should be placed and rules for pronunciation of those words. The Jamaican Creole syntax is often difficult to learn but it can be learned through continued practice. Many people who want to learn the Jamaica language not only want to learn the vocabulary, they also want to learn the correct syntax. As in other languages, the syntax, grammar and vocabulary are of key importance when studying or learning Jamaican. Continue reading “How Do You Say Eat in Jamaican Patois”

Explore Authentic Jamaica Through a Food Festival

Explore Authentic Jamaica through a food festival. Jamaica has many interesting foods and several annual food festivals. The Portland Jerk Festival is one of the most well-known festivals because it involves one of Jamaica’s most popular ways of cooking – jerk!

Jerk is the process of spicing and grilling. Meat is rubbed with a mixture of herbs and spices. The main ingredients in the mixture are scotch bonnet pepper and pimento. The meat is then grilled over charcoal or pimento wood. Jerk at its best has a hot, juicy, spicy and tender flavour.

At the festival, anything that can be jerked will be jerked, and over the years, new additions such as jerked lobster have added to the “tastiness” of the festival. Considered the home of jerk, the village of Boston in the parish of Portland draws jerk-lovers from all over the island, who spend hours sampling chicken, pork, fish, sausages, lobster, and accompaniments such as bread, festival, and breadfruit.

The food festival includes performances from local artistes and community dance groups, arts and craft displays, a bounce-about, a merry-go-round, and face painting appropriate for all age groups. Continue reading “Explore Authentic Jamaica Through a Food Festival”

Jamaican Pan Chicken

Jamaica is an island that possesses a rich culture and a wonderful culinary heritage. No trip to Jamaica would be complete without trying some of the island’s unique and tasty cuisines. One of the must have experiences requires a sense of adventure. To taste pan chicken you have to make a stop at one of the many street corners where chefs ply their trade. The chefs can usually be found on the streets from around evening time to the wee hours of the morning. The chefs primarily cater to Jamaicans heading home from work and locals and tourists alike who partake in the party or bar scene, or other night adventures.

Pan chicken in Jamaica traditionally is prepared as a “jerked” style chicken cooked by street chefs. Jerk style is a form of cooking that originated in Jamaica where meat is dry seasoned or wet marinated with a spicy and often hot dressing known as “jerk seasoning”. Each chef will have his or her own unique blend of jerk seasoning made from combining pimento, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet peppers and other ingredients. Also some creative pan chefs have been known to use tamarind, peanut butter, teriyaki and other styled seasonings when cooking with their portable drum grills.

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Traditional Jamaican Christmas Cake

Christmas fruitcakes have been baked for centuries with the oldest known recipe dating back to Ancient Rome. Fruitcakes were a way to preserve fruits and nuts as well as a way to celebrate the harvest and seek good luck in the coming year. Jamaicans favorite Christmas cake is dark, spongy and heavy, with rum soaked fruit and rich flavor. Eaten only at Christmas the cake is a favored gift and family tradition.

Ingredients:

* 1 lb. Raisins

* 4 oz. Cherries

* ½ lb. Chopped prunes Continue reading “Traditional Jamaican Christmas Cake”

Jamaica Food Festivals

Enjoy a different side of Jamaica on your next trip as you explore some of the popular annual food festivals with sumptuous and spicy dishes.

If you are planning a trip to the island of Jamaica in the near future, we are recommending that you try something different on this trip. Naturally, you want to stay at the luxury hotels, visit the many attractions, rock to the reggae beat, but why don’t you try to explore some of the areas for the authentic Jamaican food. This island features some of the most fascinating and unique dishes which you will find in the Caribbean and quite a few of them are on display each year at various Jamaica food festivals.

There is a festival which is held in the parish of Portland called the Bussu Festival. This event usually featured some shell creatures which can be found in the rivers in this area and is mostly used in soup. In addition to the food on display, there is always musical entertainment with performances from local artistes. Continue reading “Jamaica Food Festivals”

Tasty Super Moist Jamaican Coconut Bread (Toto)

As a tropical island, Jamaica is home to coconuts and it is not a surprise therefore to see many coconut dishes in Jamaican cuisine. Jamaicans enjoy their snack and Toto is a quick and tasty bread that is scored into squares and sold in shops and supermarkets around the island. There have been variations on the Toto in recent years, but whatever the variation, know that this Jamaican coconut bread will be a crowd pleasing snack.

Every Friday evening, my friend Maxine B. and I used to make totos in preparation for the weekend. Often times, we finished two generous slices of the toto before it even cooled. For variation, we would sometimes add raisins to the toto mixture. Feel free also to make the recipe your own and add your own mix-in ingredient.

Coconut Toto Variation II:

Party Sized Jamaican Coconut Bread (Toto) Continue reading “Tasty Super Moist Jamaican Coconut Bread (Toto)”

Jamaican Foods For Seduction

Jamaican foods for seduction are everywhere. Many come to the island of Jamaica and fall in love with the food because of its taste but also because of the seductive feel some foods bring. Foods for flirting, as local herbalists say, include hot peppers, which get the heart pumping and induce sweating. The typical Jamaican, Caribbean, and African person loves spicy foods. The Jamaican hot pepper is such an important spice in Jamaican cooking that most people grow their own while others ensure that it is on the supermarket list. Apart from pepper, many foods in Jamaica are said to be aphrodisiacs; one popular natural food is the Irish Moss drink.

Irish Moss is concocted and often sold by Rastafarian’s and those who indulge in natural living. Jamaican Reggae superstar Bob Marley helped to popularize the drink and is said to have had his daily Irish Moss beverage with ginger and cinnamon (two spices also known to have aphrodisiac properties). Irish Moss is said to increase the libido and improve sexual function, so naturally most Jamaican men are lovers of the drink-for its taste but also for the promise of a healthier sexual lifestyle. For approximately the last three decades, Irish Moss has been bottled and sold in just about every Jamaican supermarket and remains a very popular drink. Continue reading “Jamaican Foods For Seduction”

Delicious Food Good for Eyes – The Eye Health Benefits of Walnuts

When it comes to snacking you would probably agree that it is difficult to find a food that is not only tasty but healthy at the same time. However, this statement isn’t necessarily true in all cases. For example, when it comes to eye health, if you are looking for a snack that meets this criteria, Walnuts are a good choice. Therefore, if you’ve ever wondered whether or not Walnuts are good for your eyes, here are some benefits of Walnuts for better vision:

Rich Omega 3 Fatty Acid Content: This eye food consists of a higher level of Omega 3 Fatty acids than other nuts. For instance, a number of scientific research studies have actually revealed that Omega 3 Fatty acids may reduce the risk for age related eye diseases such as Macular Degeneration. Eye doctors recommend a diet that consists of Omega 3 Fatty acids as this is a good way to support eye health.

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Thinking Of Buying A Saeco Expresso Machine? 3 Top Saeco Coffee Makers Reviewed

Buying yourself a Saeco espresso machine is what you do when you’ve decided it is time to upgrade your kitchen to a level of true class, but before you can make that purchase you have to decide which Saeco if best for you, and there are many to choose from.Saeco is maybe the the worlds top coffee and espresso machine brand, this in turn means they have a lot of models to choose from and that fact does make it a bit harder to decide what machine is best for you.

I find that, as with many more complex and expensive products, the best, fastest and easist way to choose is to get online and check out actual owner experiences and reviews on the specific Saeco expresso models that fall close to your needs and budget.However, the problem with Saeco is that there are so many consumer reviews that it can take forever!

So, to help you cut some corners and save time I’d like to review for you, 3 of Saecos best known and highly consumer rated espresso machines. Hopefully one of the following Saeco espresso machines is the one for you! Continue reading “Thinking Of Buying A Saeco Expresso Machine? 3 Top Saeco Coffee Makers Reviewed”