As part of a final project for a class at Queens College called Aspects of food FNES 104 that I took in fall 2013, we were assigned a country to study it's cuisine. I was assigned Jamaica which was perfect since I was living in Jamaica Queens at the time. I did alot of research on Jamaican culture. So many aspects of the culture influence the Jamaican diet.
Demographics:
Jamaica
is the third largest island in the Caribbean Sea with a population of
about 2.5 million people split evenly between rural and urban areas.
English is the national language. Eighty percent of the population is
Christian, meaning they celebrate christenings, baptisms, Christmas,
Easter and other Christian holidays. Some Jamaicans are Jews,
Muslims, Rastafarians, and some other African based religions. Their
national motto “Out of many people, one people” speaks to the
diverse backgrounds of the population. (Jordan 2013) This country has
fought for independence from Spain and Britain. Wealthier Jamaicans
are Anglo-Saxon Protestants while the middle class is comprised of
Africans, Middle easterners and East Asians. Jamaicans celebrate
their Independence Day on August Sixth. For a few weeks in August
they celebrate with huge festivals of food and dancing. In October
they celebrate National Hero Day. Jamaicans are fond of cricket and
running track. The fastest man in the World, Usain Bolt is a national
icon for winning 6 gold medals in the Olympics for running.
Rastifari: As
a result of the slave trade many Africans were displaced, creating an
African diaspora. Rastafari beliefs empowered these people and helped
them connect with their heritage. The Rastafarian movement in Jamaica
was largely started by Marcus Grivey, founder of the Universal Negro
Improvement Association in the early 1900’s. “Garvey
urged his people to know their history lest they be doomed to repeat
it. He preached the importance of Africans worshipping God in their
own image. ‘We Negroes believe in the God of Ethiopia, the
everlasting God, the one God of all ages; we shall worship him
through the spectacles of Ethiopia,’ Garvey said.”
(RexRuff) Garvey is now honored for his contributions with his face
on the 25 cent, 50 cent and 20 dollar Jamaican coins.
In 1925 Charles
F. Goodridge brought The Holy Piby to Jamaica. The controversial book
by Robert Rogers became known as ‘the black man’s bible.’
Jamaican Rastafarianism is a mix of Christian and African beliefs.
They use the Ethiopian flag as their symbol because they believe
Ethiopia is the Promised Land as well as their heritage. The lion on
the flag represents their Messiah and is often referenced by rastas
for example Bob Marley’s song about being Iron like the Lion of
Zion. Rastafari has risen above other Afro-Jamaican religions,
drawing attention from all around the world. It differs from
traditional religion in that it has become a cultural movement, a
consciousness.
Rastafari
was largely spread by Reggae music. In 1960 Knigston Jamaica ska
music was being mixed with rock steady to create the first reggae
songs. Reggae music often features accents of the third beat. By 1970
Bob Marley was furthering the movement with famous songs like “Natty
Dread”, “Rastaman Vibration” and his most political album
“Survival”. Bob Marley remains an icon today because of the way
his songs speak for the people and their suffering. (RexRuff) In 1985
Reggae was for the first time recognized as a genre in the US grammy
awards. In the UK, Reggae influenced punk rockers like The Clash and
The Slits. Today bands like Slightly Stoopid and The Dirty Heads are
considered progressive reggae while more traditional artists like
Yellowman are still very popular.
History: Jamaica
is a very diverse population. Before 1492, the indigenous Arawaks
(also referred to as the Taino Tribe) grew guava, papaya, cassava,
and cashews. They stayed near the coast, depending on the water and
fish. (Before Columbus)
In the late 1400’s Jamaica was invaded by
the Spanish who brought coconut, bananas, lemons, limes, goat and
sugarcane to Jamaica. (Advameg Inc.)Spanish influence on Jamaican
cuisine is seen in dishes like Escoviche (a fish dish). Many of the foods we think
of as being Jamaican were actually introduced
by Spain. The Spanish took slaves from West Africa creating Maroons,
escaped slaves that often fled to islands such as Jamaica. The
Maroons brought many foods to the islands including the country’s
national fruit Akee, peanuts, okra and jerk cooking.
Jamaica has also
been influenced by the British who seized the island in 1655 granting
them independence in 1962. (National Geographic) British influence
can be seen in Jamaican dishes like Gizzadas. Gizzadas are a pastry
tart filled with coconut and nutmeg among other spices. These
desserts are a Jamaican take on European pastries introduced to them
by the British. (Jordan)
Jamaica Today: Jamaicans
use a mix of traditional and biomedicine practices. Typically they
try home remedies before seeking healthcare. In Jamaica traditional
gender roles are expected. It’s considered Taboo for a man to be
overly feminine or for a woman to smoke. Women can leave the home
alone, but never go to a bar or club unaccompanied. While some
Jamaicans are Rastafarian or Muslim, many Jamaicans see it as taboo
to not be Christian. Jamaicans do not eat iguana or snails,
considering these foods to be taboo despite their being delicacies in
other countries. (Wellesley) In Jamaica homosexuality between two
males is illegal. Any kind of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender
activity is considered Taboo. Many Caribbean reggae songs promote
violence against homosexuals. While some of these attitudes are
starting to change, violent crimes against the LGBT community
continue. In 2006, Time magazine called Jamaica “the most
homophobic place in the world” (Padgett) Incidents of mob violence
and the celebration of the murder of two prominent gay activists have
concerned many human rights activists. Modern Jamaican politics have
been a see-saw of power between the Jamaica Labor Party and the
Peoples National Party. In 2006 they elected their first female Prime
Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, who is still in charge today.
(Jamaica Guide)
Jamaica
trades primarily with the US, Canada and the United Kingdom. Their
number one export is bananas, and they also trade coffee, sugar,
spices, citrus fruits, rum, aluminum and pimentos. (National
Geographic) The national fruit of Jamaica is the akee. The akee fruit
was actually introduced by West African Maroons but has become very
popular. Native Jamaican flora includes pineapple, mango, papaya,
guava, bamboo, breadfruit, plantain, soursop, callaloo, pimento
(allspice) and cactus. Native Fauna include mongoose, wild boar,
bats, frogs, as well as a variety of reptiles, birds and fish.
There
is a large wealth gap in Jamaica, the average GDP per capita is U.S.
$3,800. (National Geographic)Wealthier Jamaicans are able to eat a
wider variety of foods. Street foods like the Jamaican beef patty and
bammys are popular. A typical Jamaican dinner might be spiced beans
and rice with chicken or pork. For Christmas, Jamaicans have a red
drink called sorrel which contains rum. (Fay Deleon) Other special
occasion foods include the Caribbean Christmas cake and Jamaican
Easter Spice bread.
Jamaican
Jerk cooking involves dry rubbing or marinating the meat in spices
creating a uniquely Jamaican taste. The spices used in Jamaican Jerk
include allspice, cinnamon, thyme, nutmeg, garlic, onion, pepper and
salt. (Rita Recipe) Jamaican Jerk chicken and pork are common dishes,
usually served with rice and beans. Another common Jamaican dish is
Bammys (Bammi’s), a flatbread made from cassava flour. Cassava is a
starchy root vegetable. Bammys can be thick or as thin as tortilla
shell. There many different ways to make and eat bammys. Today they
are most often served as a side dish or eaten as a snack. (TypiKelly)
Other common meals in Jamaica include curried goat, salt fish,
Jamaican patties, rum, and blue mountain coffee.
Jamaica Queens: When
Jamaicans immigrate to America, there are large Jamaicans and
Caribbean communities to make them feel at home. Most Jamaicans are
able to find professional, management, technical or sales jobs. It’s
amazing how many Jamaican foods and products are available in the
United States. I went to a Jamaican market in Queens to see what they
would have. I was expecting more exotic fruits and vegetables but
most of the foods in the store were packaged. There were a lot of
spices and herbs including allspice. I noticed flavoring extracts for
coconut, nutmeg, vanilla and banana. I also saw boxes of Fufu flour
which came in plantain, cassava or cocoyam varieties. I purchased two
plantains and a Jamaican ginger beer. As we left the store and walked
down the street, I noticed multiple Jamaican restaurants. One was a
patty shop that was closed; another was a tiny walk-up restaurant
with a long line of people out front. It smelled delicious and I
could hear Reggae music as we passed.
In
my research I found many videos and blogs created by Jamaicans and
Jamaican Americans. One was an American girl whose father had grownup in Jamaica. He was white and she made a video to show people that
there are Caucasian Jamaicans. In a strong accent he describes some
of his favorite Jamaican foods which include akee and salt fish,
curried goat with rice, bammy, and goat belly soup. (TypiKelly) He
describes Jamaica as a sunny paradise filled with the nicest, most
friendly people in the world. Many comments on the video included the
national motto “out of many people one people”. (youtube) This
reaction indicates a strong sense of national unity and pride among
Jamaicans even after they leave the island.
Another
great source I found for my research was a website of recipes, some
with cooking videos, of Jamaican food by a Jamaican American woman
Fay Deleon. (Fay) Her recipes are great because they all include
pictures, easy to understand and the videos are helpful too. She has
recipes for sorrel, plantain tarts, soursop juice, fried breadfruit,
curry goat, Jamaican jerk chicken and ginger beer along with many
others. (Fay) It’s great to see older people using the internet to
its full possibilities. Fay has a website and blog as well as a
twitter, facebook, youtube channel and pintrist. She’s sharing
traditional foods from her culture with the world, keeping her
traditions alive. She started the website as a way to share recipes
with her daughters and soon realized other people wanted to watch
them too. Fay continues to post new Jamaican recipes.
As part of this project, we had to present our countries cuisine to the class. I made fried plantain chips to bring in. It was a food I had never eaten before but I thought they turned out pretty good. I followed an instructional video from
Fay.
The
motto “Out of many, one people” is so appropriate for a melting
pot like Jamaica. The island has been home to many different
cultures, all of whom left their influence on Jamaican culture. So
many of the foods we think of when we think of Jamaica, bananas,
coconuts, goat for curry goat, jerk cooking, okra, and akee, all came
from Spain and Africa. Today Jamaica is home to a diverse population
who has created their own unique foods, music and way of life.
Sources:
National
Geographic (2011) Jamaica Facts
Jamaica
Tourist Board. (2013) About Jamaica: Culture and Food.
Margie
Jordan, (April 9th
2013) 10 best foods to eat in Jamaica
RexRuff
(2013)Bob and Rastafarian Beliefs
The
Miami News (Augest 12, 1962) Jamaica Culture Influenced by British,
Arawark Indians
Tim
Padgett (April 12, 2006) The Most Homophobic Place on Earth?
Segmental
Info System (2004) Before Columbus
Advameg,
Inc., (April 2001) Jamaica
Jenifer
Plum Auvil,(2013)The Best Jamaican Cuisine
Rita
(February 16, 2006) Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Recipe
Fay
Deleon (2012) Fays Jamaican Cooking Recipes
Cook
like a Jamaican (February 23, 2012) Caribbean Cooking Videos: How to
Fry Plantains
TypiKelly
(January 15, 2012) My White Jamaican Dad
Joe
Linton and Stephen Murphy (December 28, 2011) Jamaican Childrens
Christmas- Mixed
