Eating the traditional food of a country is one of the best parts of travel for me. In fact, if I don’t enjoy the local food, I’ve been know to get food depression. Fortunately, Jamaica has some fantastic flavours to try. Whether you’re about to visit Jamaica or are looking to pull together a tropical feast of Jamaican recipes for the family at home, here’s my guide to traditional Jamaican food.
1. Jerk chicken
Ask someone to name a traditional Jamaican dish and they’ll most likely mention jerk chicken. Ubiquitous throughout Jamaica from roadside shacks to fancy restaurant twists, jerk chicken is, without doubt, a Jamaican institution. If you don’t know what it is, think pieces of chicken rubbed and marinated in a blend of hot spices before being smoked, traditionally over pimento wood, and slow cooked to perfection.
2. Curry goat
Probably the next most popular dish in Jamaica (or at least next most commonly served) is curry goat. Exactly as it sounds, it’s goat – curried. The curry which has a base of onions, garlic and hot pepper, has a fair kick to it, but should be tolerable by most, and the goat is usually so tender it falls off the bone.
Oh, and if you’re wandering whether I meant to title this ‘curried goat’, curry goat is how the locals refer to this dish and you’ll get an off look if you try to call it anything else.
Bones in Jamaican food: many of the meat dishes in Jamaica come on the bone and in the case of goat or chicken curry, the meat has been chopped into small pieces, bones and all. It’s a good way of keeping the meat succulent while cooking it to the point of supreme tenderness. However, it can take a little more effort to eat, separating the meat from the bone, as well as a bit of attitude adaptation given most of Europe and North America rarely serves boned meat within a sauce these days. Don’t let it put you off – just be careful when you bite!
3. Ackee and salted codfish
I both loved and hated this traditional Jamaican dish in equal measures – I loved the salted codfish but I couldn’t quite get my head around the squidgy consistency of the ackee.
Ackee is a Jamaican fruit (fruit in the same way that tomato and avocado are fruits) that arrived in Jamaica from Ghana in the early 1700s. The fruit grows in abundance and the locals love it. In fact, I think most tourists like it, too. I seemed to be a bit of an exception and the chances are you’ll love it. Ackee and salted codfish is cooked up in one pot with tomatoes, onions and, of course, chilli and spices; and there’s as much chance that you’ll find this dish served at breakfast as you’ll find it at dinner.
4. Run down
Yep, I thought someone was telling me they were getting sick when I heard the words run down but in Jamaica it’s a popular one-pot dish that usually includes fish and vegetables (yam, tomatoes, onions) cooked in coconut milk until the fish is run down i.e. breaks into pieces. It’s nicer than it looks or sounds. Promise.
5. Solomon Grundy
You may know Solomon Grundy best from the nursery rhyme (Solomon Grundy, born on Monday, Christened on Tuesday…) but in Jamaica, Solomon Grundy is an appetiser of pickled fish pâté. Served with crackers, this bite size dish with its compliments of salt and vinegar is very moreish – back away after a few crackers if you plan on making it all the way to dessert.
6. Callaloo
Very traditional in the Caribbean, callaloo is a dish made from cooking leaf vegetables (commonly amaranth, taro or xanthosomo). Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of those veggies before, I can assure you they taste just fine. In fact, callaloo turned out to be one of my favourite dishes in Jamaica – probably because of its similarity to cooked spinach.
7. Rice and peas
Jamaica still retains a traditional protein and rice approach to its meals with rice and peas being one of the most common side dishes you’ll be served. Don’t be confused by the word peas – that’s a Jamaican name for beans similar to kidney beans. All in, this dish is very similar to the red beans and rice you’ll find in Louisiana with the key difference being that the Jamaican version is cooked with coconut milk for a very tropical taste.
8. Bammy
Bammy is nothing short of divine. A very simple but delicious flat bread that’s made from cassava (yuca), you’ll probably end up craving it when it doesn’t appear on your plate. But don’t indulge too much if you want to take care of your waistline – the reason bammy tastes so delicious is because the cassava is soaked in coconut milk and fried.
9. Dumplings
While we’re on the topic of deep-fried sides, if I didn’t find bammy on my plate, I could most certainly locate a dumpling or two. Made from flour, dumplings are usually boiled or fried (or boiled and then fried) and are often served with fish dishes. And those dumplings that are made from white flour and are fried without being boiled are known as Johnny cakes. There are two types of dumplings (top left and centre) in the picture above.
10. Jamaican Patty
Look, I never said you were going to get thin in Jamaica and with patties on the table, there’s every chance you’re going to eat more than one during your stay. Akin to a meat pie, a Jamaican patty is made up of a pastry outer that can be stuffed with all manner of meat, vegetables or fish. However, unlike British pies, you’re going to have a lot more flavour and spice in a Jamaican patty. Try a few flavours to find your favourite.
11. Fried Plantain
Of course, plantain, like several of the dishes in Jamaica, is not exclusive to this Caribbean island, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious. Whether you’re having it as chips served as a snack (great with a beer), deep-fried or boiled, plantain is a welcome addition to pretty much every Jamaican plate.
12. Pepperpot soup
I’m a soup demon so I was thrilled to find out that Jamaica cuisine involves a lot of soups. My favourite was Jamaican pepperpot soup which is made from callaloo, yam and Scotch Bonnet.
Be aware that some recipes include pig’s tail, which may not be to your liking (it doesn’t appeal to me too much). I had the veggie version when I was in Jamaica. Whichever version you try, expect some heat. If you want something milder, try good old pumpkin soup.
13. Scotch Bonnet Chilli Peppers
It might seem strange to add an ingredient to the list of foods but I’m mentioning this fiery chilli because it can be difficult to avoid it in Jamaica. I have an especially high tolerance for spicy food and I’m not going to lie – some of the foods I tried in Jamaica will flat-out blow your lid if you don’t regularly eat hot food. Scotch bonnet, one of the hottest chilli peppers on the planet, is liberally added to many Jamaican dishes. To give you some context of its power, Scotch Bonnet peppers have a 100,000 to 350,000 rating on the Scoville (heat) scale while jalapeños have 2,500 to 8,000 on the same scale.
If you want to prepare yourself for Jamaican cuisine, it’s possible to slowly up your chilli tolerance by eating increasingly spicy food before you arrive. Trust me, you’ll be grateful for it.
14. Soursop
A thin amount of fruit flesh around a hard, inedible pip makes for some mouth work, but the soft, gently sweet flavour of soursop makes it worth the effort. Think lychee without the strong perfumed taste and you wont be far off the mark.
15. Jamaican Tangelo (Ugli fruit)
It’s not without reason that this native Jamaican fruit has acquired the nickname ugli fruit. With a wrinkly, saggy skin, there isn’t much appealing from the outside. But just wait until you peal it and reveal the juiciness inside. Tangelo is from the citrus family and has a flavour that’s a blend of the sourness of grapefruits, the bold flavours of orange and the tanginess of a tangerine. It starts life a little brown but as it ripens, it becomes more orange – think of an orange in a baggy peal. Thanks to the fact it’s sweeter than grapefruit and tangerine but still tart, you can use it in a range of cooking from marmalade and cheesecake to salads and main courses.
16. Coconut Drops
Think peanut brittle but with the wonderful flavour of coconut and you have coconut drops. Be careful, these treats are easy to come by – grab them in any shop. Before you know it, your purse will be packed with their sticky goodness.
17. Coconut Bread
If you’r a coconut lover like I am, you can precede your coconut drops with coconut bread. I’ve included this bread in this section for Jamaican desserts and sweets but it works just as well as a sandwich filled with fish or veggies or spread with sweets like jam. So named because this simple bread is made with the subtly sweet coconut milk, it’s a great snack food and great for bulking out any meal, sweet or savoury.
18. Gizzada
With a strange nickname – pinch me round – and an equally strange local name, Gizzada are worth a try just for the fun of it. The taste is very good, too. Gizzada are small tarts that are not too dissimilar to natas, Portuguese tarts but with a coconut flavour and the richness of brown sugar. Like all tarts, they’re best served with a hot drink. I highly suggest some Blue Mountain coffee. In case you’re wondering, the name pinch me round comes from the simple fact that you pinch around the crust round when you make them.
19. Banana Bread
Think you’ve eaten enough banana bread to last a life time? Maybe give it one last try with this Jamaican version. Of course, you can expect it to have coconut added (I’m not sure there’s a Jamaican dessert that doesn’t have it). But that’s not all – Jamaican banana bread is laced with rum. You’re welcome.
20. Blue Mountain Coffee
After oxygen and water, coffee is perhaps my third most necessary life item and, if it were considered acceptable, I’d consume it by the bucket load. Thanks to my caffeine urge, I’ve built up a bit of coffee knowledge over the years and I declare the coffee from the Blue Mountains in Jamaica to be some of the best I’ve tasted. In fact, if you have the chance, get up into the blue mountains so that you can taste the coffee at source.
21. Red Stripe
I almost didn’t add this drink to the list because Red Stripe is commonly available in many countries around the world and it’s not one of my favourite beers. However, I have to give Jamaica credit because its home-grown brew does taste much better when consumed in the country of origin. Maybe it’s the sunshine?
22. J. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum
– owned by the bunch behind Appleton, legend has it that this was the original Jamaican rum, so it’s worth a taste for that reason alone. However, drinkers are urged to take caution. This spirit comes in at a hefty 63% alcohol so it’s going to hit you in the head as well as in the back of the throat. You’ll probably just want to try this just once. Or with lots of coke.
23. Appleton VX Rum
If you aren’t in the mood for throat burn, try to get your hands on some Appleton VX. Sugar, spice and all things nice. That is what this rum is made of.
That’s my guide to Jamaican food. Have you been to Jamaica? Any favourite foods I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments below.
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Photos: Jerk Chicken (Sean Hickin); Run Down (Dane Brian); Solomon Grundy (e_hmm); Rice & Peas (simthom); Bammy (Purple Globetrotter); Patties (mesohungry); Soursop (taramarie).
How about fried fish and festival, coco tea, jackfruit, oxtail and butter beans, crabs, fried breadfruit, plantain chips, jerk pork, there are so many other delicious delights and savory options you just have to try them all at least once in your life ,you won’t be disappointed.
Some of these are on the list but definitely a few more to discover. Thanks for the suggestions.
There’s a lot more of Jamaican ethnic food that’s not to everyone liking, there’s cowfoot tripe and beans manish water(goat head and foot) and fish tea or soup if you want to be technical not to mention cornmeal porridge or pone frruitcake and lots more too numerous to mention. I’m Jamaican country gal.
Oh wow, Madge – thanks for such a lovely insight into the country dishes. I’d probably start with cornmeal porridge, which sounds delicious, and work my way up the list! Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful article. I am Jamaican also and love your description of the delicious cuisine of our traditional dishes.
Escovitch Fish is also a popular dish most commonly served with Bammy but it can be eaten with just about anything.
Steamed fish with okras is also another one. I’m now feeling like a visit to Jamaica 🇯🇲 is in order 🥹
Hi Andrea, thanks for the lovely comment. Think I need to expand the list (and return to Jamaica to try some of these dishes I missed!)
Stew Peas & Rice
Ooh, thanks – I’ll add it to the list!
Thank you for visiting my country, I wanted to go back for a visit but it is soooo expensive, oxtail is a main dish as well.Solomon Grundy l love,I haven’t had it in decades. I will be buying me a jar.Thank you for visiting my country, great job you are doing many blessings.👍🙏
Thanks for the lovely words, dawn. Oxtail seems to be a big omission on my part. I’ll have to update the post. Hope you get to visit home some day soon. Take care.
No. Probably too expensive for the menu
So oxtail didnt made the list? Like oxtail is literally jamaican and wth is solomom grundy, from the day me borrn i have never seen or eaten that
I love ox tail but didn’t see it on a single menu while I was eating in Jamaica. Is it an at-home dish?
Thanks for the information. Can you do a piece on the best places to dine in Jamaica? I’m looking for suggestions for my trip there in August
Let me see what I can do! Have a great trip.
There were a few things in this article that are not Jamaican.
Curry goat is just that, not goat curry. It’s called Run Dung, it is not a one pot meal. Only the fish is cooked down with spices in a coconut sauce made from the milk of the coconut. Jamaicans call dumplin as is “dumplin” Johnny cake is a bun or what is referred to as a sweet bread colloquially called “bulla”
Thanks for the inside info – I appreciate it 🙂
Fried dumplin is called johnny cake in JA and curry goat is a traditional dish in Jamaica
Have u thought of doing a recipe booklet of Jamaican cuisine?
I ❤😍 all your recipes! Some similar to dishes from Trinidad where I’m from!
That’s a great idea. Maybe. One day…thanks for the lovely comment.
I love your site and I was well informed about jamaica. May it continue.
Thanks, Albert!
No place like Jamaica
Absolutely!
Great advice!!our local vibrant seafood menu is also a must try.
Thanks 🙂
If you travel to Kingston or Montego Bay, you CANNOT miss a meal at UNCORKED. Originally a gourmet wine and cheese bar but now has expanded to an amazing epicurean restaurant that features the best, THE BEST, traditional Jamaican and West Indian fusion dishes. The wine selection is unmatched and is visited by some of the most well known winemakers. The chef is an outstanding culinary genius and will create a one of a kind dish for you. It is a MUST!
Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂
Try visiting Miss T’s Kitchen off of Main Street in Ocho Rios for the best of oxtail. She also does a delicious brown stew chicken.
Ooh, sounds delicious – thanks, Victor.
John, you forgot to mention such treats as Gizzadas, sweet potato pudding, and yes, Devon House does dish up the best ice cream. Only in Havana have I had better.
Adding these to my list for next time!
I didn’t realize that curry goat was a Jamaican dish. My sister is a big fan of curry, and is always interested in trying new things.
I hope your sister enjoys it.
Then you will also enjoy our curried shrimp simmered in coconut juice and curry chicken. Finger licking good. I now reside in the USA, but my tastebuds remained home, so I still do my thing here with whatever Jamaican spices I can get my hands on. Try it.
thank you for your great recipes. i will save them for when i feel like coo king, maybe go a to jamaica this summer. keep in touch.
Happy eating!
nice food
Thanks.
If you haven’t walked on 7 Mile Beach in Negril, you’ve missed it. Rick’s Cafe is another place to be at Sunset, while watching locals and tourist dive from the cliffs. I’ve been to Negril more times than I can remember. Here’s another can’t miss; there are Clothing Optional Hotels in Negril. The choice is yours!
I need to go back to visit Negril! I’ll be giving the clothings optional hotel a miss, personally. Just the idea of all those bare bottoms on seats. :/
Not a single mention of Negril? That’s where Jamaicans go to vacation. Gotta try the mannish water. Just don’t ask what’s in it.
I definitely need to visit Negril! Next time. Now I’m curious about mannish water though possible too scared to google it!
Absolutely awesome post Jo, great content.
Superb recommendations, fun to read, ok honestly I just cant wait to get to Jamaica now!!
Ha ha, thanks Joel – have a great time!
Jo Fitzsimons, If you can, next time please list the spots where these food are purchased so your readers can visit. Thank you . The food looks so enticing.!!
Hi Tasia, I have some restaurant recommendations in my other Jamaica post which you’ll find on the site. Hope you enjoy.
Jo Fitzsimons, Thank you for the beautiful pictures of Jamaican Food. You make me so hungry now, but I will be taking a trip soon.
Dori is so silly to speak about Typing error as if we are in a typing class. I am happy that you suggest meditation for her since small stuff like this drives her crazy.
Thanks, Tasia! I hope you have a great trip.
Next time you come to Jamaica stay at a villa and try the home cooked food you will find the food also has a different twist and cooks are happy to share their recipe.
Home cooked food is always better 🙂 I will do that next time!
I love this food even though some of them I didn’t even try looks good ?
Time to give those new dishes a try!
Can you recommend any villas in Jamaica that offer the most authentic Jamaican food, if not an all-inclusive resort?
My family is looking to travel there but we don’t want to have to purchase food a-la-carte for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it!
Hi Tasia, check out my Jamaica itinerary. I have accommodation recommendations in there. Hope that helps.
Try any of the little guest houses on the Westend strip in Negril. They sell marvelous food. Try Chicken Lavish, Peewees, Ocean Edge plus a host of other hot spots for a real Jamaican feel. Coming from a real Jamaican who does not reside there but spent a lot of time there.
Thanks for the tips 🙂
Casa de Shalom in Ocho RiOS. Small hotel but Manager Oliver Ramdeen, an experienced and very affable Jamaican hotelier and food and beverage specialist will make sure you have an experience to die for.
Next time you go to Jamaica you have to try the fish soup, and try the fish cook down with coconut juice it is delicious you are going to love it, you have to try the roast fish taste delicious too and spicy and then you drink a cold Red Stripe Beer lol
I love fish soup! And the fish cook down sounds amazing – anything with coconut juice in it does, especially when you recommend a beer with it. Thanks for the tips.
Always try for the little local spots in every town. Always a much better tasting and ambience than the resorts and may be as little as a quarter of the price. Getting down with the locals is truly where it’s at but just make sure you are traveling with a local you can trust through references. An experience you will always treasure. Despite news to the contrary, Jamaicans are a very friendly and helpful people, who like to entertain.
Thanks, Ava. I met some wonderful local guides in Jamaica and met some fantastic people 🙂
Oxtail with rice and peas should have been your number one, but an otherwise good list.
– Signed a Jamaican (lol)
How did I miss that (not just on my list but eating it?) I love oxtail. Right, packing my bag to come back and fix this error ;p
That’s my #2. Lola, my #1 is still good old Jerk pork with hardo bread or boiled dumplings thrown down with a glass or 2 of ice cold june plum juice. No experience quite like it.
Roast breadfruit is also nice with it. Good job Jo.
Thanks, Ava 🙂
Scotchies in between At. Ann’s and Ochi is a very good spot for jerk on the island. Roasted friend breadfruit is very good with soups or ackee. Jamaican pineapple is sweeter, more tender and less acidic then pineapple in the states.
Oooh, thanks for the tips. Now I want to go back to Jamaica!
Great info. I’ve had most of these foods and have been to most of these places. The only suggestion I have is, proof read before you hit publish. Drives me crazy.
Hi Dori, I’m glad you found the article informative. Apologies for the typos but running a blog is a lot of hard work and I am but human. I also have very limited time to go back over my hundreds of posts and view them with fresh eyes – when typos are easiest to spot. Feel free to send over a list of specific typos you spot. Otherwise, I highly recommend meditation – helps you handle life’s small irritations like typos ?
Love the article but I especially Love the comeback!!! “Mediation”. FOBL!!!
🙂 Meditation is a very important part of staying calm ;p
Dora, it is very silly of you to speak about proof-read on this page. We are all not professional typist. Find something else to speak aobut.
Ha ha ha. Thanks for the support, Tasia!
Wow you captured the perfect list of Jamaican food haha! As a jamaican myself, my favorite is curry goat, the delicious jamaican patties and of course our national dish Ackee and Saltfish! Did you ever try manish water? If not, you need to! Super delicious 🙂
manish water – no! Looks like I missed a trick. I’ll try and track it down in the UK, maybe (we have some great Jamaican communities in London and Liverpool, where I live). I could certainly eat a Jamaican pattie right now…you’re making me hungry.
Beautifully captured! You’ve made me feel so so hungry on this cold winter’s day. Hotel Mockingbird Hill’s cheese and pimento festival have become a staple with soup, you have to give them a go
Thanks Sammy! You had me at cheese festival! I’ll have to return 🙂
Great article, would love to try bammy and soursop! I have only tried African dumplings, ones I ate in Sierra Leone but they are different to Jamaican ones as I ate them as a sweet snack and not with curries, fish etc.
Now there’s a trip idea – dumpling eating around the world. I’ve never had sweet dumplings. Maybe I’ll search for them next 🙂
If you’ve had festival with your jerk chicken etc. chances are you’ve tried a sweet dumpling (usually prepared with cold water and or milk and sugar in addition to what goes in the regular fried dumpling). Loved this article; glad you’ve had the chance to experience our paradise. Bless
Thanks Glen. I have definitely tried sweet dumplings and they are divine. You do, indeed, live in paradise!