Food and Culture: Jamaica

Getting ready to sail to Booby Cay Island, Jamaica (yes I got the name right)

A couple of years ago, my husband and I went to Negril, Jamaica. We did not stay at a resort and had to venture out for dinner each night. One night we went to a quiet cafe to have dinner. I was a little skeptical becuase we were the only people there, but then again, most other tourists eat at resorts. 

There was no menu, the choices were jerk chicken or salt fish and ackee. Hmmmm...I could handle salt fish but what the heck is ackee?

The chef explained that it tastes like scrambled eggs, but it's a fruit. A fruit!!? We were lucky to be in town while the ackee was being harvested. There was an actual ackee tree next to his restaurant. He generously showed us how the fruit is picked and then prepped. Watch out for the seeds, they are poisonous. As you can see in the first video, Salt Fish and Ackee is the national dish of Jamaica, and not only is it available for breakfast, but all day.

Another night we went to a roadside stand for Ital food, similar to the Healthy Ways place in the video. We also had a dish of rice and beans with soy "meat." Unfortunately there are few authentic Ital food stands on the coast of Jamaica (at least in Negril). Locals told us that many Rastafarians have moved inland of the island.