There are hundreds of thousand different cultures all around the world, and they all have a special aspect towards it, one aspect including traditional foods. My island of Jamaica is known for their luxurious beaches, mountain ranges, being the birthplace of reggae music, having the world’s fastest sprinters, and last but not least the food is to die for. My mom has always cooked the best Jamaican food with the most simple recipes by bending them to her liking. Two of the best recipes are listed below: 

Curry Goat: The indentured Indian community arrived in late- 19th century Jamaica must have revelled at the reception to their native slow-cooked goat curries often made from rationed mutton on the weekends. With this meeting of people, Caribbean curry goat was born. It can be eaten with white rice or food(boiled dumplings, green bananas, potato,etc)

Step 1) Cut the mutton in durable small pieces 

Step 2) Wash the mutton in vinegar 

Step 3) Drain and the following seasonings

-Curry powder 

-Salt 

-Pepper 

-Garlic 

-Onion

-Meat seasoning 

-Pimento seeds 

-Thyme 

Step 4) Add cooking oil into a 5q casserole pot. Put the pot on medium to high heat 

Step 5) Add curry powder into the pot and let it burn 

Step 6) Add the mutton in the pot and let cook until brown. Stir/turn periodically 

Step 7) Add water and let it stay to cook  

Step 8) Add potato or butter beans at the end(optional) 

Step 10) Cook until tender. 

Curry goat is then ready.  

Jerk Chicken: Historians have evidence that jerked meat was first cooked by the indigenous Taíno. During the invasion of Jamaica in 1655, when the British brought their slaves to Jamaica, a group of them escaped into the countryside and became some of the first Jamaican Maroons. These Maroons blend herbs and spice to marinate and cook their hunted wild meat, done on an open flame, which led to the famous jerk tradition.(Can be eaten with Hard dough bread, white rice/rice and peas, etc.)

Items needed: Jerk pan/grill, charcoal, blender 

Step 1) Chicken quarters chopped with the joints 

Step 2)  Wash and soak in vinegar 

Step 3) Drain and season 

-Salt 

-Dried jerk seasoning mix thoroughly 

Homemade Jerk Marinade 

-Blender

-Garlic 

-Onion 

-Ginger 

-Fresh Thyme

-Scallion 

-Broadleaf Thyme

-Pimento peppers 

-Scotch bonnet peppers(add according to spice tolerance) 

-Pimento seeds

-Vinegar 

-Dash of sugar

-Browning(soy sauce: for color) 

-Blend and pour over chicken, season well, leaving a little left over. 

-Marinating can go from hours to weeks(make sure it is tightly sealed) 

Step 4) Handful of charcoal( grill should not be too high; they will burn) Takes about 1 to 1 and a half hours. Chicken will cook on heat and smoak. Check on chicken occasionally just to make sure they’re not burning. 

Step 5) Use remaining marinade to baste the chicken so it can stay moist. 

Step 6) Chop up into manageable pieces and there you have some authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken, spice and flavor, moist and smoaky. 

Mutton: Refers to the flesh of the mature ram or ewe at least one year old in other words a sheep.