Caribbean
Taste of Jamaica
Beyond the beaches
By Cynthia David
When tourists fly into Kingston, Jamaica, most head north to resort towns like Ocho Rios or Montego Bay for a relaxing sun and sand vacation. For those craving a different kind of holiday, spending a few days in the island’s capital promises culinary and cultural adventures and a chance to mingle with the locals.
Kingston, on the southeast coast, is built around a natural harbour with the misty Blue Mountains rising in the distance. Handsome colonial buildings contrast with gritty streets in this bustling modern city. The food scene reflects the island’s rich ethnic heritage, summed up in the national motto: Out of Many, One People where culinary specialties from African and Chinese to Indian and Middle Eastern as well as Britain’s influences have helped shape Jamaican cooking.
Walk On
For a quirky taste of the city, I recently joined a three-hour culinary walking tour offered by Kingston Creative. This passionate group of young people is on a quest to revive Downtown Kingston, the once-thriving commercial area near the port. Vibrant murals painted by local and international artists are splashed on building façades in Water Lane as we inched our way to an unusual street-food cart on John Lane. Here we joined well-dressed office workers lining up mid-morning for a steaming paper cup of owner Courtney Cousins’ prize-winning porridge. The thick, smooth concoction, ladled from a tall aluminum pot, blends green plantain, peanuts, cornmeal and coconut milk laced with nutmeg, mace, cinnamon and vanilla. To amp up the flavour, Cousins stirs in molasses and drizzles condensed milk on top.
Crab Fest
Across the road from National Heroes Park, where crowds gathered in the late 1700s to watch thrilling horse races, you’ll spot a new fan base at Crab Circle. Home of the fresh-cooked blue crab, the queue lengthens at a line of open-air stalls run by women. Our host, Abigail Logan, began helping her grandmother boil crab in seasoned broth over a gas or wood flame from the age of eight. She serves her crab with a side of chewy corn on the cob and a chunk of fresh coconut, which we ate at a nearby picnic table.
What’s Up!
During the pandemic, three Kingston friends opened a shoe-box-sized café on King Street called Waah Gwaan, or What’s Up! in Jamaican patois. It was an instant hit. We tasted a tender jerk-spiced chicken breast patty slipped between two slices of starchy, slightly sweet baked breadfruit. Washed down with tamarind-ginger juice, it’s a winner.
The tour ended with an iced coffee at Danya’s Coffee Barrel made with local Blue Mountain coffee. Beans for this world-famous coffee are grown on small plantations blessed with rich volcanic soil and plentiful rainfall 900 to 1,800 metres above sea level. It’s worth the winding 45-minute drive through dense green jungle to visit Craighton Estate, a plantation open to the public, and experience the glossy green coffee trees first-hand. Their hard green “cherries” turn bright red when the beans ripen. After a short hike, with views of Kingston below, we stepped inside the pink Great House, built in 1805, for an informative talk on coffee production and for a taste of the freshly-brewed java—so smooth and mellow, even non-coffee lovers are sure to enjoy its authentic aroma.
Pretty Close
When I asked about day trips, a local recommended a riverside outfitter in nearby Gordon Town. Be warned, the zigzagging road here is not for the faint-hearted.
Called Pretty Close, Omar Edwards, whose family has owned the land for generations, offers a laid-back lunch and waterfall hike. For my intro to this jungle walk, he suggested sitting on a tree trunk, toes in the water, for a free pedicure by tiny garra rufa fish. I then joined a small group led by Omar and one of his rescue dogs on a hike along the Flora River (water shoes required). We covered three waterfalls, each more challenging to reach. I recommend stopping at the first one for a refreshing plunge.
We ended the journey back at the site with a delectable ital lunch (the “vital” vegetarian regime created by Rastafarians in the 1950s). Over a menu of stewed callaloo, red beans, fried ripe plantain and fried fish, served in eco-friendly calabash bowls with bamboo utensils, we got to see Omar cook up a storm in his tiny outdoor kitchen. It was quite a feat!
From fast food to fine restaurants, I left the island impressed with the quality and variety of its food scene. Jamaicans are working hard to grow more ingredients locally while finding new ways to serve traditional dishes. Jamaica is much more than jerk chicken and rum, I discovered. Come taste it for yourself.
Try Jamaica’s Favourite Breakfast
Ackee and saltfish may not sound like typical breakfast fare, but to Jamaicans in the diaspora it’s a taste of home. Ackee trees with red fruit hanging like Christmas ornaments grow island-wide. When ripe, the pod splits open like a tulip to reveal a savoury yellow pulp. In the centre is the black seed. During the mid-18th century enslaved Africans brought these with them from West Africa. Meanwhile, the salted cod, originally from Nova Scotia, must be soaked in several changes of water to be palatable. Jamaicans sauté the boiled ackee and fish with hot chillies, garlic, thyme and green pepper. Served with sliced avocado, fried ripe plantain, steamed greens and fried dumplings on the side, the result is delicious. And filling.
Must Visit: Devon House
In the late 1800s, Devon House was home to Jamaica’s first black millionaire, George Stiebel. In 1990, the government declared the Kingston mansion, with its mix of Caribbean and Georgian architecture, a National Heritage Site. Open for tours, the restored interior is furnished with local, English and French antiques from the 1880s. Walk behind the house and visit a courtyard full of handcrafts and gift shops plus a few small restaurants. Although you can buy a flaky half-moon-shaped Jamaican patty anywhere in Jamaica, the square patties at Devon House Bakery may be the most innovative. Along with the classic beef or chicken, try callaloo greens, curried goat or lobster-stuffed patties. Keep walking to Scoops Unlimited, considered one of the island’s finest ice cream emporiums. It’s so popular, half the industrial-looking space is lined with ropes and a security guard is needed to manage the crowds. The strawberry ice cream was especially delicious but I had to lick it at high speed before it melted in the 34 C heat.
Travel Planner
For more travel information about Jamaica, see Visitjamaica.com. For a slice of Kingston’s food scene, see Kingston Creative at Kingstoncreative.org. To learn about Kingston’s annual Jamaica Food and Drink Festival in November, visit jafoodanddrink.com