Jerk and the history of Jamaica

Jamaican food and culture is reflective of the array of nations who have settled on the island over centuries. Native Amerindian, West African, British, Dutch, French, Spanish, East Indian, Portuguese, and Chinese communities have all contributed to Jamaica over the last 2,500 years, curating the culture we know and love today.

The island was originally named Xamayca (meaning Taino Land of Wood and Water or Land of Springs) by the Tainos - a native amerindian tribe from South America who inhabited the island as early as 800AD.

Following the arrival of the Spanish in 1494, the entire Taino population was enslaved and reduced to less than 85% through the spread of diseases and intense labour. The Spanish and other European nations required a new workforce, descending on the West coast of Africa to fulfil their need. Innocent families were traded from Ghana, Sierra Leone and Guinea and shipped across the Atlantic.

For those that made the middle passage to work on the sugar cane and cotton fields, brutal treatment on plantations became intolerable. Over time, numerous uprisings occurred by those who refused to accept the inhumane subjugation of plantation life. In 1655, the British took a hold of the island from Spain and many used this opportunity to escape. Those who managed to evade capture, fled to the mountainous areas of the island.

Limited food supplies in the mountains meant survival was challenging. Roaming wild boar became their primary food source, which began the origins of jerk. They seasoned them with salt and wild herbs, then dug holes in the ground filled with wood and buried the meat in pits. They covered these roasting pits to hide any smoke emitted that could attract attention.

For jerk to be cooked authentically, it must be cooked on pimento wood, giving the meat a smoked and spicy aroma when grilled. As the cooking of jerk has evolved, nowadays, the meat is marinated first with dry spices or a paste made from pimento seeds, also known as allspice (early Europeans mistook the pimento berries for black pepper and named them pimento, which is the Spanish word for pepper), scotch bonnet peppers, onions, garlic, thyme and a few other ingredients.

Over time, this cooking method has evolved in Jamaica, and you will find jerk huts all over the island, with massive grills made of chicken wire and corrugated iron above smoking pimento wood underneath, and the array of meat sometimes covered with plantain leaves whilst it slowly smokes.

Pork is still the most popular meat of choice for jerk as it was by necessity by the Maroons many centuries prior, however, chicken is also a favourite and now known internationally, not only highlighting Jamaican cuisine but Caribbean culture. It’s simply served with pepper sauce or ketchup with a little of the species used in the jerk seasoning. Check out my recipe for jerk and try for yourself at home.

The first look at a Black Republic, 1804

The Haitian Revolution in 1804 is, in my opinion, the most iconic moment in the history of the Caribbean. To this day it marks the most successful uprising of those in servitude against European oppression, initiating the end of Trans-Atlantic trade around the world. For Africans in the Caribbean, the triumph of the revolution depicted what emancipation could look like outside of Africa as Haiti (renamed after its indigenous name) became THE first African led republic outside of the continent at that time.

The movement which took place over eleven years didn’t just allow slavery to be unlawful by 1807 but also abruptly ended French rule over the colony, restructuring it socially, politically and economically. 

During the 18th century, Haiti was the richest overseas French colony in the Caribbean due to its relentless production of sugar, indigo, cotton and coffee at the expense of life and labour from West Africa.

The French revolution in 1789 heavily influenced the uprising that later took place in Haiti as a new concept of human rights and democracy had been realised. This historical event set the precedent for others under colonial rule, with neighbouring islands later seeking independence. By 1966 Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Grenada and St. Lucia to name a few had all become sovereign states in their own right.

When the Haitian revolution began in 1793, there were five class groups within Saint Dominigue (as it was known then). White planters who owned plantations and petit blancs who were more skilled such as artisan, teachers and shop keepers, both of which contributed only 40,000 to the island's total population. The change in laws from France regarding importing had left them feeling disenchanted with the government and with no real representation for their rights in the ‘mother country’, many began supporting independent movements on the island. 

The other remaining groups were all of African descent. Free Africans - through purchasing their freedom or by descent. Those who were free by descent were usually mulatto (mixed African and European heritage) and tended to be wealthier than the petit blancs, thus positioning them a class higher despite their ‘colour’. Then there were those who ran away - Maroons. Maroons were those who had evaded capture and went onto live in the mountains forming their own communities. By 1791, they had made up approximately 30,000 of the population. The remaining group were the 500,000 enslaved Africans, still under European control and inhibiting plantations. Haiti, as well many other islands in the Caribbean had experienced numerous uprisings, all of which contributed to the success of the final revolution. With a ratio of 10:1 (blacks to whites), all they needed was self belief and resilience.

The change in legislation by the French government ensued a civil war between the petit blancs, white planters and free blacks. Either way, they were still collectively outnumbered by the enslaved Africans who took the opportunity to dissemble the island amidst the existing civil chaos. On August 21st 1791, led by L'Ouverture, plantations throughout the island were destroyed, with all those enslaved rising up against their brutal oppression. By 1792, one third of the island was no longer under European control, instead, at the hands of those who had laboured it for the past century.

Despite reinforcements from France and support from the British, L’Overture prevailed and in 1801 continued into the Spanish part of the island, Santo Domingo (present day Domnican Republic) to abolish slavery there too, declaring himself governor of the entire island. In 1803, L'Ouverture was captured, detained and tortured in France where he later died. The French forces sent to capture him continued conflict on the island. One of L'Ouverture's generals and former slave, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, led the revolutionaries at the Battle of Vertieres on November 18, 1803. The French were defeated once more and on January 1st 1804, he declared the nation independent, renaming it to its indigenous name - Haiti.

To continue to commemorate this day, Haitians make soup joumou on January 1st, you can see my recipe and a bit more about it via my recipes page.

Cacao, Cocoa and the Caribbean

On my last venture out of the country, I found myself on the beautiful isle of St. Lucia (September 2019). My permanent travel bug finds me occasionally (more like often) searching Skyscanner flights to 'everywhere', with the cheapest destination featuring temperatures of nineteen degrees or more usually becoming my next trip. This time St. Lucia came up pretty high on the list and I couldn't resist. I learnt so much about the culture (which I'll speak about in another post) and was inspired tremendously.

A particular ingredient I discovered more on during my visit was cocoa. My mother and I visited the Fond Doux Plantation in Soufriere, which has grown, harvested and exported cocoa for over two hundred and fifty years. The cocoa industry thrived in the 1700s (during servitude) but had taken a back seat for some time when St. Lucia became one of the top international producers of banana. Changes to trade agreements with the UK took place in the early 1900s, the industry collapsed and the ten thousand banana farmers on the island reduced to one thousand almost instantaneously. This gave opportunity for cocoa to make a come back. There are still many other local cocoa farms around St. Lucia and the resurgence of cocoa means many on the island are now incorporating into their cooking once again - a classic local favourite is cocoa tea. Given some time, St. Lucia may be back in the top few international producers along with Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana and Indonesia.So, as many of us love chocolate in its many forms, I wondered how familiar we are with the story of its origins and the stages of its life from cacao pod to cocoa bean to hot chocolate and the rest.

The earliest history of chocolate can be traced back to ancient Mesoamerican civilizations living in the heart of Central America, first cultivated by the Olmecs. The later establishments of the Mayans, then Aztecs continued to worship this ingredient. Columbus began expeditions to Central American in 1502 where it was then known by natives as 'the drink of the Gods'. Aztecs used cocoa beans as a form of currency to trade with, to which they did with Columbus, thus, began the movement of cocoa outside of the Americas.

Hernán Cortés, a Spanish Conquistador, brought about the destruction of the Aztec Empire in the 16th-century because of greed. In search of Aztec gold which he failed to unearth, he realized the economic potential of cocoa and began his seize of what he now decided was liquid gold. To capitalize Hernán Cortés and other Spaniards, set up cacao plantation in Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru and the island of Jamaica plus the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Cocoa has remained within the islands ever since.

Whilst in St. Lucia, our hotel breakfast had some amazing local food and drink for guests to enjoy. As a foodie, this was heaven for me. When I go away, I don't want a 'shiny' experience set up for me because I have travelled from afar, so eating a drinking seasonal produce and dishes was perfect for me. Cocoa tea was a regular feature so, of course, I brought some back to try at home. Check out my recipe for cocoa tea, there’s nothing like it.

Sorrel & Ginger

We know it’s Christmas time when sorrel flowers are ripe and ready.

I absolutely love sorrel and we Caribbean's drink it a lot! Sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a bright red flower native to West Africa. It's celebrated in (one of) its second home, the Caribbean, as well as South and Central America, in December when these beautiful crimson plants are harvested and drank at Christmas time. I'd describe this as a 'super-food' due to its excellent healing properties and abundance of vitamins A and C, and minerals - zinc, calcium and iron. In the islands we make this into a punch with or without a little rum or as a light tea with a touch of fresh ginger, spices and lemon peel. The recipe below serves both of these and is delicious hot or cold.

How did easter bun reach the Caribbean?

Bun and cheese is a staple Caribbean snack enjoyed by us at home all year round but especially during Easter. With it being popular during this time of year, I had to ask myself why and how did this deep, rich, spiced bread become a favourite of West Indians.

The origins of spiced bun are not quite clear, however, it is widely believed that bun and cheese was derived from English hot cross buns, which were traditionally eaten by the British on Good Friday, with the cross symbolising the crucifixion of Jesus.

The tradition eventually became a staple in Caribbean culture, when English 'missionaries' brought Christianity to the island of Jamaica in the 17th Century. Easter gradually became observed on the island along with the eating of hot cross buns.

In true Caribbean style, over time, the snack was developed and adapted where it was made into a loaf with the addition of molasses, spice and sometimes malt or Guinness. Researching recipes and comparing spiced bun to hot cross buns, I noticed the absence of yeast makes spiced bun feel more like a dense cake in comparison to the buns which are essentially a sweet, spiced bread. Check my recipe for it, super simple to make.