Jamaican cuisine is a mixture of different cooking techniques, flavors, spices and influences of the island natives and Spaniards, British, Africans, Indians and Chinese, who have inhabited the island. Jamaican cuisine includes more foods from different cultures, and then the new food or a combination of techniques and traditions. In addition to the ingredients that come from Jamaica, introduced are a lot of ingredients that are now grown locally. A wide selection of seafood, tropical fruits and various meats are available. Popular Jamaican dishes are ackee and saltfish, “jerk" barbecue sauce, lamb curry, fried noodles and others. Jamaican pate dough, various pastries and breads are also popular, as well as fruit drinks and Jamaican rum and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee has become the most sought after coffees in the world.

Jamaican rum

"The Appleton Estate" is the oldest sugar plantation and distillery in Jamaica, as well as the first recorded manufacturer of rum since 1749.

Brands that exist on this property offer a wide selection of aged rums such as: Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum, Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum, Appleton Estate Extra 12-year-old Jamaican rum, Appleton Estate Master Blenders Legacy and Appleton Estate 21 years old Jamaican rum. In June 2012., the company introduced the Appleton Estate 50-year-old Jamaican Rum - Jamaica Independence Reserve. For this limited edition it is believed to be the oldest rum in the world, which is commercially available. Appleton Estate is now part of the Italian corporation for the production of alcoholic beverages.

Web site: www.appletonestate.com

Wray & Nephew

History "Wray & Nephew” the other rum producer in Jamaica began in 1825. when founder John Wrey opened Shakespeare tavern in Kingston. Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum is simply the strongest rum which sells best in the world. In Jamaica, the crystal-clear rum is legendary. It currently makes up more than 90% of all rum sold in Jamaica and is also a "secret ingredient" of many trade names and brands of beverages worldwide. "Wray & Nephew" is now part of the Italian corporation for the production of alcoholic beverages.

Blue Mountain Coffee

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is a type of coffee grown in the Blue Mountains (Blue Mountain) of Jamaica. The best lots of the famous Blue Mountain coffee are noted for their mild flavor and lack of bitterness.

The climate of this region is cold and foggy with a lot of rain. The soil is rich with excellent drainage. This combination of climate and soil is considered ideal for coffee. Over the last few decades, this coffee has developed the reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world.

Web site: www.bluemountaincoffee.com

Enjoy your meal made from some of the following traditional recipes:

SALT FISH FRITTERS

Ingredients:
Original recipe makes 24 small fritters:

• 6 ounces dried salted cod fish
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

Break the cod fish into pieces and place in a saucepan. Fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water. If you want it less salty, repeat the boiling process a few more times. Remove any bones and skin, if there are any. Shred the fish into small pieces and set aside in a medium bowl.
Athe tomato, and green onion to the cod. Combine the flour, baking powder and pepper; stir into the cod. Pour in the water and stir just until everything is blended.
Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, drop rounded spoonfuls of batter into the skillet. Fry on each side until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

ACKEE AND SALTFISH WITH FESTIVAL

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound boneless salted codfish
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 onions, sliced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup sliced assorted bell peppers (red, green, yellow, orange)
• 1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped with seeds removed
• 1 (20-ounce) can ackee, drained
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Wash off all the salt from the salted cod fish in cold water, and then soak as follows: Soak for 1 hour in hot water, and then drain and replace with a new batch of hot water for another hour. The fish will be soaked for a total of 2 hours.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and then add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sprig of thyme and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onions, scallions, bell peppers, and Scotch bonnet pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir the entire mix as needed. Add the prepared cod fish to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring as needed. Add the ackee to the skillet and simmer for another 2 minutes. Stir in the black pepper and turn off the stove. Garnish the cooked meal with the paprika.

FRIED FESTIVAL

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal and combine. Add the sugar and stir. Add the vanilla to the water, and then add the mixture to the dry ingredients, binding to form a soft dough. Knead lightly. Leave covered for about 1/2 an hour. Divide the dough into eight portions. Flour hands. Knead lightly, then roll and pull each portion to form a 6 inch x 1 1/2 inch length, about 1/8 in thick. You can make shorter ones too. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Driain on paper towels and serve.

JERK CHICKEN

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 3 1/2 lb chicken
• 6 sliced peppers
• 2 Tbsp. thyme
• 2 Tbsp. ground spice
• 8 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 Medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. salt
• 2 Tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 Tsp of the following (to taste): ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• Juice of one lime
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup white vinegar

Chop the onions, garlic and peppers. These do not need to be chopped too fine as they will be liquidised by the blender. Blend all of the ingredients (excluding the chicken) in a blender to make the jerk sauce. Cut the chicken up in to 4 pieces. Rub the sauce in to the meat, saving some for basting and dipping later.Leave the chicken in the fridge to marinade overnight.
Cooking:
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turn the meat then bake for a further 30 minutes or Grill the meat slowly until cooked, turning regularly. Baste with some of the remaining marinade whilst cooking. For best results, cook over a charcoal barbeque (ideally over a rack of pimento wood).
Serving:
Chop each quarter chicken portion in to 5 or 6 smaller pieces using a heavy cleaver. Use a wooden spoon (or something similar) to hold the chicken in place whilst chopping.

PEANUT DROPS

Ingredients:

• 2 cup roasted peanuts
• 5 tablespoons minced or shredded ginger
• 3 cups dark unprocessed sugar
• 1 cup water

Combine the peanuts and ginger. Place in a deep pot with the sugar and water. Put stove on high and boil. Boil until water is gone and the sugar is like carmel and sticky. Place a sheet of greased paper on a flat surface (kitchen counter) close by. Stir the mixture in the pot with a large spoon to be sure it does not stick to the bottom. Use the spoon to scoop out mixture to create 1-1/4-inch wide mounds on the greased paper. Each 1-1/4-inch wide mound should be placed in a separate heap on the greased paper. Let the drops cool and harden.

RUM PUNCH

Ingredients:

• White over-proof rum
• Freshly squeezed lime juice
• Strawberry or other simple syrup
• Water
• Ice
• Pineapple or other juices (optional)

Combine one part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong and four parts weak. That's the intoxicatingly Jamaican ratio, says Moore, of Pushcartfoods.com, a Jamaican road food website.

Mix 1 cup lime juice, 2 cups strawberry syrup (or other simple syrup), 3 cups white over-proof rum and 4 cups water. Use the juice from freshly squeezed limes. That's a must, to keep the real Jamaican flavor, aadd up to one extra part water, if the lime juice is particularly strong. Substitute other exotic ingredients for the water, if you must, "just don't mess with the rum".

SORREL DRINK – to drink for Christmas

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) dried sorrel calyxes (also called jamaica or hibiscus)
• Two 1-inch cubes of peeled fresh ginger, chopped fine
• 3 whole cloves
• 5,5 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups amber rum
• 2 cups ice cubes, or to taste
• Lime and orange slices for garnish

In a heat-proof bowl combine the sorrel, the ginger and the cloves. In a saucepan bring 5 cups of the water to a boil, pour it over the sorrel mixture, and let the mixture steep for 4 hours or overnight. While the mixture is steeping, in a small saucepan bring the remaining 3/4 cup water and the sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and let the syrup cool. Strain the sorrel liquid into a pitcher, discarding the solids, stir in the sugar syrup, the rum and the ice cubes, and garnish the punch with the lime and orange slices.