A Beginner’s Guide to Jamaican Food
Jamaican food has a way of announcing itself before it reaches the table. You smell the allspice first, then thyme, scallion, Scotch bonnet, smoke, and something sweet turning dark at the edges. Even people who know very little about the island’s cooking usually recognize the aroma of jerk, but that is only one part of a much broader food culture. Jamaican food is layered, regional, practical, celebratory, and deeply tied to history. For beginners, it helps to set a