Foodie Heaven in Jamaica Meet our Vendors Trip Advisor Award

Foodie Heaven in
Jamaica
Meet our Vendors
Trip Advisor Award
1
Pon Di Menu Today
Appetizer……………………………… 3
Soup’s On……………………………… 4
Main Course…………………………… 9
Dessert and Brawta…………………….. 13
Side Orders……………………………… 17
2
Welcome to the very first edition of our Jamaica Culinary Tours Newsletter!
Yes, we know - it’s been a long time coming - but just think of it as a big pot
filled with rich delicacies that has been simmering gently on the stove for a while,
allowing for all the spices, herbs and secret ingredients to blend together
perfectly, and for the gravy to boil down to just the right consistency before it’s
ready for serving.
And finally it’s done - our Newsletter has stewed down just the way we think
you’ll like it, and so we thank you for your patience and invite you to dig in to our
very first edition of “Yaad Food an’ Bickle”! (Jamaican food and victuals)
Bon Appetit!
3
SOUP’S ON
Well the soup is definitely on, and there’s a lot
bubbling in our pot. We started off calling this section
“The Year in Review”, but truthfully, since this is our
first Newsletter, and since there’s soooo much to tell
you about what we’ve been up to since our launch –
yes, almost two years ago – we’ll just think of it as
tasty highlights of our fascinating journey thus far!
Tour in November 2014 and had the pleasure
to welcome on that day, a large group of travel
agents from the Professional Travel Agents Of
North America (PTANA)
We’re thrilled that this journey has taken us into various nooks and crannies, some planned, others
completely unscheduled but all equally exciting! We
celebrated the first birthday of our Falmouth Food
We’ve hosted over 1,300 guests since our launch in
2013 and our five star reviews and Certificate of
Excellence from Trip Advisor tell us we’re on to
something good!
The tour grew so exponentially in the first 6 months
that we had to bring on new Tour Guides, all willing
and eager to take their guests on a culinary journey
into the belly of our intriguing history. It’s been a
wonderful learning process and we’ve had some
surprises along the way too. For example, never had
we imagined that the Tour would be such a hit with
just about everybody, and with guests of all ages –
with our youngest guest joining us at 9 months old,
and a few octogenarians stepping up to the plate too!
4
5
One of our happiest highlight moments was
hosting about 20 students who travelled from a
Preparatory school in the neighbouring Parish
of St. Ann to learn about the history of
Falmouth, sample some local fare and partake
in an authentic “to market-to market”
experience. It was precious to see the young
‘uns in action, bartering over the price of
pumpkin! We were impressed at their
knowledge about our history and culture, and
equally impressed at their hunger to learn and
of course to taste more of Falmouth’s offerings.
The delight on their faces as we filled their
minds and their tummies was truly rewarding.
6
Of course as true foodies charged with
tracking all things culinary, we’ve made
sure to tune into food-related events
across the island so that we can keep our
readers and followers up to date on
what's cooking. We couldn’t do it all
(got to watch those waistlines!), but
some of the events we did manage to
squeeze in included our favourite food
fair - Kingston Kitchen which showcases
the best of the capital’s chefs and culinary fare, an Epicurean Escape over
looking the Caribbean Sea, an elegant
moonlight culinary feast set in the midst
of an organic farm on a rural hillside,
and a trip through a winding
7
mountainside to enjoy traditional street
food cooking prepared and served in the
middle of a river! And how could we not
mention a stop by the Annual Pan Chicken Championships where we watched
the best of pan-chicken chefs engage in a
furious cook-off, leaving us near drunk
from the delicious and heady fumes of
jerk chicken that filled the air! Our wanderings also took us to various local markets, including up and coming organic
markets, and our taste buds discovered a
whole range of new and innovative gourmet products – did someone say ginger
beet ketchup and pimento wine?! Wow!
All our stops were delightfully
delicious, and all were reminders of
just how much the Jamaican cuisine
scene is exploding! And as if we
needed any more proof, our
involvement in various activities
related to the 2015 Jamaica
Observer Table Talk Food Awards
left no doubt in our minds that
Jamaica is making its mark as a
dynamic and exciting culinary
destination. Flip over to our Desert
and Brawta feature “Foodie Heaven
in Jamaica” on page 13 to read more
about the mouthwatering Food
Awards gastronomic trail that took
us to the top of the Jamaican Alps
and back!
In between our “nyammings”, we
carved out some time to develop a
new
culinary route for our guests
who are reportedly hungry for more.
Our new tour plots a trail from the
bustling town of Falmouth in the
parish of Trelawny, through to
peaceful seaside towns and up into
the lush hills of the “garden
parish” of St. Ann. The Nyam An’ Guh Weh Tour offers our guests not just a
culinary journey, but a fascinating time travel experience back to the days of
the indigenous Taino Indians - the original inhabitants of our island, our European colonizers and our African forefathers. Guests will love the rich mix of history, heritage and culture served up with some flavourful home-cooked and traditionally prepared Jamaican dishes. Salivating yet? Well so were our mock tour
guests who summed it up in one word – “Incredible”!
Official launch date is just another couple of months away so stay tuned to our
website and facebook page coz de ting soon bus’! (It’s almost here!)
8
MAIN COURSE
♬♪Summer
time, and the living is easy♬♪ …. well not exactly, but for some at
least, the living is a little less hectic as kids are on school break, and parents and
families try to squeeze in some outdoor family vacation time. One of the most
fun times to do that is on August 6, smack in the middle of Summer when
Jamaica celebrates its Independence Day, commemorating its freedom from
British colonial occupation. On August 6, 1962, after years of Spanish and
subsequent British colonial rule, Jamaica was finally allowed to govern its
own political, economical, and social affairs. The birth of an independent
Jamaica was, perhaps, the most significant event in the nation's history, and
each year Jamaicans, both at home and around the world, gather in a
vibrant and energetic display of colours and culture to celebrate this
milestone. It is a day of national pride as we remember our history, our
struggles, our forefathers and the sacrifices they made; and as we reflect
on our beliefs, our traditions, our excellence in various spheres including the
Arts, Sports, in business, and so much more…
We celebrate all this with our cultural festivals, our street parades, our
music, dance and drama, and of course our food – lots and lots of it as we
rejoice in how far we have come and how much we have achieved. The
independence celebrations come only days after the celebration of another
significantly historical milestone – Emancipation Day – the commemoration
of the day that slaves gained full freedom from their colonial masters in
1838. In Kingston, the island’s capital, as well as in several other towns
across the island, the festivities of the ‘Emanci-pendence’ period culminate
in a Grand Gala Parade where hundreds of participants parade through the
streets dressed in costumes representing the various aspects of our cultural
heritage. It is one of the most festive events on the island, full of colour, energy,
music and dance. And since no revelry is complete without food, vendors are out
in their numbers, selling everything from cooked food to sweet treats and
snacks, and colourful, shaved-ice thirst-quenchers.
9
10
For those who opt out of the
festivities, opting for a relaxing
day on the beach instead, they
will most likely succumb to the
tempting smells of fried fish
and bammy, or grilled lobster
and crab wafting down the
beach, and indulge themselves
accordingly.
and Dukunnu – a curious cornmeal-based treat wrapped in banana leaves - are among the
items likely to show up at the
many street festivals and fairs
taking place across the island. Of
course it cannot be overlooked
that “Festival” – a slightly sweet
dumpling made from cornmeal is
said to have been invented by
beachside cooks who named this
treat after the Festival of the
Arts, a major competitive event
held during the Independence period each year. Needless to say,
the ‘festival’ is bound to appear
at every festival! A light and fluffy
-textured treat, it will show up as
an accompaniment to various
favourites, including our famous
jerk pork, another culinary legacy
handed down to us by our African
forefathers.
While there are no particular
foods that are unique to the
“Emanci-pendence” period, the
fact that it is a time when we celebrate our history and our cultural heritage, does lend itself to favouring those traditional foods
handed down to us from our ancestors. And so culinary fare such
as Ackee and Saltfish (our national dish), Mackarel Run Down
which also aptly goes by the
name of a traditional folklore
dance – ‘Dip and Fall Back’
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Km2zVLDV9Fg) -
11
Last, but not least is the Denbigh Agricultural Show which also takes
place around the Independence period in the parish of Clarendon.
Visitors to Denbigh are treated to the best of the produce, livestock,
horticulture and agro-industries from the island’s fourteen parishes
which are showcased at this traditional event.
With so much going on, it’s no wonder many Jamaicans living abroad
choose Emanci-pendence as a great time of year to return home, visit
loved ones, soak up some culture and get into the spirit of things! It’s
not too late to join us!
12
Foodie Heaven in Jamaica!
Jamaica has always taken its food seriously, but
in recent years, the local culinary landscape “tun
up”, as we would say in local parlance. One indication of the increased interest in Jamaican
cuisine and all things culinary, is the sponsoring
of huge food-related events by two of our major
newspapers. This month the Jamaica Observer
culminated its annual celebration of Jamaican
food with the 17th annual Table Talk Food
Awards and the 12th annual Foodie Seminar. Of
course as your ‘boots on the ground’, Jamaica
Culinary Tours had to be present at both events!
Even better, in the lead up to the Food Awards, Janet,
our Tour and Creative Experience Director was
Parish Ambassador for the parish of Trelawny, home
of our Falmouth Food Tour. Along with her business
partner Marina Delfos, Janet journeyed through the
hills and valleys of the parish in search of what the
Observer referred to as ‘hidden culinary gems’. Their
favourite gems ranged from a roadside yam stall up in
the cool hills known as “Top Trelawny” to the
elegant Lobster Bowl restaurant and Joe James art
gallery housed in a beautiful historic location on the
waterfront in Rio Bueno.
The latter emerged the winner for Trelawny, but we
believe that as a result of the exposure, all of the
culinary gems were winners! The restaurants and
food stalls which they visited showed the diversity
13
and creativity of Jamaican food. Roast yam and saltfish were once ‘slave food’ but now people drive
through windy and rough roads to get their fix of
both.
And many would be willing to drive practically to the
ends of the earth for the pepper shrimp wrapped in
foil and grilled to perfection, or for the feisty curry
chicken served with English-style fries that the enthusiastic foodies found in their travels.
Proverb:
No mug nuh bruk,
no cawfee nuh
dash weh
Translation:
The mug is not
broken, therefore
the coffee is not
thrown away (or
Co-Principals of Jamaica Culinary Tours, Anne and Janet also
attended the Foodies Seminar, where we were treated to the
innovative thinking and practices of the best in the business. It
was great to learn about emerging food clusters built on the
principles of cooperation. The owner of one of our favourite jerk
spots – Sweetwood, has for example, been doing a great job of
pulling together market vendors and organic farmers along with
one of the island’s most popular seafood shacks into one space
where where you can get your shopping as well as your lyming
done over breakfast, lunch or fresh natural juices
Explanation:
Even in the most difficult of
times, if total devastation
has not occurred, one
should count his/her
blessings. Or simply –
“Don’t cry over spilt milk”.
It was also fascinating to learn of the great strides being made by Jamaican and other Caribbean
Chefs who are making their mark as far away as Qatar and in various parts of the world. If
you’re a coffee lover, you’ll be happy to know that Starbucks is now serving our world-famous
Blue Mountain coffee, and that Jamaican company Wallenford Coffee is pulling out all of the
stops to make sure that wherever in the world you buy Blue Mountain Coffee, you are actually
getting what you pay for, and not a blend or cheap imitation.
14
We left the Foodie Seminar our minds and our appetites well sated with good food and more than good
news about all the culinary happenings at home and abroad.
And then it was the big evening – weeks of preparation, cook-off challenges and judging culiminating in
the staging of the 17th Food Awards, a grand, elegant affair on the lawns of Devon House (ranked by the
way, as the fourth coolest place in the world to eat ice cream!). The coveted awards included Best New
Food Item, Best Wine Experience, Chef of the Year, Junior Chef on the Rise, and Restaurant of the Year.
Awards duly presented, it was time to imbibe. There was no way to indulge in even half of all that was on
offer, but highlights included pulled chicken sliders with guava sauce, jerk pork belly with vanilla and
plantain purée and coconut curry ice cream! The vibes were positively humming in the Best Dressed
Chicken booth where some of the island’s top Chefs, joined by visiting Chefs from Britain and the Caribbean, showcased their skills in exciting live culinary demonstrations, concocting creative and delectable
dishes which we were only too happy to devour. Once again our palates and our imaginations were completely stimulated and excited, and we were mesmerized at the impressive range of culinary products, services and indeed the talent across our island and our Caribbean region .
15
The theme for this year’s Awards was “The Stakes are Higher”, and indeed the culinary excellence on display at the Awards and in the lead-up to
the Awards leave no doubt that the industry is soaring to higher and higher
heights.
So what’s up next for local food enthusiasts and those visiting the island?
Well we did mention earlier that both of our newspapers are recognizing the
growth in our culinary industry, and so the clock is ticking down to the annual
Restaurant Week sponsored by the Jamaica Gleaner.
Needless to say, you
know we’re already gearing up our appetites to represent those of you who
can’t participate – it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it!
MEET THE FOOD VENDORS
Our tours are designed to introduce our guests to authentic Jamaican food
experiences, so we take them to the places we go, they eat what we eat, the
way we eat it and they get to meet the people who prepare the tastings for
them. The Food Vendors are an integral part of our tours and have been
carefully selected not only on the basis of excellent quality food and service, but for their congeniality and hospitality. Carlos Morgan, the Sugar
Cane vendor on our Falmouth Food Tour is one such fine example.
Now every Jamaican town is guaranteed to have at least one
Sugar Cane vendor, and Falmouth is no different. But we like to
think that Carlos is super-special as he has the distinction of
having met and served sugar cane and coconut water to both
Prince Harry and his father Prince Charles on their respective visits to the town of Falmouth. And he has the pictures to prove it!
Many a Falmouth Food Tour guest has not only enjoyed Carlos’
sugar cane, but has admired his expertise as he skillfully handles
his machete to prepare it for them. Carlos, whom we have
affectionately dubbed “Our Royal Rastafarian”, was born in the
Parish of Trelawny and has been vending for more than 20 years.
The father of two, he’s also a boss chef, and cooks up a mean Red Peas Stew
and other vegetarian delights in his
downtime.
16
Well as we’ve said, the culinary landscape in Jamaica is not lacking
in activity and there’s lot’s more brewing to excite food and culture
lovers for the rest of the year. So let’s have a look at what’s on the
menu in the weeks and months ahead:
31
Denbigh Agriculture and Food
Show
Denbigh Agriculture and Food Show
July 31 – August 2
Reggae Film Festival
August 1 – 5
1
Mobay Jerk Festival
Bath Breadfruit Festival
- Denbigh Agriculture and
August 1
Food Show
- Reggae
Film Festival
August
1
2
Denbigh Agriculture and Food
Show
Independence Day Parade
August 6
Grand Gala
August 6
Jamaica Food Festival
Independence Week
Kingston Kitchen Night Market
August 22
Jamaica Food & Drink Festival
Oct.29 – Nov. 1
Restaurant Week
November
17