Jamaican Memories…

Growing up in Jamaica, just about anyone could walk up to Main Street and find someone cooking jerk chicken on a grill that they could buy.  Slap on that hard dough bread and that was a good enough lunch or dinner for the evening.

Patty, coco bread, meatloaf, bun, and cheese were our staple fast food.  Banana chips, Shirley biscuits, peanut drops, and tamarind balls were the go-to snacks.  Corn beef sandwich for lunch, picnic, or school outings was the norm.  Ackee and Saltfish ruled for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Callaloo and cabbage were the only green vegetables we spoke of.  Vienna sausage with eggs was that occasional breakfast item.

My grandmother made us all coffee drinkers early on, but Blue Mountain coffee was like no other.  Jamaican chocolate tea was to die for, but teas, in general, were a cure for ailments, as they were for enjoyment and relaxation.  Nothing was more refreshing than that coconut water though.  The only soft drinks we spoke about were kola champagne, ting, cream soda, pineapple, and orange soda.

Sorrel was for festive times like Christmas and rum cakes were for weddings and holidays.  Only two flavors of ice cream existed for Jamaicans – rum and raisins and grape nut.

Such is the concept of Mangoes.  So named, as just about every home had a mango tree and mangoes of all kinds were the most popular and abundant fruits eaten in Jamaica.  We wanted to encapsulate as much of our staple on-the-go food in one place.  Our culture has evolved, but some things remain the same.  We hope you feel the vibes and enjoy the food!

A Picture is Worth…

A Thousand Words.  Or in our case, a thousand bites!  Enjoy these images from our kitchen.