Cultural Perspectives
By Tim Hazell (Apr 7, 2006)

Jamaica, the largest English-speaking island in the Caribbean, was the ancestral home of the Taino Indians, also referred to as Arawaks, peoples who formed part of the pre-Columbian cultural fabric of the tropics. Tainos were considered primitive by their Spanish overlords, whose arrival in 1494 ended traditional indigenous economies. "Jamaica" comes from "Xaymaca," an Arawak word for "Land of Wood and Water." Contrary to colonial perceptions and descriptions, native inhabitants had an elaborate system of districts, a form of government headed by a cacique, or chief, and a society divided into areas of specialization. Fortifications sprang up across the island's varied topography. As had been the case elsewhere following Spanish conquest and occupation, exploitation and misrule resulted in a drastic reduction of the Taino population within the first 50 years of settlement. 

British forces conquered the island, ousting the Spanish in 1655, and for the next three centuries Jamaica was to remain a hotbed of political unrest and uprising. Buccaneers used Jamaica, and in particular the town of Port Royal, also known as "the richest and the wickedest city in the world," as a base for maritime attacks until its destruction by earthquake in 1692. The Dutch taught the English techniques necessary for the cultivation of sugar cane, and plantations grew prosperous. By the 17th century, a successful economy based on sugar production had been built upon the foundations of slave labor imported from Africa.

Coromantes from the Gold Coast, Eboes from Benin and other tribes brought their culinary crafts with them as they crossed the ocean from the Dark Continent in the holds of slavers' fleets. Duckanoo, a steamed green banana and coconut pudding, breadfruit and goat were added to Jamaica's palette of ingredients. Later influences, such as curry, were brought to the melting pot by indentured laborers from China. Taino threads of influence remained imbedded in methods of slow-cooking meat with citrus, allspice and hot chiles. The pimento (allspice) tree is native to Jamaica and had lent its unique perfume to island dishes for centuries. Ginger, garlic and Scotch bonnet peppers provide the basis for jerk, a succulent concoction steeped in lore and secrecy.

Jerk traditions may have been perfected with the advent of the 17th-century Maroons and their methods for food preservation. These fugitive former slaves brought to Jamaica from West Africa were freed by the Spaniards during the British occupation and then fled into the mountains that cover most of the island to escape recapture. There they continued to use a formulation for preparing meat through heavy seasoning with peppers and long cooking over smoke. The succulent results could be transported during their nomadic journeys from one camp to another. Blazing marinade ingredients were combined with salt, acting as a preservative for game such as wild boar. Maroon cooks stuffed the boar with a mixture of peppers and herbs, wrapping the meat in banana leaves before slow baking it in a stone-lined pit heated with burning pimento wood, covered with palm fronds. Today, techniques and secrets for jerk marinating and cooking are jealously guarded family heirlooms dating back generations. 

Jamaica's legacy is a reflection of its enduring and vital populations who are distinguished by predilections for colorful, well-stocked markets brimming with local produce. Slavery and the impact of immigration from diverse ethnic origins infuse Jamaican cooking with the tangs and aromas of Portuguese, French, Dutch and African stocks. The following recipes are part of the ebullient accents of Jamaica's regional fare. Their flavors embody the soul of the island's voice. 



Chick Peas with Garlic and Green Chiles

4-6 cloves of garlic, crushed or minced

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

Olive oil for sautéing 

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 15-oz can chick peas, drained

1 medium-large potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. salt

1-2 fresh green chiles, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

Freshly squeezed lemon juice



Sauté the cumin seeds and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes, then add the chopped tomato and continue to cook for an additional minute. Add chick peas, water, potato, salt, green chiles, ground cumin and lemon juice. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Serve with wheat or corn tortillas, pita bread or baguettes. An excellent beverage for this zesty and light summer treat would be ice-cold Mexican beer. Crunchy roll-ups of iceberg or romaine lettuce leaves can be substituted for tortillas. Serves 2.



Jamaican Jerk Sauce

1 Scotch bonnet or jalapeño pepper, halved, seeded and minced

4 scallions, minced

2 large shallots, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbl. fresh ginger root, minced

4 sprigs fresh thyme, minced or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tbl. ground allspice

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tbl. dark brown sugar

Juice of 2 limes 

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil



In a bowl combine the scallion greens, shallots, garlic, ginger and chile. Set aside. In another bowl combine the spices, thyme, salt and sugar. Into the spices whisk the orange juice, both vinegars and the soy sauce. Slowly drizzle in the oil, while whisking constantly. Add the scallion mixture and stir to combine. Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce.

Chicken, pork or fish can be used and marinated for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Cook meat after marinating it according to preference. Grilling over charcoal produces excellent results. Serve with bowls of chopped coriander, radishes, dry or fresh thyme, chopped onion with a dash of lemon, blackened dry Szechuan chiles, plantain or other accompaniments and lots of tortillas.



Tim Hazell is a multidisciplinary artist in the areas of painting, music, theater, education, writing and research, specializing in Latin America. He may be contacted at hazel@unisono.net.mx  or at his website, www.timhazell.com