Find great food in Port Antonio Jamaica around every corner
Food is an important part of Jamaican culture. In Port Antonio you’ll find some of the best dishes of the Caribbean. Visitors are often surprised to find a lot of variety; there is something to please every palate. Jamaican food has a reputation for being very spicy, but mostly what you’ll find is well-seasoned, tasty recipes that have been handed down through generations.
Common Caribbean food
One of the most popular Caribbean dishes is rice and peas cooked in rich, coconut milk. It is a favorite side dish served daily in the homes of locals and at restaurants throughout the island.
Another favorite island treat you must try is traditional ackee and salt fish. Ackee is a very unusual, local fruit that looks a lot like scrambled eggs. It is combined with dried codfish and tomatoes. This is truly a native island dish favorite you should try while visiting Port Antonio. In the states and other countries salt fish and ackee is prepared using canned ackee; but freshly picked, ripe ackee gives this dish an incredible flavor. It is important that the ackee is ripe because unripe ackee contains a toxin known as hypoglycin which causes vomiting and hypoglycemia.
Of course everyone is familiar with jerk chicken. A special jerk seasoning is rubbed on the chicken which is then cooked on a grill. The chicken is cooked very well done and may taste a bit drier than what you’re used to. Jerk conch and jerk pork are also popular foods in this region.
Vegetables and fruit in abundance
Enjoy a seemingly endless supply of fresh, locally grown produce. You also find that fruits and vegetables are quite inexpensive. Enjoy some of the local bounty during your stay. If you come across an unfamiliar fruit or vegetable, feel free to ask one of the locals about it; especially about which parts can safely be eaten. You’ll find them friendly and happy to help. You’ll find both local and imported fruit for sale by road side vendors throughout town. Most vendors will even wash you fruit if you ask.
“Ital” cuisine
The Rastafarian population follows a strict vegetarian diet only eating “ital” foods. Ital food is a term that comes from the phrase “vital food.” This is clean, natural food that is free of chemicals and additives. Diet is a very important part of the Rastafarian way of life. They do not eat meat or poultry, salt, shell fish or any other fish without scales. Fish can only be eaten if it is less than one foot long. Ital food cannot be cooked in aluminum pots because it is believed that traces of aluminum can end up in your body. The food is traditionally prepared in clay pots.
If you decide to eat at the more upscale restaurants on the island, you won’t find food on the menu labeled as “ital.” Ital food is usually served at smaller, more out of the way establishments.
More than just jerk chicken
There’s a lot more to this local cuisine than the typical jerk and curried chicken dishes most most of us think of when it comes to Jamaican dishes. Treat dining during your stay as another adventure; give food you might not normally try a taste.
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