The Parish of Portland, Jamaica has long been known as “The Jerk Capital of The World” and this year hundreds of foodies flocked to the lovely Folly Estate in Port Antonio for the island’s annual Portland Jerk Festival to sample the curious range of exotic delights the event is famous for. If you’re unfamiliar with the term; “Jerk” is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meats are dry-rubbed with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. Jerked food is a must-have for visitors and locals alike and if you haven’t had it yet you don’t know what you’re missing!
Jerk is both a marinade and a preparation technique. In its most authentic form, fresh poultry or pork meat is massaged with a concentrated spice rub infused with allspice (pimento), cinnamon, peppers, onion, thyme and garlic hours before cooking. After marinating, the meat is placed on raised platforms of pimento wood over hot coals to slowly roast for hours. Jamaican jerk is world famous for it’s smoky, juicy, and spicy flavour. Jerk has its genesis in the hilly interior of the island. Caught in the middle of an imperial struggle between the English and Spanish, Africans hiding in the wilderness consumed wild pigs roaming the island’s interior. They prepared the meat using a charcuterie technique adopted from the Tainos and created a flavor so pleasurable that by the early 1800’s, jerk was being served to guests at the governor’s table.
Today, chefs in Jamaica and elsewhere serve up a myriad of tasty variations in the name of jerk. In fast food restaurants and from road side steel pans, flavorful meats with a side of hardo bread or festival beckon. It is standard casual fare on the island but also appears seamlessly on the menu of the finest dining establishments. Jerk is available island wide and year round with so many great spots to find it visitors might have difficulty simply making up their minds. Portland Jerk Festival is arguably the most anticipated annual event of its kind because it gives enterprising chefs a chance to showcase new and especially creative dishes.
This year’s installment was pulsating with fun-filled activities for the whole family including bounce-a-bouts, face-painting clowns, a mechanical bull, and performances by some of the nation’s talented singers. Some amazing new treats made their debut at the festival. The Jerk Reindeer (made from deer caught in Portland’s hilly interior) was a particular crowd favourite that saw patrons returning to the stalls for second and third helpings. Jerk lobster, goat, wild hog and even breadfruit and plantain were also on the list of the day’s delights. See all this and more in our video coverage posted above!
Jerk is both a marinade and a preparation technique. In its most authentic form, fresh poultry or pork meat is massaged with a concentrated spice rub infused with allspice (pimento), cinnamon, peppers, onion, thyme and garlic hours before cooking. After marinating, the meat is placed on raised platforms of pimento wood over hot coals to slowly roast for hours. Jamaican jerk is world famous for it’s smoky, juicy, and spicy flavour. Jerk has its genesis in the hilly interior of the island. Caught in the middle of an imperial struggle between the English and Spanish, Africans hiding in the wilderness consumed wild pigs roaming the island’s interior. They prepared the meat using a charcuterie technique adopted from the Tainos and created a flavor so pleasurable that by the early 1800’s, jerk was being served to guests at the governor’s table.
Today, chefs in Jamaica and elsewhere serve up a myriad of tasty variations in the name of jerk. In fast food restaurants and from road side steel pans, flavorful meats with a side of hardo bread or festival beckon. It is standard casual fare on the island but also appears seamlessly on the menu of the finest dining establishments. Jerk is available island wide and year round with so many great spots to find it visitors might have difficulty simply making up their minds. Portland Jerk Festival is arguably the most anticipated annual event of its kind because it gives enterprising chefs a chance to showcase new and especially creative dishes.
This year’s installment was pulsating with fun-filled activities for the whole family including bounce-a-bouts, face-painting clowns, a mechanical bull, and performances by some of the nation’s talented singers. Some amazing new treats made their debut at the festival. The Jerk Reindeer (made from deer caught in Portland’s hilly interior) was a particular crowd favourite that saw patrons returning to the stalls for second and third helpings. Jerk lobster, goat, wild hog and even breadfruit and plantain were also on the list of the day’s delights. See all this and more in our video coverage posted above!
