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Welcome to the second country of the 195 Country Cooking Challenge - where I cook a popular dish from all 195 countries around the world! If you missed the first country - I cooked the most popular dish from The United States of America. Along the journey, I will be sharing these recipes with you plus some interesting facts about each country. My goal is to teach you a bit about each country while you eat or cook their cuisine! Today, I will be cooking a dish from Jamaica, a small island in the Caribbean Sea.
The National Dish of Jamaica
Jamaica's official national dish is ackee and saltfish, which is Jamaica’s national fruit with sautéed cod. However, for this country, I will be making the MOST POPULAR dish - JERK CHICKEN WITH RICE AND BEANS! My best friend's mom is from Jamaica and gave me the most delicious recipes for Jamaican jerk chicken along with rice and beans. I'm also going to attempt to make her amazing fried plantains as another side dish.
Jamaican jerk is believed to have originated when descendants of enslaved Africans combined African cooking techniques with indigenous Jamaican ingredients. They learned the jerk method from the Taíno, indigenous people who lived in Jamaica in the pre-colonial Caribbean for over 2,500 years. The Taíno cooked their meat over open flames using local spices and herbs. The Maroons, enslaved people who escaped to the mountains, adapted this cooking style by adding jerk-style seasonings to preserve and flavor their meats. While in hiding, the Maroons cooked in smokeless pits to hide their location.
Jamaican rice and beans (or rice and peas) originated with the Akan tribe in Ivory Coast and Ghana. This dish is still eaten in these countries today but greatly differs from the Jamaican version. Jamaican rice and beans uses pepper and thyme, along with coconut milk, while African rice and beans often use baking soda and sorghum leaves.
In Jamaica, plantains are served with almost every meal because they are easy to grow and cook. They are also not very expensive in the Caribbean.
The best part about this meal is you can make it at home and without a grill! I will go through the recipe below, but if you would like a more streamlined approach, you can check out the official recipe here.
Facts About Jamaica
What is it about this country that makes it so unique? Christopher Columbus claimed Jamaica for Spain in 1492. When the English captured the island of Jamaica from Spain in 1655, Jamaica was given its current name. The name comes from the indigenous Arawak word Xaymaca, which translates to "Land of Wood and Water". The island was used primarily for sugarcane production. Jamaica was finally granted independence in 1962.
The flag of Jamaica is black, gold, and green. Black symbolizes the strength and creativity of the people of Jamaica. Gold represents the wealth and beauty of sunlight. Green represents hope and agricultural resources. The green on top and bottom symbolizes the lush landscape and agriculture. Jamaica's flag is one of only two in the world that does not include red, white, or blue. The other is Mauritania's.
Jamaica is 4,411 square miles of land and water. The climate is fairly consistent throughout the entire country, but can vary higher in the mountains. Generally, the temperature ranges from 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius) to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius). Fun fact: nearly half of the island is over 1,000 feet above sea level. The Blue Mountains have the highest peak in the country which reach a height of 7,402 feet.
Tourism is the highest source of foreign income, but agriculture is the most common job in Jamaica. An estimated 15.3 percent of Jamaica's population works in agriculture. This includes agriculture, hunting, forestry, and fishing. The Bob Marley museum is one of the most popular attractions in Jamaica. The museum is located in the house where Bob Marley lived and recorded his music from 1975 until his death in 1981.
The official language of Jamaica is English, but another language commonly spoken on the island is Patwa or Jamaican Creole. It's a combination of African, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and English. Christianity is the most common religion in the country with an estimated 69% of the population following these religious beliefs, within various denominations.
What You Should Know if You Plan to Visit Jamaica
If you plan to visit Jamaica, here are some general things you should know (based on Oyster.com):
The tap water is safe to drink
Getting around the island is expensive
You can use U.S. dollars
Homophobia is prevalent
Marijuana is illegal
Tourist areas feel safe, but be vigilant in less-crowded areas
Peak hurricane season is August to October
The vibe is generally laid-back
Now, we move on to cooking!
Cooking the Most Popular Meal in Jamaica
Ingredients:
4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
2 green plantains
1 cup Jasmin rice
3 green or spring onions
1 green scotch bonnet pepper
4 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme)
3 teaspoons dry jerk seasoning (I recommend getting the smaller size if you can find it at a grocery store, but this is the type of seasoning I used)
140g wet jerk seasoning (half the glass bottle)
400ml coconut milk (1 can)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or enough to fill the bottom of a frying pan)
cooking spray or additional 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Steps:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2:
Combine wet and dry jerk seasoning in a large bowl.
Step 3:
Cover chicken thighs thoroughly in combined jerk seasoning. I highly recommend using gloves for this step because the jerk seasoning is spicy. If you get it on your hands then touch your face it can be painful.
Step 4:
Spray glass baking dish with cooking spray or use extra vegetable oil to grease pan and prevent sticking. Place chicken thighs in the greased glass baking dish. Try not to overlap them so they cook evenly throughout.
Step 5:
Once oven is preheated, bake chicken for 45 min - 1 hour or until the internal temperature is between 175 -185 degrees Fahrenheit. I used this thermometer to check my chicken.
Step 6:
While the chicken is cooking, wash and dry green onions, thyme, the scotch bonnet pepper, and the bay leaf. Separate whites and greens of the onions. Slice whites of the onions and chop greens into 2-inch sections.
Step 7:
Clean garlic. You can use this trick or just leave the cloves whole.
Step 8:
Wash rice in a glass bowl. Add water, swirl with your hand, and drain. Repeat until the water is clear after swirling with your hand.
Step 9:
Slice plantains. Chop off both ends and make a small slice in the skin from top to bottom. You should be able to peel the skin off the plantain. It might be a bit tricky. Once the skin is removed, cut the plantain in half and make 1/4 inch thick slices (longways).
Step 10:
Add olive oil, onion greens, onion whites, and garlic to a pot. Cook on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add in allspice berries, salt, bay leaf, thyme, and the scotch bonnet pepper (it should be whole). Stir lightly to combine. It is key that you do not pop the scotch bonnet pepper open (THE SEEDS ARE HOT HOT). Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions and garlic start to get soft.
Step 11:
Add coconut milk to the pot with spices. Once coconut milk is in, quickly fill up 2/3 of the can with water and add that to the pot as well. This will prevent the coconut milk from burning. At this time, you can also add the rice and beans (this is the best can opener I've ever had by the way!). Gently mix ingredients. When the pot begins to bubble, turn it down to low heat and cover with a lid. Cook for about 20 minutes or until you see no more bubbling.
Step 12:
Heat a pan on high heat with vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom for plantains). Fry plantains until they are golden brown on both sides. Add salt if desired.
Plate and enjoy!
Which country should I do next?
Follow @thatcountrycook on Instagram to see a video of me making this recipe!
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