Jamaica is famous for its rich, melting pot of scrumptious, delightful, top-of-the-line dishes. From oxtails to fried-boiled dumplings, escovitch fish to roast breadfruit, there is always a bite with your name on it. When we’re on the go and don’t have the time to cook, there are some foods we’re quick to turn to that are easily accessible on Jamaican streets.
In no specific order, here is a list of 10 Jamaican roadside goodies you can grab while you’re on the go:
1. Patty
Whether beef, cheese, chicken or shrimp, the Jamaican patty is arguably a roadside national dish. If not for the nation, then at least for school-aged children, taxi operators and 9-5ers heading to the office. Top-tier when fresh out the oven, this spicy, crunchy, mouth-watering goodness could not miss this list. You can grab a patty in the morning, evening, noon or night in any major town, some corner shops, most bakeries and of course, at the airports.
2. Nuts
You are bound to see at least one “Nutsy” in every Jamaican town. No, we’re not referring to a person gone bonkers, but rather a vendor who sells roasted nuts, peanut cakes, grater cakes, coconut drops, gizzada tarts, cashew nuts and other Jamaican snacks. These little delights are usually homemade, but hot nuts are usually roasted on the spot – just listen out for the whistle of the peanut cart. You’ll find lots of people grabbing a bag or two to satisfy their sugar or salt craving.
3. Pudding
“Hell a top, hell a bottom, hallelujah inna di miggle!” Yes, the sweet potato pudding is what we’re talking about and boy do we love it when it’s made just right. You can find sweet potato puddings being sold in the shops or on the streets of some major towns. Also every Jamaican who travels long distances across the country knows that one spot that sells sweet potato puddings to sweeten the trip for roadtrippers.
3. All things Jerk
The J in Jamaica stands for Jerk. Jamaicans have been enjoying the sensational flavour of the sweet and spicy charred chicken or pork for years (insert chef’s kiss). Jerk is very popular in Jamaica. It’s sold in fine dining restaurants as well as on the streets. Many roadside chefs usually open their jerk pans when the sun begins to rise just so they can catch all their customers. You can find jerk being sold from the afternoon back to the wee hours of the morning.
4. Soup
Just like Nutsy, you are bound to find Soupy. Soupy is always ready to serve you a cup of boiling hot, savoury soup, filled with dumplings, vegetables and the meat of whatever kind of broth being sold that day. While soup is often served as an entrée when made at home, a lot of Jamaicans tend to pair their soup with a patty in the day or with some jerk in the night. You can find Soupy all over Jamaica from lunchtime straight back to party time.
5. Donuts
When we say donuts, there’s always one brand that comes to mind. Yes! You guessed it, Prestige. Of course we have lots of other donut brands that are arguably equally delicious, but the one we love to reach for is Prestige. The soft dough pastry, sprinkled with sugar and filled with jelly, is one of the biggest temptations when stuck in the Jamaican traffic. You can find vendors in the middle of the road during rush hour traffic with the donuts and change in hand for a quick transaction.
6. Fruits
The beauty about living on a tropical island paradise is the variety of fruits it bears. On most country runs, you can find vendors selling many in-season fruits. Some of our top picks on are: mangoes, guineps, cane, sour sops, sweet sops and otaheite ‘Jamaican’ apples. The fruits sold are almost always sweet and juicy. You’ll see many vendors on the roadsides while travelling across the island and you’ll also find them in major towns.
7. Ti-gaz & Banana Chips
We can’t under estimate the crunch of Ti-gaz and banana chips. These are snacks that Jamaicans use to ‘taste up yuh mouth’. Ti-gaz and banana chips are staples in Jamaica. The cheesy goodness of this snack and the crunch of the banana chips provide instant gratification when you want a quick fix. Ti-gaz and banana chips vendors are plentiful across the island.
8. Porridge
Porridge is easily one of our favourite breakfast grab ‘n’ goes. We’d be lucky if we can get our hands on a cup of our favourite flavour before we have to rush on to work. But we’ll still settle for what’s available, because it’s porridge. Peanut, hominy corn, rice, oats, cornmeal, no matter the kind, there’s something about porridge that we just love to love. You can find porridge being sold in the morning time in most major towns and rural areas.
9. Land Crabs & Peppered Shrimp
If you are feeling for some extremely peppery seafood, then you can grab a bag of crab or shrimp on the streets of Jamaica. Make sure you have a cool drink with you, because your mouth will be on fire from these spicy crustacean treats. Many Jamaicans like to relish these delicacies when they’re chilling on the beach, but you can always find them on the road, from Negril in Westmoreland to Heroes Circle in Kington and even in major town centres.
10. BRAWTA – KFC
I am convinced that the Colonel gave Jamaica a different KFC recipe. Jamaican KFC tastes different. We could not do this list without mentioning Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and while it’s technically not a roadside treat, if there’s a KFC and it’s open, Jamaican’s are going in to feast! KFC in Jamaica just hits different. KFC doesn’t only offer succulent, finger lickin’ good chicken, the franchise offers options only available in Jamaica. Some vendors even buy the chicken by the bucket and resell it in their shops. Yes! It’s that good!
There you have it, 10 Jamaican roadside grab ‘n’ go snacks. Let us know in the comments below if you agree with us or if we’ve missed anything. Thanks for reading. Walk good!
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