Jamaica Food, Drink & Culture
Use these lists to plan meals, music stops, culture days, and what to bring home.
Top 20 Culinary Delights in Jamaica
1. Jerk Chicken
- Spiced with allspice and Scotch bonnet then grilled or smoked.
2. Ackee and Saltfish
- National dish with buttery ackee and salted cod.
3. Curried Goat
- Tender meat in rich curry sauce with sides.
4. Oxtail Stew
- Slow cooked with butter beans until silky.
5. Escovitch Fish
- Fried fish topped with spicy vinegar pickle.
6. Bammy
- Cassava flatbread, fried or steamed.
7. Festival
- Slightly sweet fritters that pair with jerk or fish.
8. Rice and Peas
- Rice with coconut milk and kidney beans.
9. Run Down
- Coconut milk stew with fish and aromatics.
10. Callaloo
- Leafy greens sautéed with onion and pepper.
11. Fried Plantains
- Sweet or ripe slices fried until caramelized.
12. Mannish Water
- Goat soup with spice, served at gatherings.
13. Red Pea Soup
- Hearty coconut soup with beans and dumplings.
14. Jerk Pork
- Smoky and spicy from the pit.
15. Steamed Fish
- Whole fish with okra and vegetables.
16. Fish Tea
- Light broth with fish and herbs.
17. Pepper Shrimp
- Street snack with serious heat.
18. Curry Chicken
- Comfort classic with potatoes and spice.
19. Patties
- Flaky pastry with beef, chicken, or veggie.
20. Pepper Pot Soup
- Rich soup with callaloo and okra.
21. Breadfruit (bonus)
- Roasted or fried as a side.
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30 Snacks to Try in Jamaica
1. Banana Chips
- Thin, salty green banana crisps.
2. Tamarind Balls
- Sweet sour pulp rolled in sugar.
3. Plantain Chips
- Lightly sweet or savory slices.
4. Coconut Drops
- Coconut and ginger candies.
5. Gizzada
- Tart shell with spiced coconut.
6. Grater Cake
- Pink or white coconut squares.
7. Bulla Cake
- Molasses and ginger rounds.
8. Pepper Shrimp
9. Patties
- Beef, chicken, or veggie.
10. Festival
- Sweet sticks for jerk plates.
11. Peanut Brittle
12. Peppered Mango
- Salt and pepper on ripe or green slices.
13. Spice Bun
14. Jackass Corn
15. Toto
16. Jamaican Fudge
- Condensed milk sweet squares.
17. Sugar Cane
- Chew the sticks for juice.
18. Ackee and Saltfish Fritters
19. Roast Corn
- Charred and salted on the cob.
20. Solomon Gundy
- Spiced smoked fish spread.
21. Fried Breadfruit
- Crisp edges, soft center.
22. Porridge
- Cornmeal, oats, or plantain.
23. Jamaican Cheese
24. Custard Apple
- Sweet segments of sweetsop.
25. Raisin Bread
26. Bammy
- Cassava rounds, pan fried.
27. Coconut Drops or Toto
- Two coconut classics to sample.
28. Soursop Ice Cream
29. Sweet Potato Pudding
30. Blue Drawers
- Boiled pudding in banana leaf.
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30 Drinks and Juices to Try
1. Rum Punch
- Fruity blend with island rum.
2. Red Stripe
- Iconic lager for hot days.
3. Ting
- Grapefruit soda and mixer.
4. Sorrel
- Hibiscus with ginger and spice.
5. Rum Cream
- Silky and sweet over ice.
6. Carrot Juice
- Milk, vanilla, and nutmeg blend.
7. Guinness Punch
- Stout with milk and spice.
8. Coconut Water
- Fresh and cold from the nut.
9. June Plum Juice
10. Pineapple Ginger
11. Irish Moss
- Seaweed tonic with spice.
12. Beetroot Juice
- Earthy and citrus bright.
13. Sky Juice
- Coconut water with condensed milk.
14. Tamarind Juice
15. Lemonade
16. Soursop Juice
17. Appleton Estate Rum
18. Milo
- Chocolate malt, hot or cold.
19. Sorrel Wine
20. Blue Mountain Coffee
21. Ribena
- Blackcurrant syrup drink.
22. Peanut Punch
- Peanuts, milk, and spice.
23. Ginger Beer
24. Mango Juice
25. Passion Fruit Juice
26. Honey Banana Smoothie
27. Limeade
28. Aloe Vera Juice
29. Watermelon Juice
30. Rum and Ting
- Simple highball with a kick.
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Top 15 Jamaican Rums and Liqueurs
2. Wray and Nephew White Overproof
- High proof icon for cocktails.
3. Myers's Original Dark
4. Rum Bar White
5. Hampden Estate
- Pot still funk and fruit.
6. J. Wray Gold
7. Blackwell Rum
8. Sangster's Rum Cream
- Sweet and creamy over ice.
9. Worthy Park Single Estate
- Full bodied estate blend.
10. Blue Mountain Coffee Liqueur
11. Monymusk Plantation
- Traditional, oak aged depth.
12. Coruba Dark
- Brown sugar and tropical fruit.
13. Smith and Cross
14. Rum Fire White Overproof
- Fiery mixer with clarity.
15. Gold Label Jamaican Rum
- Smooth for sipping or blends.
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20 Reggae Spots to Visit
1. Bob Marley Museum, Kingston
- Home and studio tours.
2. Tuff Gong International, Kingston
- Legendary recording studio.
3. Nine Mile, St. Ann
- Birthplace and resting place of Marley.
4. Peter Tosh Museum, Kingston
- Artifacts from a Wailers co founder.
5. Kingston Dub Club
- Hillside sound system nights.
6. Trench Town Culture Yard
- Roots of reggae on display.
7. Wickie Wackie Beach, St. Thomas
8. Jamaica Music Museum
- From folk to dancehall timeline.
9. Dubwise Jamaica
10. Reggae Falls, St. Thomas
- Natural pool with music days.
11. Rastafari Indigenous Village
12. Blue Lagoon, Port Antonio
- Scenic venue for special sets.
13. Tracks and Records, Kingston
- Live acts with sports bar fare.
14. One Love Bus Bar Crawl, Negril
- Bar hopping with live tunes.
15. Bourbon Beach, Negril
16. Roots Bamboo, Negril
17. Zion Hill, Negril
18. Rick’s Cafe, Negril
- Sunset shows after cliff jumps.
19. Reggae Month, Kingston
- Concerts and workshops in February.
20. Strawberry Hill, Blue Mountains
- Occasional live sets with views.
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15 Rich Cultural Experiences
1. Bob Marley Museum, Kingston
- Tour the home and studio.
2. Trench Town Culture Yard
- See where the music started.
3. Accompong Maroon Festival
- Maroon heritage and ceremony.
4. Little Theatre, Kingston
5. Rastafari Indigenous Village
- Beliefs, crafts, and Ital food.
6. Reggae Sumfest, Montego Bay
- Flagship summer festival.
7. National Gallery of Jamaica
8. Jamaica Carnival
- Road marches and sound systems.
9. Seville Heritage Park
- Taino to colonial history.
10. Port Royal
- Harbor tales and old forts.
11. Devon House
- Tour then ice cream in the yard.
12. Kingston Street Dances
- Dancehall where it lives.
13. Institute of Jamaica
- Culture and nature collections.
14. Jamaica Jazz and Blues
- Blend of local and global acts.
15. Rose Hall Great House
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Top Jamaican Souvenirs
1. Blue Mountain Coffee
- Smooth and aromatic beans.
2. Jamaican Rum
- Aged blends or white overproof.
3. Reggae Music Downloads
- Classic and modern tracks.
4. Wood Carvings
- Masks, bowls, and figures.
5. Spices and Seasonings
- Allspice, jerk blend, curry.
6. Local Art
7. Handmade Jewelry
8. T shirts and Clothing
9. Straw Bags and Hats
10. Jerk Sauce
11. Rasta Caps
12. Ceramics
- Mugs and bowls with motifs.
13. Handwoven Baskets
14. Coconut Shell Crafts
15. Hot Sauce
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