Culture and Identity

Jamaican food culture encompasses a variety of different foods and traditions because Jamaica is a large melting pot due to British and Spanish colonization. During colonization, African and Chinese slaves were brought to Jamaica to work the land, which is why Jamaican food involves many different dishes and ingredients from different cultures. Typically, Jamaicans eat a large breakfast that consists of a main dish and a tuber or a starchy fruit. Meals eaten at lunch are often very similar to what is eaten at breakfast, and dinner is a time when most Jamaicans expect company so large meals are often prepared and contain scotch bonnet peppers and jerk seasoning rubbed onto meats. Regarding special occasions, Jamaicans participate in a very unique celebration called the Nine Nights. During the Nine Nights, Jamaicans practice African affirmations and consume fried fish, white rum, and bammy in order to bring comfort to families of the deceased. Another unique Jamaican tradition tied to food is the use of herbal teas to treat sickness. African slaves used teas to treat ailments and brought the tradition to Jamaican culture during British and Spanish colonization. As of today, Jamaica's food practices have become very Americanized but many Jamaican dishes are still prepared and eaten.