5 Jamaican Street Foods To Enjoy

If like me you are a foodie, then a great way to treat yourself is to indulge in Jamaica’s roadside delicacies. Some of the best food treats to be enjoyed are not from ‘inside kitchens’ but from Jamaican street vendors. Here are five street foods that you must try.

Roast Yam and Saltfish
A popular local favorite is the combination of roast yam and salt-fish. The yam, usually the yellow variety, along with the salt-fish/codfish is roasted to perfection on an outside grill, with great care taken not to burn the food. You may buy this meal from the famous yam vendors strewn alongside the road in Melrose, located just outside of Porus in Manchester.

Jerk Chicken
Spicy, smoky, juicy jerk chicken is one of the most loved roadside foods and is internationally known and loved. The chicken, seasoned with local spices, is jerked over pimento leaves and can be had enjoyed all around the island. However, some Jamaicans are adamant that the best jerk chicken on the island is found at ‘The Jerk Capital of Jamaica’ in Boston Bay, Portland.

Roadside Shrimp
If you like spicy food, then head to the stalls in Middle Quarters, St. Elizabeth, known as ‘Jamaica’s shrimp country’. There, roadside vendors peddle shrimps/crawfish in abundance, freshly caught from the Black River, prepared with scotch bonnett pepper and spices and sold in small plastic or paper bags. You may hear them calling “swims! swims!” as you pass by. That’s your cue to stop and enjoy this authentic Jamaican experience.

Fry Fish and Bammy
The traditional bammy and fried fish is a well-known and loved meal. Bammy is a cake made from the cassava plant and is enjoyed most by locals usually with escoveitched fish. To get the best of this meal, visit the famous bammy and fish zone located at ‘Border’, where the parishes Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth intersect. There, fishermen drop off their fresh catch while local vendors cook right on the spot and sell to passersby.

Peanut Cake
‘Peanut cake’, more popularly known as ‘peanut drops’ to locals in Jamaica, are a ubiquitous roadside snack and can usually be bought from street vendors all over the island. The nuts are cooked with sugar, ginger, and spices to create a hard, candy-like dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth and leave you craving more.