About the Jamaican Stewed Peas

Jamaicans refer to red kidney beans as red peas. In other countries a stew is usually a one pot meal and maybe that was the premise for the stewed peas. There are some places in Jamaica that make stewed peas with yam and cocoa but the general consensus is that stewed peas is a protein dish to be had with rice and vegetables.

In other words, stewed is a meat dish, cannot be had by itself or is not a full meal. Stewed peas is very popular and some households make it a ritual or tradition to make the dish once per week. Lots of Jamaicans love stewed peas and many will tell you that they can't live without it.

The dish is usually served with cooked white rice, what we also call plain rice. However, if you prefer your stewed peas with yam and dumplings, no problem.

Here are some tips on making the stewed peas for your specific taste

• Add salt beef if you like
• omit meat all together and add vege chunks for a vegetarian version
• omit meat or vege chunks and add carrots, corn and Irish potatoes for an Ital version (Rastafarian style)
• For the recipe I have posted, use 1/2 cup coconut cream for the coconut flavour.
• When putting the peas to boil for the first time before it starts boiling add 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Add minced garlic when seasoning the pot
• Use cornstarch to thicken instead of flour
• Use w/w flour for spinners
• Add your favourite seasoning for a more spicy flavour (make sure you don't over salt the stewed peas)
• For a sweeter flavour, add diced onions (not a popular option)

Please see left link list for recipe.Enjoy your Jamaican style stewed peas!

About The Jamaican Jerk Spice

Other than Bob Marley of Reggae music the Jamaican Jerk is probably what people most associate with Jamaica. The spice is strictly Jamaican with no foreign produce included. It’s pretty easy to make and very tasty.

There are two versions to the spice (1) the wet spice and (2) the dry spice. For both spices basically the same ingredients are used.

Jamaicans love their jerk spice so much that they will use the spice in almost all their meat dishes, no matter the method of cooking. The dry spice is very popular and every household loves the flavor. The weird thing about it is that most people have no clue that the spice is pretty easy to make and they can save a few dollars purchasing the ingredients and putting the spices together themselves.

What do Jamaicans Jerk?

We will jerk just about anything especially when it comes to the time of year for the Boston Jerk festival.

The following is a list of things that Jamaicans jerk in order of popularity.

1.       Chicken

2.       Pork

3.       Fish

4.       Jerk flavored fries

5.       Mutton

6.       Lobster

7.       Green plantains

8.       Breadfruit

…….and so many more things. The jerk festival will have so many jerked items that you would think of jerking at home.

What exactly is jerking?

Jerking is a form or method of roasting meat similar to a bar-b-que. But more closely related to the pit that a pig is roasted in. In the case of Jamaica, the pig is roasted over wood fire or coals that have been placed between stones or a hole id dug and the fire placed in the hole. Over the fire is placed sticks from the pimento tree stripped and soaked in water to keep from burning. On these sticks the meat is placed and sometimes covered with branches from the pimento tree and this gives the added flavor.

The wood fire gives and nice smoky flavor but the coals also do a great job.

The cooking method has evolved over the years and people have grilled their chicken on gas grills. Gas grill do not have the same effect or flavor and often gives the meat a burnt flavor.

If you would like to jerk your own meat and you don’t have a spit, use a coal grill and add wood chips.

For Jerk recipe see Jerk Chicken page