Jamaican Me Hungry

A tender palate may not be able to handle the hot and spicy flavors of Jamaican food, but those brave of heart and tongue will likely enjoy an adventurous dive into the island cuisine.

Jamaica, an island south of Cuba, calls to mind white sandy beaches, picturesque waterfalls, reggae music, Bob Marley, rum and maybe jerk chicken.

Traditionally, jerk seasoning was used on pork and goat, but it's also used on chicken, beef, fish and even tofu. The spice blend usually combines pimento (the berries of the pimento tree, also known as allspice) and Scotch bonnet peppers, with a variety of other spices such as cloves, thyme, garlic, scallions, nutmeg and cinnamon. Originally the dry rub of spices and peppers was used to cure and preserve meat as it dried, but the seasoning is sprinkled atop freshly barbequed meat.

Side dishes on a Jamaican plate often include a serving of rice and "peas," i.e. legumes such as red kidney beans, pigeon peas or black-eyed peas. Typically rice and peas are cooked in a pot with coconut milk, thyme, garlic, onions or scallions and a whole Scotch bonnet pepper on top. The pepper is not chopped because the rice and peas are not meant to be spicy, so the pepper flavor is infused throughout, without the heat.

Jamaican patties are a favorite among locals and visitors to the island. Beef patties combine the common flavors of thyme, scallions and peppers with ground beef.

Devon James, 50, a Jamaican native, boasts about his tasty patties. James has plans to open Yahman Jamaican Restaurant in McAllen by May of this year. Devon grinds the mixture until it has a very fine texture, then stuffs it into pastry. The meat pie bakes until the center is piping hot and the crust is browned and flaky.

The restaurant will have all of the traditional Jamaican food that James grew up eating and cooking.

"I noticed the (Rio Grande) Valley is growing and needs more," he said. "There's a large Jamaican community here."

He wants to introduce the RGV to Jamaican food, culture and music.

Devon will be sure to include a few of the traditional Jamaican desserts, including a few puddings such as potato pudding and cornmeal pudding.

Potato pudding has a texture similar to that of bread pudding, but is made with sweet potato, raisins, coconut milk and nutmeg.

Another popular dessert, duckanoo, also referred to as blue drawers, is a mixture of banana, sweet potato, coconut milk, raisins, vanilla and spices. The pudding is then wrapped in green leaf banana leaves and boiled.

So go ahead - fire up your mouth with a bite of jerk chicken, then soothe your taste buds with a sip of coconut water or carrot juice (popular drinks in Jamaica) and then finish off the meal with an island-inspired sweet treat like potato pudding or duckanoo. It won't take long before you're living on island time and speaking the language, mon!

 BORDERFEST

BorderFest celebrates the spirit of Jamaica this year. Sample the taste of the islands while you can!

WHEN: Thursday, March 5 through Sunday, March 8

FOR TICKETS: Call (956) 843-2202 or (956) 843-2286, or visit myborderfest.com