When you come across a Jamaican restaurant that offers takeout, you had better take advantage of this opportunity! Jamaican cuisine can be incredibly flavorful and delicious, and a lot of traditional Jamaican dishes hold up very well to the rigors of takeout. But what dishes are most worth ordering your first time around? Here are a few top suggestions.
Jerk Chicken
Jerk chicken just might be the Jamaican dish that people know the most about. It's chicken seasoned with jerk seasoning, which is a blend of ground cayenne pepper, garlic powder, allspice, cinnamon, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, and sometimes a few other spices and herbs. The chicken is usually marinated before being coated in the seasoning and then roasted or grilled until very tender. Therefore, the flavor tends to permeate the chicken entirely. The skin is melt-in-your-mouth tender. This chicken stands up to takeout well, and in fact, sealing it in a takeout box for a few minutes may actually make it more flavorful and tender.
Ackee and Saltfish
If you like fish, this is a great dish to order your first time around. It's actually the National Dish of Jamaica. Ackee is a fruit with a dense, starchy texture and light sweetness. Saltfish is typically cod that has been preserved with salt. The two ingredients balance each other out very well, especially when onions, peppers, garlic, and thyme are used to season them. As an added bonus, this is a pretty healthy dish that tends to be low in fat and high in protein.
Curry Goat
Curries are popular in a lot of cultures, and each culture makes its curry a little differently. Jamaican curry sauces can be pretty hot since they are made with the island's traditional, Scotch bonnet peppers. Other flavors include clove, turmeric, and thyme. Jamaican curry is traditionally made with goat meat, which makes it an interesting dish to try. In the U.S., you may sometimes see it made with pork instead; it is still worth ordering. Expect this to come in a big bowl when you order it for takeout. It has a lot of sauce. Rice will usually be packaged separately. You can pour the curry over the rice before serving it.
If you find a Jamaican restaurant that offers takeout, they are almost certain to have these dishes on the menu. All three dishes travel well and are worth ordering. For more information on Jamaican takeout, contact a restaurant near you.
Share15 May 2023
As soon as I started traveling a lot for work, I realized that I was going to be eating out--a lot. Instead of just visiting the same old fast-food restaurants that I had grown up with, I decided that it would be great to explore exciting new restaurants. I started small, by going to little places that had earned high ratings, and then I worked my way up to some of the more fancy establishments in the area. It was really great to see what I was able to find, and I was super pleased to explore so many new kinds of foods. Check out this blog for tips on enjoying new restaurants.
