Jamaican food is a combination of Jamaican cuisine, some Spanish influence, a bit of British, a dash of African zest, a brush of Indian touch and a taste of Chinese ingenuity. The cooking techniques and flavors of the different people who inhabited the island make Jamaican cuisine really authentic. Since the island is very rich in spices, almost all recipes have very strong but pleasant flavors.  

Here is a recipe taken from a popular list of Jamaican cuisine and you will barely notice the influence of the different people who settled in Jamaica:

Red Stripe Chicken

For this Jamaican cuisine recipe, you’ll need a chicken of course; at least three pounds of chicken breast will do great. It is much better if the chicken is julienne or in strips for the spices to easily penetrate the meat. Throw in a large bell pepper, or one small red bell pepper and a small green pepper to add flavor.  This will provide a subtle taste while adding bright colors to the dish since Jamaican cuisine uses up a lot of spices and bright colored ingredients. 

Include one fourth cup of vegetable oil and 2 cups of coconut cream to provide great consistency and sweetness for the sauce of the chicken recipe. The difference between coconut milk and coconut cream is that coconut cream is the first extract of the coconut meat and milk is from the succeeding presses where a bit of water is added. Cream is much flavorful and thicker than the milk. Though, the milk can also be used in this recipe but will not provide as much flavor as the cream. 

A cup of Red Stripe beer for authentic Jamaican cuisine flavor or any strong beer will do. Although Red Stripe is the most popular in Jamaica; hence, this choice of beer for this chicken recipe to achieve authentic Jamaican taste. Lastly, a large onion and some salt and pepper as seasonings for the dish.

To start with this Jamaican cuisine recipe, chop the pepper and onion into strips and rings. Then brown both sides of the chicken in a pot. Remove the oil and leave only at least two tablespoons of the oil in the pot.  Bring to a boil the coconut cream and beer in the pot along with the chicken. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for thirty minutes. Add the peppers and onions to the mix and simmer until the sauce thickens. It is best to serve while still hot.

A good authentic Jamaican cuisine that will go with this dish is the traditional boiled yam.  Yam is one of the staple side dishes in Jamaican cuisine.  Jamaican cuisine is unique in its own sense because of the different cultural influences in each recipe.

For more useful information, please visit our website: THE KNOWLEDGE BASE, and look for the FOOD & DRINKS  section.