Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Sample the Many Flavors of Jamaica

Dining in Jamaica can be as simple as a stool at a roadside stand or as elaborate as a fine dining restaurant inside a 5 star resort. The island of Jamaica offers a wide variety of restaurants and culinary styles to sample. The traditional cuisine of Jamaica is typically light, island fare with distinctive spices and flavors. Those looking for the traditional Jamaican experience will definitely want to check out the jerk huts on Jamaica’s northern shores. Here, spice rubs and grills set over oil drums create one of Jamaica’s signature dishes, jerk chicken. For the health-conscious diner, Jamaica also offers Rastafarian I-tal cuisine. I-tal cuisine does not contain salt and follows the strict dietary guidelines of the Rastafarian sect. Various vegetable and soy dishes are prepared to delight your taste buds -and the consciousness. Look for the red, gold and green band and/or a picture of a lion to distinguish these restaurants. If you are looking for a quick pick-me-up, meat or vegetable patties (a type of filled pastry) with coco bread are among the many light meals you can find throughout the country.

If you are looking to have a casual sit-down experience as you enjoy your Jamaican delicacies, you’ll find a wide range of establishments, from local watering holes to fine restaurants. Laid-back Margaritaville Sports Bar and Grill and neighboring posh restaurant, Marguerite’s, offer the best of both worlds in Montego Bay. Evita’s in Ocho Rios combines Jamaican cuisine with Italian flavor, bringing an international flavor to hometown spices. Chance’s in Negril serves up good pizza along Seven Mile Beach. However, a visit to Jamaica doesn’t mean a diet of just local cuisine. The island’s eating establishments employ some of the most talented chefs in the Caribbean. Chefs from the United States and Europe prepare elegant dishes in the French, Continental and American style of cooking.

All of these cuisines and more are a feature of the elaborate buffets that are often a feature at the major resort hotels. These buffets display a variety of local dishes along with other, more-standard fare, and they are almost always reasonably priced. Entertainment is often provided by a local reggae band. Even if you are not staying at a particular hotel, you can call on any given night and make a reservation to enjoy the resort’s buffet. These grand buffets are loaded with the best of Jamaican and American cuisine. The buffet at the All-Inclusive ClubHotel Riu Ocho Rios, for example, offers a full breakfast, with on the spot cooking stations, traditional Jamaican lunches and several types of theme restaurants to choose from for dinner, including a steak house, Italian, and Asian eateries. Sunset at the Palms in Negril offers an Asian Fusion restaurant, in addition to their sumptuous buffet and poolside grill. Many All-Inclusives offer theme nights on their main buffets as well.

Although punctuality and politeness are staples of Jamaican culture, most restaurants are relaxed and casual places to meet and eat. In Jamaica, restaurants are social outlets where friends and family dine, share stories and enjoy each others company. Even the chefs participate in the social experience by telling stories, making jokes or just sitting down at the table to see what is going on. Whether you are making new friends or sampling new dishes, Jamaican restaurants offer a wonderful balance of camaraderie and tasty treats.


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