Jamaican Foodie Report!

We were off today for Good Friday – great to have some downtime. Mary, our host mom taught me to cook Ackee and Saltfish.

Ackee & Saltfish, boiled green banana, fried plantains and dumplings

Preparing the Saltfish and herbs

Steve - learning to cook Jamaican

Also, Banga – our neighbor – baked a traditional Easter Bun (a kind of fruit cake).

Banga - the baker of Easter Buns

Mary made Sorrel, a drink derived from the flowers of the Sorrel (type of Hybiscus) – it is a strong dark red drink typically included in Christmas meals.

Sorrel Flowers

Soursop

Ackee on the tree

 

She also made a Soursop drink from a large Soursop (a tropical fruit) harvested from her garden.  

Dinner at home with Mary and Banga

A good day with our Jamaican family!

 

Saturday Update -- we drove to Port Antonio in Portland Parish on the northeast coast of Jamaica. Stopped for lunch to have Stew Peas (always served with Pig's Tail) and then got some real Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork from a cook shop on the way home.

 

Stew Peas with Pig's Tail

Jerk Chicken

 

Jamaican experience -- Ackee and Salt Fish, Goat Curry, Jerk Chicken and more...

Preparing for Jamaica! We decided that one way to learn about our new Peace Corps home is by experiencing the food. We drove to Colorado Springs for a REAL Jamaican experience. Spice Island Grill's Head Chef, Clovis "Uncle" Nathan cooked Ackee and Salt Fish, Goat Curry, Jerk Chicken, Rice & Peas, Festival Bread, Fried Plantains, and more -- all with a couple of bottles of Red Stripe beer.