Category: FoodieTuesday

Foodie Tuesday: Saltfish, from Poor Man’s Food to National Dish

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Saltfish is so popular in Jamaica, it’s one of the two main ingredients in ackee and saltfish, our national dish. We eat it fried, roasted, baked, or in stews and at any meal of the day.

Saltfish
uncooked fish

Salt or codfish came to Jamaica by way of Canada – Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, to be exact. Back then, planters were looking for food to feed the large population of enslaved Africans who worked on their plantations. It was for the same goal that they imported breadfruit from the South Pacific. Saltfish, as codfish is called locally, was traded for rum and molasses and shipped back to the island.

when saltfish could shingle house…

The first time I heard the expression, when saltfish could shingle house, I couldn’t understand what my mother was walking about. Why would anyone use saltfish to shingle their house? Years before saltfish was so inexpensive and commonplace, people thought jokingly that it could be use for everything, including as shingles for their houses.

Saltfish, flaked
Flaked fish

Not so now as saltfish runs from $5 – 7 a pound. It is more expensive than meat and some other types of fish. To make it attractive, supermarkets sell it in pieces weighing about a half of a pound. You can buy even smaller amount in grocery shops.

Today, approximately 80% of the saltfish, usually hake or pollack, imported into Jamaica comes from Norway. Saltfish maintains its popularity, in part, because of its long shelf life. It also doesn’t require refrigeration. However, it is no longer inexpensive or looked down on as food for poor or lower class people. A staple of our diet, saltfish is on the menu of households in all strata of Jamaican society, and appears in a variety of dishes including ackee and saltfish, or cooked up with tomatoes, calalloo, cabbage, okra, butter beans, or found in fritters.

Chopped ingredients for Saltfish
Chopped tomato, scallion, onion, thyme
Saltfish & tomatoes
Tomatoes

 

How to Make Saltfish and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1/2 pound saltfish
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks of scallion, chopped
1 sprig thyme
Black pepper, to taste
2-3 strips of Scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
Oil for frying

Directions

Soak saltfish in water overnight or bring to boil. Drain and add more fresh water and boil again to remove salt.
Chop onions, scallion and tomato; cut 2-3 strips from Scotch bonnet pepper and set aside.
Drain and add cold water.
Using your fingers or a fork, flake the fish and remove any bones.
In a medium skillet, add oil and allow to get hot. Saute chopped onions and scallions until transparent. Add pepper, then add tomatoes. Stir frequently until tomato flavors the oil.
Stir in the flaked fish. If there isn’t enough oil in the pan, add a little water.
Add black pepper and stir until the ingredients are fully mixed.
Lower the flame and let cook for 5 minutes.
Garnish with scallion or green peppers (sweet) and serve.
This can be paired with rice or ground provisions and can be eaten at any meal.

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Foodie Tuesday: Codfish Fritters (Stamp and Go)

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I love codfish fritters – tasty bite-size morsels of cooked codfish enveloped in light flour – but made them for the first time only last year. Cod or salt fish fritters are very popular as appetizers or snacks and are made by adding flaked codfish to a batter, which is then deep-fried.

Codfish Fritter batter
Batter

Also called Stamp and Go, apparently after the command (“Stamp and go!”) that was given to 17th century British sailors when tasks had to be done in a hurry, codfish fritters are sometimes referred to as Jamaica’s first fast food. They are relatively easy to make, so I’m not sure why it took me so long to make them. Codfish fritters can be eaten by themselves or accompanied by a dipping sauce.

Codfish Fritters
Fritters

How to Make Codfish Fritters

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted codfish (deboned) 
  • 2 cups unbleached All Purpose Flour
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, finely chopped, seeds removed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks escallion, finely sliced
  • 2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for frying
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups water, at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Soak codfish overnight in water, or bring to a boil twice (for 12-15 minutes), draining and adding fresh water after each boil.
  2. Drain and rinse the codfish under running cold water.
  3. Using a fork or your fingers, flake the codfish into small pieces, taking care to remove any remaining bones.
  4. To a small skillet, add oil and allow to get hot. Add onion, garlic, tomatoes and escallions. Sautee until soft about 5 minutes. Add black pepper then combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool
  5. Add codfish to the seasonings. Stir to combine.
  6. In a medium bowl, add flour and baking powder. Stir to incorporate.
  7. Add codfish mixture to the flour and stir to combine.
  8. Add water gradually, mixing by hand until a firm but loose batter is achieved
  9. Pour oil into a 6-qt. Dutch oven to a depth of 2″, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Using a tablespoon, drop rounds of dough into oil, and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes; repeat until remaining dough is finished.
  10. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fritters to paper towels to drain briefly.
  11. Garnish with tomato or lime wedges, chopped scallion, etc., and serve.

Recipe adapted from Enid Donaldson’s The Real Taste of Jamaica.

Although I’ve only used codfish, I’m sure other meats can be substituted. Fritters are not only about meat. Bananas that are very ripe can also be used, though the recipe is slightly different.

 

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FoodieTuesday: Passion Fruit Drink

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

The passion fruit is a round yellow (or purple) fruit with a very distinctive flavor. It is used in juices, ice cream, pastries and even syrup.

The yellow passion fruit is quite common in Jamaica and is usually found growing on vines in backyard gardens.

 

Whole passion fruit
Fruit

I was at my uncle’s home a few years ago when he asked if I’d like something to eat. I figured he’d buy us a meal so I was surprised when I heard the unmistakable sounds of pots and pans coming from his kitchen.

“You said you wanted something to eat,” he said, when I asked what he was doing, “I’m making us lunch.”

He noticed the look of shock on my face and burst out laughing.

“You think I can’t cook,” he said, still smiling.

When I offered to help, he shooed me out of the kitchen.

“I’ve been cooking since before you were born,” he added, chuckling.

Half of a passionfruit
Fruit

That did nothing to boost my confidence. I never knew Uncle Norris, the baby of the family, to cook. Whenever he came to our house, he’d head straight to the refrigerator for something to drink. If we didn’t have lemonade, his favorite, he’d call me to make him some. I was maybe 8 or 9 and hated having my playtime interrupted.

By now the smell of curry was wafting through the living room.

“What are you making?” I called out.

“Mind your own business,” he replied. “I said I’d make you lunch and I’m making you lunch.”

When I heard the whirring of the blender, I became even more curious. What could he be making now, I wondered.

I couldn’t believe the meal he’d whipped up. It was the most delicious curried chicken I’d eaten in a while. But it was the passion fruit drink that accompanied it that still has me talking almost four years later.

The slightly tangy taste of the passion fruit was the perfect accompaniment to the bold flavor of the curried chicken. It was so refreshing, I poured another glass.

How to Make Passion Fruit Drink

Ingredients

4-6 Passion fruits

Water

Sugar to taste

Directions

Cut passion fruit in half, scoop the flesh into a blender. Add water and sugar to taste. Blend until smooth. Strain. Serve chilled or over ice.

Have a foodie post you’d like to share? Join the #FoodieTuesday linkup and add it here  –

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Jamaica @51: Rice and Peas or the Jamaican Coat of Arms

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Welcome to another #FoodieTuesday!

You can join the #FoodieTuesday linkup by –

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Today, Jamaica celebrates her 51st year of Independence. There have been many changes in the country since 1962, notably in the way we eat.

Take rice and peas, for example. (Rice and peas is affectionately referred to as the Jamaica Coat of Arms, though I haven’t been able to find out why.) When I was growing up in rural Jamaica, we had rice and peas only on Sundays and on special occasions, like Christmas or Easter. Now, there’s rice and peas on almost every restaurant menu every day of the week.

The Easter bun and cheese that we had only at Easter is just as commonplace.

Rice and Peas with vegetables
Sunday meal – rice and peas with vegetables and meat

Back then the patty, a meat-filled turnover, was our main fast food and a popular lunch item for school children. With international chains like KFC, Burger King and Domino’s, along with the homegrown chains, Island Grill, Tastee, and Juici Patties in almost all fourteen parishes, we have a variety of fast food restaurants to choose from now.

Sundays still are special. For most of us, it’s the day we pause, bring family around the dining table to share the meal.

But it’s not always rice and peas. I’m no longer wedded to the Jamaican Coat of Arms on Sundays because I don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. But I wouldn’t plan a Christmas or Easter dinner without it on the menu.

 

How has your eating habits changed in the last twenty years?

 

How to Make Rice and Peas

Ingredients

3 cups of rice
2 cups of fresh red kidney beans (or Pigeon peas or a can of kidney beans)
5 cloves of garlic
1 can of coconut milk
1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper
3 scallion (spring onions)
3 sprigs of fresh (or 2 teaspoons of dried) thyme
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper

 

Preparation

Wash and soak peas overnight or put to boil in a medium saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Add garlic and a little salt to taste.
When peas are soft, add coconut milk and seasonings – thyme, Scotch bonnet, 2 sprigs of scallions, black pepper, and remaining salt, if needed.
Let cook for a few minutes then add the rice.
Cover and cook until the rice is tender and there’s no more liquid.
Plate and garnish with remaining scallion. Serve with your choice of meat or alone.



Foodie Tuesday: Blue Drawers

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Welcome to another #FoodieTuesday linkup!

 

Would you eat something called blue drawers?

Don’t answer just yet. Read on then let me know later.

Cornmeal cooked in banana leaf to make blue drawers
Cornmeal pudding wrapped in banana leaf

Jamaicans have a knack for christening people and things with more descriptive names. Some members of my family did it. If someone reminded them  of something else or if the person had a prominent feature, they’d call that person, behind their backs, of course, by that name.

That’s what happened with Blue Drawers. But no one seems to know how this little pudding ended up with this colorful moniker since it’s not blue – though during the cooking/steaming process the banana leaf turns the water a slightly blue color – and it’s not drawers either.

Blue Drawers, also called Tie-a-Leaf or Dukunnu came to Jamaica from West Africa.  Dukunnu, in the Akan language, means boiled maize bread.

Blue drawers on a plate
Ready to eat – blue drawers from my family reunion

Blue drawers is typically made from cornmeal, but it can also be made using green bananas, cassava, sweet potato or yam, which is grated and mixed with sugar and spices. It is then cut in squares, wrapped in banana (or plantain) leaf. tied in small packages with a string (or banana bark, hence the name tie-a-leaf) and boiled or steamed. It can be eaten at anytime.

I hadn’t thought of, or seen, Blue Drawers in several years and was surprised to see it this past weekend at my family reunion. It wasn’t on the official menu but there it was, stacked three or four deep in an aluminum container, next to the usual breakfast items. I didn’t try the blue drawers right away. When I returned later, the container was empty.

How to Make Blue Drawers

Ingredients

1 pound cornmeal
2 ounces white flour
1/2 pound sugar
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1 cup raisins
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. vanilla
2 -1/2 cups coconut milk

Banana leaf or aluminum foil
Banana bark or string
Water

Method:

Cut the center vein of the banana leaf. Soften or ‘quail’ the leaf by holding it over an open flame or boiling water until the green leaf turns dark. Set aside.

Put water in a large pot to boil.

Blend dry ingredients and grated coconut thoroughly. Mix wet ingredients, then add to dry ingredients. Stir briskly.

Place enough of the mixture into the center of banana leaf to make a 4-6” square. As if you’re wrapping a gift, fold each side of the leaf to the center; making sure it overlaps to keep the parcel waterproof. Use twine to wrap the bundle lengthwise and crosswise. Repeat until the batter is used up.

Place each package gently in simmering water that should be just enough to cover all the parcels. Cook for about 40 minutes, or until filling feels firm to the touch.

Plate and serve blue drawers.

Serves 8.

Here’s a video demonstrating how to make blue drawers. (As you can imagine, as young people, we would’ve only been able to use name with our friends. In front of parents and adults, it’d be either dukunnu or tie-a-leaf.)

So would you eat blue drawers?

 

You can join the #FoodieTuesday linkup by –

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Foodie Tuesday: Steamed Fish, Jamaican Style

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

My father loved steamed fish. It seemed to me that he had it all the time, that it was his favorite breakfast meal. With green bananas or yam. I think this habit of his of eating this way for breakfast was because he grew up in rural Jamaica where a substantial morning meal was common.

I was never a big fan of steamed fish. I prefer my fish fried as crispy as chips so that the bones snap when I bite into them.

Fast forward several years later and I’m dating. The guy I’m seeing – T – goes on and on about the steamed fish at Little Ochie. At first, I thought he was talking about someplace near Ocho Rios since, locally, everyone calls it “Ochie.” Then he explains that it’s a restaurant that has the best seafood in Jamaica. What could be so special about this particular restaurant, I wondered. I mean, any halfway decent housewife or chef knows how to steam fish. It wasn’t rocket science so I wasn’t impressed.

Early one Sunday morning, T took me there. Used plastic cups, utensils, and food-streaked styrofoam plates had been tossed carelessly over the beach area fronting the restaurant. That and the large black speakers that were hoisted on stands at either end of the beach said that a dance had taken place the previous night. The staff was busy putting things back in order.

T strutted straight to the back, as if he had shares in the restaurant, to where the fish were kept in buckets filled with ice. He then explained that I had to pick the fish I wanted. I chose a lovely red snapper. When the chef asked, I told him I wanted it with bammie, a flat bread, like Pita, that’s made from cassava. (On its own, bammie’s pretty bland. It can also be chewy but it’s a great accompaniment to fish – it’s typically eaten with escoveitch fish. It also stands out when combined with steamed fish, with its soft texture, mix of spices, and delicious gravy, though it will absorb the gravy.)

T wouldn’t hear of the bammie and talked me into having my fish with Excelsior Water Crackers, a hard cracker with a dent in the middle that has been a staple of the Jamaican diet for more than 100 years. Unlike the bammie, Excelsior Water Crackers stand up well in everything from gravies and jam, to butter and meats. I’d never had it with steamed fish before but decided to give it a try.

Back at our table in a thatched covered boat, we waited for the meal to arrive. It did, about 30 minutes later, covered in transparent wrap to protect it from sand and spills.

My eyes bulged. This was not my father’s steamed fish, not in the least! The fish, cooked whole and laid out on a large plate, was almost covered by strips of carrot, chopped okra, and slices of potato and cho cho (christophene or chayote). Crackers lined the plate like an embroidered collar.

All the ingredients were cooked together, allowing the juices from the fish and vegetables to mix with the scallion, thyme, peppers and onions. Pimento (allspice) berries, with its mix of cinnamon, clove, pepper, ginger and nutmeg, gave it a nice warm, almost woodsy, flavor. The vegetables were soft but not mushy, the fish firm and succulent. I ate everything, including my words, that morning. I had to admit, it was the best steamed fish I’d had.

Steamed fish with vegetables
Steamed Fish with potato, carrots, okra, bammie

I’ve been back to Little Ochie several times since then and, except when lobster’s in season, it’s the steamed fish I order – sometimes with crackers, other times with bammie. It tastes just the same as it did that Sunday morning.

Steamed Fish, Jamaican Style

Ingredients

1 large snapper, scaled, gutted and cleaned
A few okras, chopped
1 cho cho, julienned
1 carrot, julienned
1 large onion, sliced
2 stalks of escallion
1 sprig of thyme
Crushed pimento grains and black peppercorns
1 tbsp margarine
Fish seasoning to taste
Salt to taste
Excelsior Water Crackers (optional – I noticed that it’s available on Amazon!)

Method

Slice the cleaned fish and season with black pepper, salt, and fish seasoning.
Add to a large pot roughly a cup and a half of water (or more if needed) just enough to cover the fish.
Next add all the other ingredients and cover the pot tightly.
Simmer over medium heat until the fish and vegetables are cooked (approximately 20 minutes, it all depends on the thickness of the fish, so eyeball it).
Add crackers at the end.

Note: I modified this recipe that I found on the Jamaica Observer site.

 

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Foodie Tuesday: Jerk Lobster, Little Ochie Style

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I didn’t know what to expect from this jerk lobster meal at Little Ochie Seafood Restaurant but let me tell you, it surpassed my expectations. The delicate and slightly sweet taste of the lobster is a seamless marriage with the pungent flavors of the pimento, Scotch Bonnet pepper, mace, scallion and garlic that are the main ingredients of jerk. It was as if they were always destined to be.

Jerk Lobster from Little Ochie
Little Ochie’s Jerk Lobster

It was my first time having lobster done jerk style and when I tasted it, my first thought after I savored the mix of flavors was, why hadn’t any other restaurants put it on their menu?

I’ve written about Little Ochie Seafood Restaurant before but it deserves another mention. Here’s the thing about this place: it’s got an offbeat, distinctive ambiance – and they prepare each meal to order.

In the early days, when the operation was smaller, the seafood was kept in buckets filled with ice. You’d pick your fish, lobster, crab, conch, or shrimp from the bucket and tell the chef how you wanted it done – jerked, grilled, curried, garlic, steamed, brown stewed, or escoveitched. It’s all refrigerated now but that hasn’t detracted from the fresh taste – and you still get to pick.

Once you place your order, look for a boat. I did say that Little Ochie is a seaside restaurant, didn’t I? Don’t worry – the boats are anchored in the sand and they now sport thatched roofs, tables and benches.

If the restaurant’s crowded when you arrive, secure your boat then place your order. Little Ochie’s small enough that your server will find you and bring your meal when it’s done, usually about half an hour later. It could take longer if you have a large party.

There are other items on the menu. The steamed fish is my other favorite and I order that when lobster is out of season. I’ll write about that another time.

How to Make Jerk Lobster

Ingredients

  • 4 lobster tails
  • 2 tsp. Jerk Seasoning
  • ½ cup Butter
  • 2 whole scallions
  • 2 tsps. lemon/lime juice
  • ½ tsp. of hot sauce or 3 drops of Jamaican hot pepper sauce (optional)

 

Method:

  1. Slice scallions thinly.
  2. Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the scallions until it is golden.
  3. Add the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.
  4. Add ½ teaspoon of hot sauce or 3 drops of Jamaican hot pepper sauce (optional depending on your taste).
  5. Let it simmer for about 1 min. then set aside.
  6. Remove the membrane from the lobster tails and use a sharp knife to split them in half (lengthwise).
  7. Use a brush to put the butter sauce on each tail.
  8. Using the same brush, spread the Jerk sauce over the tails especially on the exposed meat. Put your oven setting to broil.
  9. Put the lobster tails in oven on the meat side for 4 minutes. Turn and cook the shell side for 2 minutes.
  10. If you want a more smoked taste, you should cook the lobster tails for 2 minutes on each side in the oven, then place on a barbeque grill for 3 minutes. You may need to add more Jerk sauce if you put it on the grill.
  11. Serve with Festival, bammy or Jamaican hardo bread, or assorted steamed vegetables.
  12. For a true taste of Jamaica, have a cold Red Stripe beer. 

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from jamaicans.com

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FoodieTuesday: The Multi-Purpose Coconut

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

A few mornings ago, my neighbor brought me two jelly coconuts – the young coconut with meat that is translucent and soft, or sometimes pale white. Part of the husk or bark had already been removed. Although, it was only about 8 a.m., I still hadn’t had breakfast so I asked him to take off the tip so I could drink the water. It was refreshing.

Acres of coconut trees, Jamaica
A farm

As I fixed breakfast that morning, I thought about the coconut. The coconut is a multi-purpose fruit. We not only drink the water, which is full of vitamins, amino acids and electrolytes, we also eat the meat as is.

When the coconut is mature, the jelly become firm and white. It is scooped out of the husk, grated and mixed with water to make milk for cooking, and grated or diced for baking.

Coconuts on a tree
A large bunch

All of the Coconut is Used

Before electric floor polishers became popular, we polished our floors and used a brush that was made from the top part of a dry (mature) coconut to shine them.

In the rural areas of Jamaica, brooms to sweep the yard, were made from the reeds of coconut leaves. The leaf can also be plaited to make hats, baskets, etc., and the fiber from the coconut husk, called coir, is used to make mats and mattresses.

Chopping a coconut
Vendor

Coconut water low in calories and sodium, naturally fat- and cholesterol-free, and has more potassium than four bananas. It is very hydrating and is definitely better for you than sports drinks.

But that’s not all: coconut water has been used as a blood plasma substitute and it’s also been used to supply glucose. It is as effective as statin drugs that are used to manage cholesterol. No wonder celebrities and sports figures are chugging it like they do water.

And oil made from coconut is considered to be healthier than butter, trans fats and probably even animal fats.

Coconut water straight from the husk
Adding a little rum

Most families have a coconut tree or two in their backyards. If you have to buy, a medium-sized coconut costs $1-2 here.

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FoodieTuesday: A Traditional Breakfast in Jamaica

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

In Jamaica, a traditional breakfast, sometimes called a country breakfast, is substantial. It usually includes some of the following: green bananas, Johnny Cakes also known as fried dumplings, roasted or fry-roasted breadfruit, fried plantains, bammie (a flat bread made from cassava), and yam and either ackee and saltfish, saltfish and callaloo, mackerel, fried fish, pork, or liver.

Green bananas, Johnny cakes, ackee, callaloo for FoodieTuesday
Traditional Breakfast offered at a special tour of Appleton Estate

A traditional breakfast in Jamaica can sometimes mean porridge made from bananas, cornmeal, plantains, oats.

This particular traditional breakfast included green bananas (on the left, they don’t look green though), dumplings (the two round items on the right), callaloo (green, from the spinach family), ackee and saltfish (yellow), and mackerel (between the bananas and the ackee).

Of course, a traditional breakfast such as this takes time to prepare so nowadays it’s more often done on weekends or purchased from restaurants and cookshops. And a breakfast like this will stay with you all day.

 

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The Breadfruit, Bligh’s Gift to Jamaica and the Mutiny it Caused

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Looking up at a breadfruit tree laden with fruit, I heard an older gentleman remark to no one in particular, that it’d be a rough year. Breadfruit, he continued, as if revealing some truism that was lost to this younger generation, is always plentiful during hard times.

His words echoed in my head each time I noticed tree after tree that was covered in the slightly oval fruit that grows to the size of a large grapefruit. And as the value of the Jamaican currency fell to unprecedented levels against the US dollar this month, I began to wonder whether this abundance of breadfruit might really be a harbinger of hard times.

Maybe now, I thought, that prices on basic food items begin to creep upwards and salaries that have stayed flat buy less and less at the supermarket, its time to turn to this nutritious, and often overlooked food.

Lone breadfruit on a tree
Breadfruit

How the Breadfruit Came to Jamaica

The breadfruit was brought to Jamaica in 1793 by Captain William Bligh of the unfortunate HMS Bounty, precisely because it was considered an inexpensive and nutritious way to feed the large number of slaves who worked the island’s then numerous sugar plantations.

Bligh, an experienced navigator, who had lived near Lucea, Hanover from 1784-7, had sailed ships of sugar and rum from the island to England while he was in his uncle-in-law’s employ.

His ill-fated expedition to the South Pacific to bring back breadfruit and other plants ended in the now infamous mutiny in which Bligh not only lost his ship, he also lost the specimens he had collected.

He and 18 of his trusted crew were given a small boat which Bligh piloted 3,618 miles to Timor aided only by a quadrant and pocket watch, and his memory of charts he had seen. On his return to England, he was promoted to captain and in 1791, returned to Tahiti on the Providence for more fruit.

It was from this shipment that Bligh delivered specimens to the island of St. Vincent and Jamaica’s Bath Botanical Gardens in St. Thomas, and Bluefields in Westmoreland.

How the breadfruit caused the Mutiny on the Bounty
Breadfruit storyboard, Hanover Museum, Jamaica

Today, hundreds of varieties of breadfruit can be found in nearly 90 countries from the Pacific Islands, to Southeast Asia to the Caribbean and Central America. Left untouched, a tree can grow to about 85 feet, and yield between 150-200 fruits each year. One hundred grams of fruit has 27 grams of carbohydrates, 70 grams of water, as well as vitamins, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals.

Fried roasted breadfruit, ackee, saltfish, Johnny Cakes, avocado
Traditional breakfast, a slice of fried roasted breadfruit on the right. Max Jamaica Restaurant, NJ

While the easily grown trees, with its distinctive large, cut leaves, flourished in Jamaica, it took more than 40 years for the breadfruit — the taste is sometimes described as a cross between a potato and a plantain — to become popular to the local palate. Now, every household has at least one tree in its backyard and breadfruit or breshay is a staple of our diet, eaten at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even as a snack.

It is baked, fried, boiled, jerked, roasted and juiced. We also make chips, porridge, dumplings, salads, fritters, cakes, muffins and puddings from this almost year-round fruit all the while being mostly oblivious to the story behind their introduction to the island.

Given a choice, I take breadfruit over rice every time. A few slices of the young breadfruit give soups ‘body.’ The ‘fit’ breadfruit, when boiled is soft enough to be mashed like potato and eaten with butter. The ripe or slightly ripe better yet a yellow heart breadfruit is mandatory for roasting.

For the unlucky few who don’t have a tree in their backyards, breadfruit can usually be found in local markets. Roasting breadfruit is typically higher in price. Depending on location, they are between $0.50 and $1.00, and between $0.30 and $0.70 for boiling.

One of my favorite breadfruit recipes is baked breadfruit stuffed with ackee and saltfish.

Baked Breadfruit Stuffed with Ackee and Saltfish

Prepare ackee and saltfish, as shown below, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the stem from a medium breadfruit, rub with butter or brush with olive oil, and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake breadfruit for 35-45 minutes or until tender. Test whether a knife or skewer inserted into the breadfruit comes out clean.
Remove the breadfruit’s core (heart), stuff with salt fish and ackee. Rub more butter or olive oil on the outside and return to the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool then cut breadfruit in half. Garnish and serve.

Ackee and Saltfish

1/2 lb Saltfish (dried, salted codfish)
12 fresh ackees or 1 (drained) can of tinned ackees
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 Scotch Bonnet pepper
1 sweet pepper, for garnish (optional)
1 chopped tomato
1 sprig fresh thyme
Oil for frying

Soak saltfish overnight or boil to remove the salt. Drain. If boiled, let it cool before removing and discarding the skin and bones. Flake the fish. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Saute onions until transparent then add chopped tomato, pepper and thyme. Add saltfish and mix with onions, tomato, pepper. Fold in ackees and stir gently so the ackees stay whole. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, garnish with sweet pepper or use as stuffing for baked breadfruit.

 

This is my submission to Travel Photo Thursday, which is organized by Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox. Be sure to head over and check out more photos and stories from locations around the world.