Yaad food an' bickle i1v2ummer2015

Foodie Heaven in Jamaica Meet our Vendors Trip Advisor Award

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Pon Di Menu Today

Appetizer……………………………… 3 Soup’s On……………………………… 4 Main Course…………………………… 9 Dessert and Brawta…………………….. 13 Side Orders……………………………… 17

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Welcome to the very first edition of our Jamaica Culinary Tours Newsletter!

Yes, we know - it’s been a long time coming - but just think of it as a big pot filled with rich delicacies that has been simmering gently on the stove for a while, allowing for all the spices, herbs and secret ingredients to blend together perfectly, and for the gravy to boil down to just the right consistency before it’s ready for serving.

And finally it’s done - our Newsletter has stewed down just the way we think you’ll like it, and so we thank you for your patience and invite you to dig in to our very first edition of “Yaad Food an’ Bickle”! (Jamaican food and victuals)

Bon Appetit!

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SOUP’S ON Well the soup is definitely on, and there’s a lot bubbling in our pot. We started off calling this section “The Year in Review”, but truthfully, since this is our first Newsletter, and since there’s soooo much to tell you about what we’ve been up to since our launch – yes, almost two years ago – we’ll just think of it as tasty highlights of our fascinating journey thus far!

Tour in November 2014 and had the pleasure to welcome on that day, a large group of travel agents from the Professional Travel Agents Of North America (PTANA)

We’re thrilled that this journey has taken us into various nooks and crannies, some planned, others completely unscheduled but all equally exciting! We celebrated the first birthday of our Falmouth Food

We’ve hosted over 1,300 guests since our launch in 2013 and our five star reviews and Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor tell us we’re on to something good!

The tour grew so exponentially in the first 6 months that we had to bring on new Tour Guides, all willing and eager to take their guests on a culinary journey into the belly of our intriguing history. It’s been a wonderful learning process and we’ve had some surprises along the way too. For example, never had we imagined that the Tour would be such a hit with just about everybody, and with guests of all ages – with our youngest guest joining us at 9 months old, and a few octogenarians stepping up to the plate too!

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One of our happiest highlight moments was hosting about 20 students who travelled from a Preparatory school in the neighbouring Parish of St. Ann to learn about the history of

Falmouth, sample some local fare and partake in an authentic “to market-to market” experience. It was precious to see the young ‘uns in action, bartering over the price of pumpkin! We were impressed at their knowledge about our history and culture, and equally impressed at their hunger to learn and of course to taste more of Falmouth’s offerings.

The delight on their faces as we filled their minds and their tummies was truly rewarding.

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Of course as true foodies charged with tracking all things culinary, we’ve made sure to tune into food-related events across the island so that we can keep our readers and followers up to date on what's cooking. We couldn’t do it all (got to watch those waistlines!), but some of the events we did manage to squeeze in included our favourite food fair - Kingston Kitchen which showcases the best of the capital’s chefs and culinary fare, an Epicurean Escape over looking the Caribbean Sea, an elegant moonlight culinary feast set in the midst of an organic farm on a rural hillside, and a trip through a winding

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mountainside to enjoy traditional street food cooking prepared and served in the middle of a river! And how could we not mention a stop by the Annual Pan Chicken Championships where we watched the best of pan-chicken chefs engage in a furious cook-off, leaving us near drunk from the delicious and heady fumes of jerk chicken that filled the air! Our wanderings also took us to various local markets, including up and coming organic markets, and our taste buds discovered a whole range of new and innovative gourmet products – did someone say ginger beet ketchup and pimento wine?! Wow!

All our stops were delightfully delicious, and all were reminders of just how much the Jamaican cuisine scene is exploding! And as if we needed any more proof, our involvement in various activities related to the 2015 Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards left no doubt in our minds that Jamaica is making its mark as a dynamic and exciting culinary destination. Flip over to our Desert and Brawta feature “Foodie Heaven in Jamaica” on page 13 to read more about the mouthwatering Food Awards gastronomic trail that took us to the top of the Jamaican Alps and back!

In between our “nyammings”, we carved out some time to develop a new culinary route for our guests who are reportedly hungry for more.

Our new tour plots a trail from the bustling town of Falmouth in the parish of Trelawny, through to peaceful seaside towns and up into the lush hills of the “garden parish” of St. Ann. The Nyam An’ Guh Weh Tour offers our guests not just a culinary journey, but a fascinating time travel experience back to the days of the indigenous Taino Indians - the original inhabitants of our island, our European colonizers and our African forefathers. Guests will love the rich mix of history, heritage and culture served up with some flavourful home-cooked and traditionally prepared Jamaican dishes. Salivating yet? Well so were our mock tour guests who summed it up in one word – “Incredible”!

Official launch date is just another couple of months away so stay tuned to our website and facebook page coz de ting soon bus’! (It’s almost here!)

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MAIN COURSE ♬♪Summer

time, and the living is easy♬♪ …. well not exactly, but for some at least, the living is a little less hectic as kids are on school break, and parents and families try to squeeze in some outdoor family vacation time. One of the most fun times to do that is on August 6, smack in the middle of Summer when Jamaica celebrates its Independence Day, commemorating its freedom from British colonial occupation. On August 6, 1962, after years of Spanish and subsequent British colonial rule, Jamaica was finally allowed to govern its own political, economical, and social affairs. The birth of an independent Jamaica was, perhaps, the most significant event in the nation's history, and each year Jamaicans, both at home and around the world, gather in a vibrant and energetic display of colours and culture to celebrate this milestone. It is a day of national pride as we remember our history, our struggles, our forefathers and the sacrifices they made; and as we reflect on our beliefs, our traditions, our excellence in various spheres including the Arts, Sports, in business, and so much more…

We celebrate all this with our cultural festivals, our street parades, our music, dance and drama, and of course our food – lots and lots of it as we rejoice in how far we have come and how much we have achieved. The independence celebrations come only days after the celebration of another significantly historical milestone – Emancipation Day – the commemoration of the day that slaves gained full freedom from their colonial masters in 1838. In Kingston, the island’s capital, as well as in several other towns across the island, the festivities of the ‘Emanci-pendence’ period culminate in a Grand Gala Parade where hundreds of participants parade through the streets dressed in costumes representing the various aspects of our cultural heritage. It is one of the most festive events on the island, full of colour, energy, music and dance. And since no revelry is complete without food, vendors are out in their numbers, selling everything from cooked food to sweet treats and snacks, and colourful, shaved-ice thirst-quenchers.

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For those who opt out of the festivities, opting for a relaxing day on the beach instead, they will most likely succumb to the tempting smells of fried fish and bammy, or grilled lobster and crab wafting down the beach, and indulge themselves accordingly.

and Dukunnu – a curious cornmeal-based treat wrapped in banana leaves - are among the items likely to show up at the many street festivals and fairs taking place across the island. Of course it cannot be overlooked that “Festival” – a slightly sweet dumpling made from cornmeal is said to have been invented by beachside cooks who named this treat after the Festival of the Arts, a major competitive event held during the Independence period each year. Needless to say, the ‘festival’ is bound to appear at every festival! A light and fluffy -textured treat, it will show up as an accompaniment to various favourites, including our famous jerk pork, another culinary legacy handed down to us by our African forefathers.

While there are no particular foods that are unique to the “Emanci-pendence” period, the fact that it is a time when we celebrate our history and our cultural heritage, does lend itself to favouring those traditional foods handed down to us from our ancestors. And so culinary fare such as Ackee and Saltfish (our national dish), Mackarel Run Down which also aptly goes by the name of a traditional folklore dance – ‘Dip and Fall Back’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Km2zVLDV9Fg) -

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Last, but not least is the Denbigh Agricultural Show which also takes place around the Independence period in the parish of Clarendon.

Visitors to Denbigh are treated to the best of the produce, livestock, horticulture and agro-industries from the island’s fourteen parishes which are showcased at this traditional event.

With so much going on, it’s no wonder many Jamaicans living abroad choose Emanci-pendence as a great time of year to return home, visit loved ones, soak up some culture and get into the spirit of things! It’s not too late to join us!

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Foodie Heaven in Jamaica!

Jamaica has always taken its food seriously, but in recent years, the local culinary landscape “tun up”, as we would say in local parlance. One indication of the increased interest in Jamaican cuisine and all things culinary, is the sponsoring of huge food-related events by two of our major newspapers. This month the Jamaica Observer culminated its annual celebration of Jamaican food with the 17th annual Table Talk Food Awards and the 12th annual Foodie Seminar. Of course as your ‘boots on the ground’, Jamaica Culinary Tours had to be present at both events!

Even better, in the lead up to the Food Awards, Janet, our Tour and Creative Experience Director was Parish Ambassador for the parish of Trelawny, home of our Falmouth Food Tour. Along with her business partner Marina Delfos, Janet journeyed through the hills and valleys of the parish in search of what the Observer referred to as ‘hidden culinary gems’. Their favourite gems ranged from a roadside yam stall up in the cool hills known as “Top Trelawny” to the elegant Lobster Bowl restaurant and Joe James art gallery housed in a beautiful historic location on the waterfront in Rio Bueno.

The latter emerged the winner for Trelawny, but we believe that as a result of the exposure, all of the culinary gems were winners! The restaurants and food stalls which they visited showed the diversity 13

and creativity of Jamaican food. Roast yam and saltfish were once ‘slave food’ but now people drive through windy and rough roads to get their fix of both.

And many would be willing to drive practically to the ends of the earth for the pepper shrimp wrapped in foil and grilled to perfection, or for the feisty curry chicken served with English-style fries that the enthusiastic foodies found in their travels.

Proverb: No mug nuh bruk, no cawfee nuh dash weh

Translation: The mug is not broken, therefore the coffee is not thrown away (or

Co-Principals of Jamaica Culinary Tours, Anne and Janet also attended the Foodies Seminar, where we were treated to the innovative thinking and practices of the best in the business. It was great to learn about emerging food clusters built on the principles of cooperation. The owner of one of our favourite jerk spots – Sweetwood, has for example, been doing a great job of pulling together market vendors and organic farmers along with one of the island’s most popular seafood shacks into one space where where you can get your shopping as well as your lyming done over breakfast, lunch or fresh natural juices

Explanation: Even in the most difficult of times, if total devastation has not occurred, one should count his/her blessings. Or simply – “Don’t cry over spilt milk”.

It was also fascinating to learn of the great strides being made by Jamaican and other Caribbean Chefs who are making their mark as far away as Qatar and in various parts of the world. If you’re a coffee lover, you’ll be happy to know that Starbucks is now serving our world-famous Blue Mountain coffee, and that Jamaican company Wallenford Coffee is pulling out all of the stops to make sure that wherever in the world you buy Blue Mountain Coffee, you are actually getting what you pay for, and not a blend or cheap imitation.

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We left the Foodie Seminar our minds and our appetites well sated with good food and more than good news about all the culinary happenings at home and abroad.

And then it was the big evening – weeks of preparation, cook-off challenges and judging culiminating in the staging of the 17th Food Awards, a grand, elegant affair on the lawns of Devon House (ranked by the way, as the fourth coolest place in the world to eat ice cream!). The coveted awards included Best New Food Item, Best Wine Experience, Chef of the Year, Junior Chef on the Rise, and Restaurant of the Year.

Awards duly presented, it was time to imbibe. There was no way to indulge in even half of all that was on offer, but highlights included pulled chicken sliders with guava sauce, jerk pork belly with vanilla and plantain purée and coconut curry ice cream! The vibes were positively humming in the Best Dressed Chicken booth where some of the island’s top Chefs, joined by visiting Chefs from Britain and the Caribbean, showcased their skills in exciting live culinary demonstrations, concocting creative and delectable dishes which we were only too happy to devour. Once again our palates and our imaginations were completely stimulated and excited, and we were mesmerized at the impressive range of culinary products, services and indeed the talent across our island and our Caribbean region .

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The theme for this year’s Awards was “The Stakes are Higher”, and indeed the culinary excellence on display at the Awards and in the lead-up to

the Awards leave no doubt that the industry is soaring to higher and higher heights.

So what’s up next for local food enthusiasts and those visiting the island?

Well we did mention earlier that both of our newspapers are recognizing the growth in our culinary industry, and so the clock is ticking down to the annual Restaurant Week sponsored by the Jamaica Gleaner.

Needless to say, you know we’re already gearing up our appetites to represent those of you who can’t participate – it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it!

MEET THE FOOD VENDORS Our tours are designed to introduce our guests to authentic Jamaican food experiences, so we take them to the places we go, they eat what we eat, the way we eat it and they get to meet the people who prepare the tastings for them. The Food Vendors are an integral part of our tours and have been carefully selected not only on the basis of excellent quality food and service, but for their congeniality and hospitality. Carlos Morgan, the Sugar Cane vendor on our Falmouth Food Tour is one such fine example.

Now every Jamaican town is guaranteed to have at least one Sugar Cane vendor, and Falmouth is no different. But we like to think that Carlos is super-special as he has the distinction of having met and served sugar cane and coconut water to both Prince Harry and his father Prince Charles on their respective visits to the town of Falmouth. And he has the pictures to prove it!

Many a Falmouth Food Tour guest has not only enjoyed Carlos’ sugar cane, but has admired his expertise as he skillfully handles his machete to prepare it for them. Carlos, whom we have affectionately dubbed “Our Royal Rastafarian”, was born in the Parish of Trelawny and has been vending for more than 20 years.

The father of two, he’s also a boss chef, and cooks up a mean Red Peas Stew and other vegetarian delights in his downtime.

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Well as we’ve said, the culinary landscape in Jamaica is not lacking in activity and there’s lot’s more brewing to excite food and culture lovers for the rest of the year. So let’s have a look at what’s on the menu in the weeks and months ahead: 31

Denbigh Agriculture and Food Show

Denbigh Agriculture and Food Show

July 31 – August 2

Reggae Film Festival

August 1 – 5 1

Mobay Jerk Festival Bath Breadfruit Festival

- Denbigh Agriculture and August 1 Food Show - Reggae Film Festival August 1

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Denbigh Agriculture and Food Show

Independence Day Parade

August 6

Grand Gala

August 6

Jamaica Food Festival

Independence Week

Kingston Kitchen Night Market

August 22

Jamaica Food & Drink Festival

Oct.29 – Nov. 1

Restaurant Week

November

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