Question: Why Do Jamaican Side Dishes Mirror African American Side Dishes?

[get these nets]

Nah, Jamaicans are suuuper closed minded when it comes to food. They ain't substituting shyt. If they ain't got it, they ain't got it. I don't eat mangoes in the UK cos the varieties are trash and unripe. I'll wait till I go to Jamaica and that's what most Jamaicans do. It has to be more or less exactly the same for them to substitute.

What about the earlier example I used about the locally grown giant yams you mentioned, and the variety that they'd find in a North American grocer?

 

[Caca-faat]

What about the earlier example I used about the locally grown giant yams you mentioned, and the variety that they'd find in a North American grocer?

I've never been to North America so don't know what you have available but like I said Jamaicans are funny if it's not more or less the same we ain't substituting shyt. I would imagine you have the same things imported over like we do here. The only thing I can think of where a substitute has become a staple is scotch bonnet peppers and haberneros. Haberneros are not scotch bonnet but ppl use them interchangeably so much so second generation don't know what a real scotch bonnet looks like.

 

[Alvin]

Jamaicans don't candy their sweet potatoes on the island, they do that to cater to their audience in the US. I only knew what candied yams were when I became an adult. The sweet potatoes we have on the island are a different variety to your sweet potatoes with a pink skin and yellow/white flesh and can be quite stringy. It is usually boiled and served along side other "ground provisions" such as cho cho/ Christophine, pumpkin, yellow or white yam (not to be confused with your yams. Yellow yams can grow to the size of small child and are very starchy and not sweet at all) Yams come in soo many variations from dark purple like Ube, small dark and hairy like dasheen or coco (p.s not cocoa)
Too much to add but I'll stop there. They are also found in most soups that we make.

Yes to the bolded except stew peas. Stew peas is a main dish and messing it up is a sackable offense, and is kinda big league.

We have a version of Fried cabbage which we call steamed cabbage, this can also have salted cod fish or smoked herring in it, if it doesn't its a side dish otherwise it would be a main dish served with sides of rice or ground provisions.

Yes please see above

Yes they eat Macaroni and cheese across the Caribbean

Red beans and rice are not the same thing as rice and peas. Rice and peas is an accompaniment to the meat like any side dish, the meat is the star. It appears your red beans are cooked with sausage and served WITH rice. Or rice and peas is rice cooked in a seasoned kidney bean broth/ stock that has coconut milk in it. This is cooked using the absorption method till the rice has absorbed the liquid and the grains are light and fluffy. Rice and peas can also be made with gungo/pigeon peas. I've never seen it done with black eyes peas on the island as part of the native cuisine unless someone sent a barell with non perishable items.

Also we have calaloo which is a relative of spinach and is not the same as turnip or Mustard greens. If you see any AA version of greens they are doing this for ya'll. Calaloo is a dark green leafy vegetable that is shredded and fried with onion, garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet etc then steamed in more or less its own juices.

At the bolded for the most part yes, but from replies in this thread they clearly do.



For context, I was born and bred on the island and have no connection to the US outside of those family members that emigrated there. Still haven't visited.

how did you come across the coli?

 

[desjardins]

Jamaican restaurants in the states are slowly becoming like OG chinese restaurants
They are adjusting the menu to the american palette. I feel like ten yrs ago most jamaican spots in my area didn't have those sides.
Mac and Cheese from a jamaican restaurant is wild
A spot not too far from me, that I considered trash, was voted one of the best jamaican spots in the city. And they basically serve soul food
Imagine young ados kids growing up with parents who don't cook traditional food thinking baked chicken and greens with cornbread is "jamaican food" cause that's the only place they get that from

 

[SupaDupaFresh]

Mac and cheese is an American Dish that many believe came from 18th century slaves but I'm sure the Jamaican places added it to entice African-American customers.

But yams, rice and beans, and greens are essentially African.

I know Jamaicans swap the beans with peas I think that is original to the West Indies.

Nah they still use a variety of beans in their dishes. Most commonly kidney beans. They just call it "peas" out of slang.

 

[SupaDupaFresh]

Those are not traditional jamaican side dishes....

Growing up and most jamaican restaurants i go too the sides are cocoa bread,beef/jerk patties,cole slaw,peas and rice,ox tail soup & plantanos...

Nah breh. 89 NYC cat here. Caribbean spots been putting on that well done, brick slice seasoned Mac and cheese for a minute. Also a Jamaican spot would never have "plantanos" on the menu. Plantains. Dumplings with either salt fish or whiting on top steamed vegetable probably the most GOAT authentic Jamaican side. Thread got me hungry

 

[SupaDupaFresh]

Breh I live in nyc. Have you been to Negril BK or kokomo?

Look at their menus. You think nikkas in the caribbbean eat chicken and waffles, oxtail pizza or tacos?

Negril in the Village got a mean Snapper tho

 

[Miggs]

Nah breh. 89 NYC cat here. Caribbean spots been putting on that well done, brick slice seasoned Mac and cheese for a minute. Also a Jamaican spot would never have "plantanos" on the menu. Plantains. Dumplings with either salt fish or whiting on top steamed vegetable probably the most GOAT authentic Jamaican side. Thread got me hungry

Jamaican restaurants in the states are slowly becoming like OG chinese restaurants
They are adjusting the menu to the american palette. I feel like ten yrs ago most jamaican spots in my area didn't have those sides.
Mac and Cheese from a jamaican restaurant is wild
A spot not too far from me, that I considered trash, was voted one of the best jamaican spots in the city. And they basically serve soul food
Imagine young ados kids growing up with parents who don't cook traditional food thinking baked chicken and greens with cornbread is "jamaican food" cause that's the only place they get that from

definitely jerk pizza and jerk poutine are becoming things where i live....

 

[old pig]

cuz we’re all in the same “gang”

 

[SupaDupaFresh]

definitely jerk pizza and jerk poutine are becoming things where i live....

"Rasta Pasta" becoming a late night meal in my hood. Ziti with jerk seasoning, peppers, and chicken. I never been to Jamaica but I put my paycheck down their ain't no shyt like that on the island. Italian-Caribbean fusion. I miss the old days of authentic White Plains Rd, Gun Hill Rd, Eastchester Rd uptown Jamaican cuisine. I know a few Trini/Guyanese spots that was easily able to sell out and slip in Lo Mein and asian noodles into their menu. Yuck. You right, a lot of Caribbean spots going down the "fusion" route, even in they own neighborhoods. You gotta search for the real spots still throwing down old recipes


Edit: did you say jerk pizza? which hood is this breh?

 

[SupaDupaFresh]

Jamaican restaurants in the states are slowly becoming like OG chinese restaurants
They are adjusting the menu to the american palette. I feel like ten yrs ago most jamaican spots in my area didn't have those sides.
Mac and Cheese from a jamaican restaurant is wild
A spot not too far from me, that I considered trash, was voted one of the best jamaican spots in the city. And they basically serve soul food
Imagine young ados kids growing up with parents who don't cook traditional food thinking baked chicken and greens with cornbread is "jamaican food" cause that's the only place they get that from

Jamaican spots been serving "soul food" on the side for a minute. They will even list it sepeately. When I was growing up I ate at Caribbean spots wit my boys all the time. We knew the difference between asking for fried chicken and cornbread, and asking for jerk chicken and dumplings. No one was confused.

Also this ain't just a case of "eVerYoNe jAcKiNg aDoS" either cus I know TLR niccas love this infighting shyt. More and more soul food spots here on NYC are adding oxtail and Caribbean style seafood to their menus as well. No one is confused.

Black New Yorkers don't give a fukk about diaspora rivalries. We just wanna eat black food up here.

 

[Ayo]

Cape Verdean here. Grew up eating yuca, yams, greens, rice and beans, stews with no tomatoes, beef, chicken, whole fish etc. lots of browning and relying on steam from the meat to produce sauces for flavor and moisture. (Cacs obsession with “French” ‘Au Jus’ always been comical to me)

It’s what Mom’s and Pop’s grew up eating in West Africa (Cape Verde and Senegal). Though they used ALL parts of a cow / ox.

The only thing they picked up here in the U.S. is the use of tomato products.

 

[Caca-faat]

how did you come across the coli?

Random Question. Why do you ask?

 

[Nkrumah Was Right]

"Rasta Pasta" becoming a late night meal in my hood. Ziti with jerk seasoning, peppers, and chicken. I never been to Jamaica but I put my paycheck down their ain't no shyt like that on the island. Italian-Caribbean fusion. I miss the old days of authentic White Plains Rd, Gun Hill Rd, Eastchester Rd uptown Jamaican cuisine. I know a few Trini/Guyanese spots that was easily able to sell out and slip in Lo Mein and asian noodles into their menu. Yuck. You right, a lot of Caribbean spots going down the "fusion" route, even in they own neighborhoods. You gotta search for the real spots still throwing down old recipes


Edit: did you say jerk pizza? which hood is this breh?

Had rasta pasta a few weeks ago

 

[SupaDupaFresh]

Had rasta pasta a few weeks ago

Got a home girl throws this down on Thanksgiving.