Jamaican culinary experience rivals island's beauty

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OCHO RIOS, Jamaica  -- In 1494, when Christopher Columbus first saw the island of Jamaica, he declared it "the fairest land that eyes have beheld." More than 500 years later, Jamaican food is nearly as popular its scenic surroundings.

From waterfalls to mountains, the varied landscape holds the secret to the culinary treasures of the island. At the Hibiscus Lodge in Ocho Rios, Chef Brian Webster works with the jewel of the Jamaican crown. Ackee, a member of the breadfruit family, is combined with salted cod and spices to create the national dish -- ackee and saltfish.

"In the early days, it is said that a lot of meals that came from the slaves actually came from Canada," says Jamaica Tourist Board spokeswoman Iva Walters. "One way to preserve the cod was to salt it so that by the time it got to Jamaica it was okay and ready for eating."

Jackfruit grows on trees and weighs anywhere between 15 and 30 pounds

Jamaicans also love Johnny cakes, made from flour, sugar, eggs and margarine, usually fried and then eaten for breakfast like a biscuit.

At Sandals resort in Ocho Rios, guests are treated to a traditional Jamaican feast and a little culinary lesson too. Chefs explain that sweetsop (sugar apple) is custard-like, and the large jackfruit (like breadfruit) grows on a tree.

And what about the famous Jamaican jerk? Jamaican "jerkmen" have zealously guarded their jerk recipes while selling the finished product from jerk stands around the island, and now the specially spiced meats are enjoying a boom outside the island. The uniquely Jamaican "barbecue"-styled cooking goes back centuries.

"It is the Maroons, a group of people who run away to the mountains to avoid doing slavery and this is their way of cooking a meal under the earth," explains Walters. "Again it has stayed with us."

What's Jamaica without the jerk?

Jerk is not only the way the food is cooked, but it's also the name of the spices that give the food it's unique taste.

"A lot of Scotch Bonnet pepper, pimento (allspice), garlic, mixed spice ... and it's really spicy," says Irvin Marsh of The Jerk Stand restaurant.

Smoked for three hours, jerk chicken and pork soak up the flavors to pack a walloping punch.

With such delectable items on the menu, tourists who come to Jamaica for the island's beauty are often captivated by its fire and spice.

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