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All
about JERK
The island
of Jamaica is famous for its beautiful beaches, reggae music,
Blue Mountain coffee, exotic fruits, and its cheerful people
with their beautiful patois language. But, you haven't tasted
Jamaica until you've tried Jamaican Jerk, ya mon!
Jerk
is the process of spicing and grilling meats, poultry, and
even vegetables, although the most popular are jerk pork
and jerk chicken. The resulting food yields a spicy-sweet
flavor and a tender texture. Jerk is also used as a
noun when describing the dry or wet seasoning mix used to
jerk a particular food. Jerk shacks thrive on the side
of the road in Jamaica as a local fast-food industry.
A
little history
The term jerk is said to come from the word charqui,
a Spanish term for jerked or dried meat, which eventually
became jerky in English. Another origin is linked to
the jerking or poking of the meat with a sharp object, producing
holes which were then filled with the spice mixture. Like
most Caribbean islands, Jamaican foods are derivative of many
different settlement cultures, including British, Dutch, French,
Spanish, East Indian, West African, Portugese, and Chinese.
The origins of jerk pork can be traced back to the pre-slavery
days of the Cormantee hunters of West Africa through the Maroons,
who were Jamaican slaves that escaped from the British during
the invasion of 1655.
The
Scoop on Jerk
You can easily make jerked foods at home with a good recipe
and an understanding of the requisite ingredients. The seasoning
has three main ingredients: chile pepper, allspice berry,
and thyme. Other spices and herbs (which may include cinnamon,
ginger, cloves, garlic and onion depending on the cook) are
combined with these and applied to the food which is then
allowed to marinate. Finally, food is grilled to tender perfection.
Be forewarned,
if you cannot handle spicy-hot foods, jerk may not be for
you. Deletion of the chile pepper vastly changes the end product,
and it's just not jerk without the heat! Take a look at the
three most important ingredients of jerk seasoning before
trying an authentic Jamaican jerk recipe.
Source:
about.com
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