London’s Notting Hill Carnival may be over, but the smells and smoke from the two-day festival remains in the air, long after the 1.5 million people have returned to their normal lives.

While in this the 42nd annual staging of the Notting Hill Carnival, the celebration of West Indian music continued to draw a crowd from across Europe, it was also intended to bring the West Indian community together. And where Caribbean folk congregate, there is always food.

The roots of Notting Hill Carnival stem back to 1965, when the Trinidadian community wanted to bring a taste of their culture to London. Since then, it has grown into the largest street festival in the world. And while it has now turned into a collection of street dances, and less of what we would consider a carnival to be, it continues to attract millions every year.

But what remains are the smells, sights and tastes of home – and much more. Each front porch is transformed into a cookshop, as the smoke and aroma of pimento and cinnamon fill the air. Jerk chicken is everywhere, in fact, it is a carnival staple. But it’s not the only thing on the menu. Curry goat, roast corn, rice and peas, oxtail, fried fish, patties, when it comes to the Jamaican cuisine there is plenty to go around.

For those not too set on braving the fiery spices of jerk, there is Chinese food galore, Brazilian, Indian, and of course the American fare (hamburgers and hot dogs) for those who really choose to stay inside the box.

Competing for the customers of 1.5 million during the festival has become a competitive part of carnival for the food vendors, especially in the jerk arena. Recipes are often kept close to your chest, like that of Gloria Jay, the cook at Good Times Soul Kitchen, behind the legendary Good Times sound stage run by her brother, DJ Norman Jay.

Levi Roots, the singer-turned-entrepreneur-turned-restaurateur, feels very much the same. “The recipe has all the traditional ingredients, like pimento and cloves, but there are some secret ingredients that really give it the edge,” and those he is not parting with.

Although it may have been many miles from home, the smells and tastes immediately took you back, where jerk chicken, festival, rice and peas and curry goat feed the soul.