TODAY’S recipe was given to me by some elders via the famed oral tradition, which is an integral part of the Jamaican culture:

Ingredients

*3 cups water

*1 cup oats mixed with wholewheat flour

*2-3 corns on the cob

*A handful of peanuts

*Cinnamon, pimento seeds and nutmeg to taste

*2 ripe bananas

*1/3 cup mollasses

*1 large carrot (grated)

*1/2 of a coconut (grated)

Method

* Bring water, spices and peanuts to the boil for 10-15 minutes

* Grate the corn and add to mixture of oats and flour

* Add to pot and simmer for another 10 minutes

* Add the juice of the carrot and coconut (discard the trash)

* Crush the banana with molasses and add to the pot

* Simmer until done

This makes for a thick porridge which can serve up to four people. You may add water to make it thinner.

Thomas ‘Bongo Tommy’ Huber is a Swiss national who migrated to Westmoreland’s Retrieve District 10 years ago. He is a naturalist who lives off the land and is deeply involved in an ongoing effort to create Jamaica’s next generation of exotic fruit trees.