Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards judges Kurt and Ezmien Chin, for the parish of Clarendon, share yet another culinary gem.

Donovan Reid aka ‘Rasta Porridge Man’ has been making and selling a variety of ‘ital’ porridges from his cart throughout the town of May Pen for almost three years. Preparations commence at 4:00 am with the lighting of his coal fires – there are three – and the preparation of his ingredients.

On one of the three coal stoves in his mobile kitchen Reid heats his oil for frying dumplings, while the other two support his large pots of porridge.

When his porridges are fully cooked – piping hot, and ready to be eaten – he heads out and starts selling by 7:00 am each morning. He offers two types of porridge every day and has a different menu every day, as well. The porridges are rich, very tasty and have a smooth, creamy, thick consistency. One serving is filling enough to carry you through the day! On Mondays he offers cornmeal and plantain porridge, on Tuesdays banana and hominy corn, plantain and hominy corn on Wednesdays, and peanut and hominy corn porridge on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Saturday is his rest day.

In his mobile kitchen you will also find bread, fried dumplings, salad, molasses, sugar, salt and condensed milk for those who want condiments or extras. Bread broken up and mixed into your porridge is a popular item, hence the bread on the cart. Fried dumpling sandwiches are a popular item as well. Dumpling, lettuce and tomato are sandwiched between two slices of bread and this is served as a healthy non-meat option to your typical sandwich. Even though sweeteners are offered on the cart for your convenience, there isn’t much need for it as the porridges are perfectly sweetened. The prices are $70 for an 8oz cup ($50 for students), $100 for a 16oz and $150 for a 20 oz. Another popular option is half-and-half porridge, where both flavours are mixed in one container. The porridges offered are all-natural and have no preservatives or dairy.

Porridges only have a few ingredients, each consisting of a similar base of freshly squeezed coconut milk, raw cane sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and righteous man leaf (cinnamon leaf). From there the other flavours are added, such as peanuts, hominy corn, plantain or banana. Sometimes oats are added to thicken the porridge. The porridges are very popular and usually sell out by 12 noon. Over the years Porridge Man has made constant improvements to his mobile kitchen. He started out with a wooden handcart and has now upgraded to a custom-built metal cart. Even though this is a mobile kitchen he has his bucket with a pipe attached for washing his hands, a section for holding his condiments and extras, a garbage bag area and an area for storing his cups, napkins and spoons. The Rasta Porridge Man has plans to improve on this mobile kitchen and expand it into an even bigger and better one. All a part of his plans for the future, he says. A future soon to come, we’re pretty sure, as he has already improved since his first outing in August 2012.

So if you’re in the mood for a healthy option for breakfast or lunch, be sure to check him out. Get to him early, especially if you want peanut porridge, because it’s the first to go. You can visit him whenever you’re in May Pen. He stays within the vicinity of the clock, market and May Pen Primary School.

He’s well-known so it won’t hurt to ask around if you don’t see him, and someone will direct you to where he might be. Rest assured, he’ll be back soon!