My passionate and obsessive relationship with curried goat started on the banks of the Rio Grande River where my grandparents lived. My parents, aunts, uncles and cousins would religiously return to their roots at Jamaica’s Independence holiday to a feast that was specially prepared for our arrival. The backyard doubled as a slaughterhouse for ram goats which were specially selected and reared for the reunion feast. This memory is laced with images of the fresh ram goat meat seasoned with Indian curry, freshly picked herbs, spices and expertly cooked on pimento wood.

I really believe that my constant hunt for curried goat is intertwined with my desire to relive these amazing moments on the banks of the Rio Grande, the ‘pot ah bubble’, the uncles stirring and adding the rum, Uncle Ranny coming in with green bananas cut from the farm, the aunties serving the meals with ‘shelly’ white rice on sweet plates that almost always resulted in the requisite curry spill.

So, with this in mind, I went on a curried goat hunt, a tasting from the acknowledged masters, the authorities. The curried goat historical accounts state that it became a part of the Jamaican diet when the Indian indentured workers came to Jamaica in the 1800s bringing their cuisine.

As I encountered the spots, my search concretised what I thought was my generalisation: curried goat is casual dining, good down-home food created to make wonderful memories, bellies very happy and hearts smile.

Stop One: Moby Dick

Owners are of Indian descent. They make their own curry powder and sometimes even raise their goats. A restaurant with a rich ‘dung a town’ history.

Location: Harbour Street, downtown Kingston

Order: Large curried goat with rice and roti and a soda

Cost: Just under $2,000.00

Décor/Ambiance: Casual and relaxed

Service: Friendly 7/10

Presentation: Protein side of the box was full of curried goat. 8/10

Quantity: Plenty food!

Taste: 9/10

Perfectly balanced flavours, excellence on a plate (or in a box). It was extremely flavourful, there was a figurative party in my mouth featuring many traditional flavours. The curry had main-character energy but was seriously embraced by garlic, escallion and pimento flavours. The scotch bonnet pepper was very obvious but not a killer, still not for lightweights!