Our beloved Jamaica is my destination today as I complete the last piece of my June travel series. I am patriotic when it comes to this island. There are so many lovely things to do here, and oftentimes positive things become overshadowed in the news. I love travelling around the island and meeting grassroots folk. Naturally most of these interesting conversations take place over a plate of food, over a nice cold beer or “whites”, as rum is affectionately known. Food trips are the norm for us as we frequent places like Hellshire or Faiths Pen to get a fix. Every parish has a popular food attraction.

It’s no secret for those of us who live here that Jamaica is a top culinary destination waiting to explode. Our food may not have the haute finesse of some cultures, but Jamaican food is some of the tastiest on the planet. Our mix of heritages has culminated into an interesting style of cookery. From street food to creative chefs, the world is beginning to take notice. The fact that famous chefs are visiting our shores for inspiration and research should come as no surprise. Events like the Jamaica Observer Food Awards are world-class and attract overseas foodies as it is firmly planted on the annual calendar as a must-do.

Over the past three years, I have been hosting fellow food writers, chefs and other food professionals from international organisations, taking them around the island. A few times I have liaised with the Jamaica Tourist Board, but most times with DaVinci Jamaica Vacations, a small company that has a one-of-a-kind-off-the-beaten-track culinary experience of which international foodies are taking serious note. DaVinci’s food partners across the island are an eclectic mix from low to highbrow catering to all levels of food lovers. Food is paired with other cultural attributes to keep the flavour (pun intended) unique. Notably many French and Italians love this tour, which is a good endorsement. Natives of these countries are serious about their food, coming from cultures which take the art of eating to another level.

During the last tour I hosted, we literally ate our way around the island for two weeks. Space restricts me from going into everything, but I want to share some highlights. Fortunately, with so much walking in the beautiful hinterland and farming activities in-between, neither my waistline nor those of my guests expanded too much. DaVinci markets the Blue Mountain area as a separate region, so we began there, staying at the gorgeous Strawberry Hill, where we were warmly welcomed by Nicolas Lynch, general manager at the time, with a yummy Blue Mountain coffee cocktail. We toured the splendid Clifton Mount Estate owned by the brothers Jason and Richard Sharp who operate Coffee Traders and run the quaint Café Blue franchise. Jason had us enthralled as he shared with us an informative and fascinating history of our world-famous Blue Mountain coffee. Our coffee is a trademarked protected product. Authentic Blue Mountain coffee is to be grown over 3000 feet in altitude and only the Arabica Typica bean is used, thus preserving the character and integrity of this famed beverage. True coffee taste should be subtle and is better light to medium roasted. For the best results, heat your water to just below boiling point and never ever reheat your coffee.

Another lovely destination on the Blue Mountain segment of the food tour is Belcour owned by Mike and Robin Lumsden. This beautiful farm situated in a valley and perched beside a beautiful river boasts a variety of citrus. The main attraction, however, is the apiary filled with busy honey bees that are attracted to the multiflora of the region and produce a fantastic honey. Robin is a serious gourmet who produces superb jams and chutneys outside of her fruity honey and does cooking classes for guests of the DaVinci Culinary Experience. We cooked vegetarian rundown and curried chicken together and created for dessert a silken coconut mousse. My mouth is watering as I remember it.

Our next stop was Woodford, one of Jamaica’s few certified organic farms by JOAM, the Jamaica Organic Agricultural Movement. Run by Donna and Paul Noble, a filmmaker, this six-acre farm produces a variety of lettuces and herbs. Their packaged salads are a fixed feature at certain corporate area supermarkets. All workers on the farm are from the area and it is a real labour of love for Donna, a bona fide food stylist. It was here that Dr Aris Latham, renowned gourmet raw food chef, demonstrated some of his delicious dishes such as raw pizza, curried plantain, herbed ackees, eggplant with a zesty hot pepper sauce, a yummy banana cream dessert with oat and mixed-seed cookies served with juiced sorrel and hemp milk. Upon leaving the mountains, we made a last stop to another wonderful farm, Mount Edge, where we were given fresh produce and herbs as well as cilantro oil made by Michael Fox, the owner. We also sampled cornmeal squares, a traditional Jamaican delight.

In St Elizabeth, we had lots of fun on the Appleton Estate tour, sampling a variety of rums and touring the facility with Norman, our very engaging guide. Jamaica’s rum history should make us all proud as it has a distinct pedigree. Our cultural highlight, however, was to meet the Maroons of Accompong whom I’m now honoured to call my friends. They prepared real jerk using pimento wood and leaves as well as “Tappiapass” — a mélange of root vegetables cooked down with spices and coconut milk as well as cocoon and saltfish. Cocoons are the hard brown seeds that children used to play with in the old days. You often see them in craft markets on necklaces and bracelets. I had no idea they were edible. They are soaked for nine days then sautéed with seasonings, and saltfish or mackerel can be used. We were also shown the different healing herbs to make infusions for specific ailments. In Middle Quarters we enjoyed peanut sip, a delicious soup, peanut porridge, peppered shrimp and country-style fried chicken. We stopped on different farms to reap vegetables and used these ingredients with fish we had caught in Treasure Beach to prepare a dinner one evening in our picturesque villa at Jakes. My overseas guests claimed that Jamaican farm produce is divine and some of the best they have ever come across.

Montego Bay was a nice respite. The fabulous couple Scott and Tricia Robbins hosted us to a delightful meal at Marguerites, the number one fine dining seafood restaurant on the Hip Strip. My sea bass was delicate and perfectly cooked, and there were many murmurs and sighs of delight from my guests as they all tucked into their orders. At the Highland House, all of our meals featured vegetables produced on their farm. We learnt about ital cuisine at the Rasta Indigenous Village. Our host, affectionately known as Big Eddie, was a powerhouse of information from sharing Black history to healthy foods. At Croydon in the Mountains we had a pineapple tasting. This amazing farm in the hills of St James features every fruit grown on

the island.

We stopped in St Mary and headed up to the hills to visit Contentment Jungle Resort, an eco-friendly rustic retreat for those who love totally natural, no-frills vibes, where all accommodations are made from recycled materials. We ate fried breadfruit and roast saltfish which was garnished with cut up Scotch Bonnet pepper, and onions drizzled with coconut oil, so divine… and we ended with an authentic sweet potato pudding made over a coal stove in a Dutch pot — the real deal. In Kingston, we had a marvellous time at Bin 26 tasting their fabulous wines and rums with my fellow columnist Chris Reckord who took us through the ropes, then we enjoyed a scrumptious repast at Café Aubergine in the Marketplace.

What I’ve shared today is just the tip of the iceberg as there were many secret stops to places where they have no interest in going commercial, but had no problems opening their doors to us. So many foreigners come to our shores wanting to experience spots that many locals patronise. I believe that if we are to be really serious about tourism in this country, then community tourism ought to be revisited. There is a segment of visitors coming to our shores seeking the authentic and want to have “non-manufactured” fun. This particular food tour fills the niche as it gives back to Jamaicans who would not normally see the tourism dollar. These customised tours are available for locals, so get your foodie groups together, tell them what you want and plan some trips if you are staying at home for summer. Some areas would be great for kids, both fun and educational.

Classic Jamaican Oxtails with Broad Beans

This is the pressure cooker version. Every meat-eating foreign friend of mine loves Jamaican-style oxtails, they can’t seem to get enough. I know everyone has his or her version of this dish, so feel free to add your secret ingredient. Oxtails are currently in vogue in top kitchens, and the food press I hosted couldn’t get enough wherever there was a local cook shop.

Ingredients

2 Kg oxtails 1 large onion, chopped

Couple stalks of escallion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

A couple slivers of ginger

1 fat sprig of fresh thyme

2 tbsps soy sauce

1 Scotch Bonnet, deseeded and roughly chopped

A few pimento grains

Salt and pepper to taste

500ml water

Vegetable oil.

1 can of broad beans, drained

Method

Season the oxtails overnight (or a few hours at least for it to soak in) with all of the ingredients except the water and oil.

Prior to getting meat ready to cook, scrape off the seasonings and set aside.

In a large frying pan, add vegetable oil and brown the meat all over.

Add to a pressure cooker with the seasonings and water and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

Next add the beans and continue cooking until the meat starts to come off the bones and the sauce is a little thicker.

I would like to thank DaVinci Jamaica Vacations, www.davincijamaica.com for taking me and my guests around the island to stuff our faces quite gleefully and doing their part for brand Jamaica and community tourism. As always, much respect towards my wonderful sponsors MegaMart for their continued support.

Remember to begin planning for the Jamaica Observer Food Awards where the best of Jamaican cuisine is showcased. Details coming soon.

Contact me at info@juicychef.com

Bon Appétit!