Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Spice
Estimated Inventory, 1.5 lb : 18.00
This item was last sold on : 01/28/25
Description/Taste
Jamaican Jerk seasoning is a mixture of spices, dried peppers, and aromatics like garlic and onion. The blend has a deep brown hue with undertones of red and contains medium grind spices flecked with chunks of dried garlic and pepper. Jamaican Jerk seasoning is incredibly fragrant, with notes of warm spice, citrus, and piquant heat flooding the nose. The mixture’s flavor is at first brazenly hot and spicy that then mellows to a savory, sweet, and warm fire with notes of citrus and smoke.
Seasons/Availability
Jamaican Jerk seasoning is available year-round.
Current Facts
Jamaican Jerk seasoning is a blend of spices, aromatics, and dried hot chiles traditionally used in the Jamaican cooking method, jerk. The mixture of spices is complex and can vary, but the blend most often contains scallions, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, thyme, allspice, black pepper, paprika, sugar, and a variety of other spices. Allspice is the dominant flavor component in Jamaican Jerk, both in the spice and also as the wood used to smoke the slow-cooked meat. Different spice mix variations may include ginger, cinnamon, and soy sauce, which was brought to the island by Chinese immigrants. Jerk cooking and the seasoning that accompanies it is deeply rooted in Jamaican history and can be traced back to the Maroons, a group of escaped slaves who survived in the mountains during the 17th century using the jerk cooking technique taught to them by the indigenous Arawak tribe.
Nutritional Value
Jamaican Jerk seasoning's caloric profile consists mainly of carbohydrates with a low level of fat and protein. The spice mixture is a significant source of iron and contains moderate amounts of vitamin C and calcium. It is important to note that the seasoning's nutritional profile will vary, depending on the blend of the ingredients used.
Applications
Jamaican Jerk seasoning is a spice blend traditionally used to flavor meat cooked using the jerk method, a technique where pork or chicken is wrapped in leaves and is slowly roasted underground over dying embers. The seasoning mixture has smokey, citrusy, and spicy overtones that pair well with meat, fish, potatoes, and vegetables. The blend can be combined with oils, ginger, and crushed garlic to form a paste that can be turned into a marinade for meats. The spice blend can also be mixed with avocado to make a uniquely flavored guacamole or into mayonnaise to make a spicy spread for sandwiches. Sprinkle some seasoning into scrambled eggs for a smokey kick, or toss some with French fries for a flavorful experience. Jamaican Jerk seasoning can be individualized by combining ingredients commonly found in the mixture to match a desired flavor profile, or a generic mix can be purchased. Store the seasoning in an airtight container in a spice cabinet for up to a year.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Jerk is deeply engrained in the turbulent history of Jamaica and is considered a national treasure. The original technique consisted of cooking wild boar and was taught to escaped slaves by the indigenous Taino tribe in the 17th century, and the method has been passed down through generations since. During the war between the English and Spanish for control of the island, slaves from a Spanish settlement escaped into the mountains, becoming known as the Maroons. To avoid capture, the group had to remain on the move, eventually joining with the last group of native people, the Taino, where they learned a method for cooking and preserving the wild boar they hunted. They took the boar, seasoned it with salt, bird peppers, and allspice berries, wrapped it in pepper elder leaves, and slowly cooked it in an underground, smokeless pit over dying embers of pimento, or allspice, wood. This method imparted delicious flavors onto the meat without creating smoke and fire that could be detected by search parties. This technique also preserved the meat as jerky, making it longer lasting and easier to consume on the move. To Jamaicans, jerk is freedom created through food. While generic Jerk seasonings exist globally, to the natives of the island, they do not embody jerk, as jerk is not just a flavor or way of cooking, but a dark history that has created a rich and vibrant culture.
Geography/History
Jamaican Jerk seasoning originated in Jamaica and is used in the traditional cooking method of jerk. The seasoning is made from ingredients that grew in the island’s fertile landscape and was first created 2500 years ago by the Arawak peoples that settled the islands after leaving South America. The recipe for jerk evolved through the 17th century, with the introduction of African slaves to the island, and was passed down through generations. Today, the mecca for jerk cooking is Boston Beach on the Northeastern end of Jamaica, where restaurants, street vendors, and cookshops are all dedicated to preserving the art of jerk cooking. Dried Jamaican Jerk seasoning can be found in the spice aisle of some grocery stores or at specialty markets dedicated to Caribbean cuisine.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| MCRD-Marine Corps Recruit Dept | San Diego CA | 619-725-6478 |
| Bar Same Same (Bar) | Carlsbad CA | 760-470-9143 |
| Embassy Suites Downtown | San Diego CA | 619-481-9349 |
