I really didn't know a lot about Jamaican food before I came to the island.  I knew they had jerk chicken.  I learned about that from my sister.  She is a great chef, so I seriously doubt if anyone in Jamaica can make that better than her. But, I was open to try what was offered.

I also knew about oxtail soup.  That doesn't do it for me.  It may be delicious, but that tail is too close to other body parts and I don't want to be bothered by cross-contamination.  No interest at all.  None.  No, thank you.  And, if you are at a place that serves oxtail, it is more than likely that they will also serve cow foot. I've been on enough farms in my life.  I know where those feet stood their entire lives.  Again, it wasn't happening.

If you ask a Jamaican, they'll tell you that ackee and saltfish is the national dish. Ackee, a fruit, can be poisonous if not picked at the right time.  That alone would make me not overly thrilled to sample it.  But, it's served with fish.  I'm kind of convinced that people generally like best the kind of foods that their mothers cooked.  My mother never cooked oxtail, cow foot, or any fish that didn't come in a tuna can or with the word "stick" attached to it.  I really wasn't interested.

So, here's what I discovered while I was in Jamaica.

Coffee Baked Chicken Jamaican Beef Patty .

Crazy Frantic Chicken Jerk Chicken