 Jamaican jerk chicken | |
| Course | Main dish |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Jamaica |
| Created by | IndigenousTaínos |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Meat, pimento and scotch bonnet pepper. |
Jerk is a style ofcooking native toJamaica, in whichmeat isdry-rubbed or wet-marinated with a hotspice mixture calledJamaican jerk spice.
The technique ofjerking (or cooking withjerk spice) originated from Jamaica'sindigenous peoples, theArawak andTaíno tribes, and was adopted by the descendants of 17th-centuryJamaican Maroons who intermingled with them.[1][2]
The smoky taste of jerked meat is achieved by using various cooking methods, including modern wood-burning ovens. Chicken or pork is usually jerked, and the main ingredients of the spicy jerk marinade / sauce areallspice[a] andscotch bonnet peppers, which are native to Jamaica and were cultivated by the Taínos.[3][4]
The word"jerk" is said to come fromcharqui, aSpanish term ofQuechua origin for jerked or dried meat, which eventually became the word"jerky" in English.[5]
The termjerk spice (also known asJamaican jerk spice) refers to aspice rub. The word"jerk" refers to the spice rub, awet marinade andmop sauce made from it, and to the particular cooking technique.[6]
According to evidence from historians, jerked meat was first cooked by the indigenousTaínos.[7] During theinvasion of Jamaica in 1655, theSpanish colonists freed their enslaved Africans who fled into the Jamaican countryside, intermingling with the remaining Taínos, learning and adapting aspects of their culture[8]— thus, becoming some of the firstJamaican Maroons.[6] It appears that these runaway slaves learned this practice from the Taínos.[5][9]
The method of cooking inunderground pits is speculated by some to have been used in order to avoid creating smoke which would have given away their location[10][11]— though it is common throughout the world, and is best known inHawaii, in the form ofkālua-styleimu cooking, central to theluau, as well as,barbacoa inMesoamerica.
Historians believe that the Taínos developed the style of cooking and seasoning used across the region. The method ofjerking meats on native pimento wood also came from the Taíno term“barabicu” orbarbacoa, which means “framework of sticks”, applied to a range of wooden structures, including a raised wooden grill for roasting and smoking foods.[12]This Taíno technique is applied throughout theAmericas, and many food historians agree that all forms ofbarbecue in the Americas are descendants of this cooking style.[13]
While all racial groups hunted wild hogs in the Jamaican interior, and used the practice ofjerking to cook them in the 17th century, by the end of the 18th century most groups had switched to imported pork products. Mainly the Maroons continued the practice of hunting wild hogs andjerking pork.[14]Jamaican jerk sauce primarily developed by these Maroons, added flavour to wild hogs which were seasoned with herbs andallspice, and then slow cooked over pimento wood.[b][3] The use ofscotch bonnet is largely responsible for the heat found in Caribbean jerks.[15] Over time the basic recipe has been modified as various cultures added their influence.[16]
Jerk cooking and seasoning have followed the Caribbeandiaspora all over the world, and forms of jerk can now be found at restaurants almost anywhere a significant population of Caribbean descent exists— such as theUnited Kingdom,Canada, theUnited States,[17] coastalPanama,[18]Costa Rica,[19]Honduras,Nicaragua andSan Andrés. As such,Jamaican jerk has developed a global following, most notably in American, Canadian and Western European cosmopolitan urban centres.Poulet boucané (or 'smoked chicken'), a dish found inFrench Caribbean countries such asMartinique andGuadeloupe, is quite similar to traditionalJamaican jerk chicken.[20]
The cooking technique ofjerking and the results it produces, have evolved over time—from usingpit fires to grilling over coals in old metal barrel halves.[21] Around the 1960s, Caribbean entrepreneurs seeking an easier, more portable method ofjerking, began cutting oil barrels lengthwise, adding holes for ventilation and hinged lids to capture the smoke.[21] These barrels are fired with charcoal, and have become widely used across the island. Otherjerking methods include wood-burning ovens.[16]
Street-side "jerk stands" or "jerk centres" are frequently found in Jamaica and the nearbyCayman Islands,[22] as well as, other places that experienced waves of Jamaican migration— likeSan Andrés. Jerked meat, usually chicken or pork, can be purchased along withhard dough bread,bammy (a native cassava flatbread), Jamaican frieddumplings (known as"Johnnycake" orjourney cakes), andfestival, a variation of sweet flavoured fried dumplings, served as a side dish.[23]
Jerk seasoning principally consists ofallspice[a] andscotch bonnet peppers. Other ingredients may includecloves,cinnamon,scallions,nutmeg,thyme,garlic,brown sugar,ginger,soy sauce,vinegar, andsalt.[24][25][26]
Jerk seasoning was originally used onchicken andpork, but in modern recipes it is used with other ingredients includingfish,shrimp,lobster,conch,shellfish,beef,sausage,lamb,goat,tofu, andvegetables.[27] In Jamaica, jerk is also used in the preparation ofpizzas,patties andburgers.
Due to the growing international popularity ofJamaican jerk, a number of unauthentic jerk products are being sold outside of Jamaica. Consequently, the Jamaican government trademarkedJamaica Jerk, as ageographical indication (GI), in September 2015[28]— making Jamaica the first country in the English-speaking Caribbean to register a GI.[29]The move is aimed at guarding against those who seek to capitalise on the Jamaican brand, and to protectJamaican jerk internationally from misrepresentation and imitation.[28][30]The GI protects the quality, characteristics and reputation ofJamaican jerk, and prevents third parties from using the term for products that do not meet the standards set out in the GI's code of practice.
Media related toJerk at Wikimedia Commons
