As with many countries Jamaica has a lot of meals that are traditional to the country but as the wealth of the country has grown over the years they seem to have become more adventurous with the foods they use. They have so many naturally great tasting foods at hand that the recipes they are producing today are better than ever.

It is tradition in many Jamaican homes to cook a sea food meal for Easter time, they also have certain meals for other times of the year such as the sweet Jamaican Fruit Cake eaten at Christmas, and a simple recipe for a Jamaican sea food dish is as follows:

• You first need to make sure you have the right ingredients and equipment to hand before starting, you will need; 3 regular size snappers, onion powder, red stripe beer, water, a lemon and pimento branches, you will also need salt and pepper to add to your taste.
• To start preparing the meal you will need to cut the fish into slices, then you need to place it in a bowl add to the bowl the onion powder, pimento, salt and pepper. You then squeeze the lemon juice out of the lemon over the fish in the bowl and place in the fridge for around 2 and a half hours.
• Whilst waiting you can mix together in a measuring jug the red stripe beer and water, making sure the mixture is equal amounts of both.
• Once removed from the fridge you will grill the fish on a low heat and whilst doing so you will sprinkle the water and beer mixture over the fish to keep it moist whilst cooking.
• You will have to cook the fish for around half an hour on a low heat before serving.

As well as their main meals they have a selection of sweet foods, snacks and even their own home made drinks. They have some products that are used in many recipes such as:

• Yams
• Ginger
• Onions
• Garlic
• All sea foods
• Scotch bonnet peppers

The Scotch Bonnet Pepper is used in many countries to add flavour to the dish they are cooking but it is thought to be one of the hottest peppers in the world. That’s why there are certain things you can do when cooking with the pepper to prevent you irritating your skin. It is thought best if you wear thin gloves or even if you just rub a layer of oil over your hands to stop it affecting and inflaming your skin. There are now many recipes for Jamaican cuisine online and there are also lots of books with various recipes whether it’s a traditional meal or a more modern style you are after.