Port Antonio

PORT ANTONIO
beautiful than any woman I have ever
"more
- Errol Flynn
known”.
T H E C A R I B B E A N ' S G O U R M E T C A P I T A L
B Y N A D I N E N E L S O N

Jamaica, the tourism industry is vital to the country’s
In
There is stronger brand recognition of
economy.
as a destination than of Jamaican-made
Jamaica
and quintessentially unique Jamaican cultural
products
that distinguish the island from any other
experiences
destination. Culinary Tourism is, therefore, a
beach
marriage for positioning of the travel sector to
perfect
the integration of the island's distinctive
maximize
food, culture, wellness and the environment
indigenous
curated, sustainable, and culinary tourism
into
espcapades. Birthplace of the infamously hot
epicurean
seasoning and home of the some of the rarest and
Jerk
go to moveable feast. The renaissance of
Jamaica's
and the recent growth of the parish to
Portland
suit the needs of affluent travelers with
better
recent redevelopment of the Marina,
the
by Butch Stewart, and Michael Lee -
investment
Port Antonio is on its way to surpassing its
Chin;
glory with food and culture at the center of
former
growth as major assets. Her tourism capacity
her
favorable and undamaged. Thus lies Porty's
remains
and the seduction of the parish of
captivation,
to be the diamond in Jamaica's tourism
Portland
crown.
T R O P I C A L E P I C U R E A N E S C A P A D E
JAMAICA'S CULINARY DESTINATION
loved coffee in the world, Port Antonio is primed to be

FEAST BY
BEACH
Jamaican and Caribbean food does not
THE
key elements of epicurean holiday design like
With
buildings; agricultural sites; village rum
historic
herb/exotic gardens; organic farms; all
shops;
a foundation for synergy between culinary,
create
agro-heritage, health and wellness
farm-based,
Portland’s cultural attractions and cultural
tourism.
include artisan manufacturing tours; fishing
capital
cultivating experiences; produce and craft
and
excursions; and local interactive culinary
market
activities.
immediately spring to the foreground of our
culinary imaginations in the same way that
French, Italian or Chinese cooking usually do.
In the face of such food company, Jamaica's
enticing quality and imaginative diversity
remain undiminished. Jamaica is famous for
its beautiful beaches, crystal-blue seas, reggae
music and happily laid-back atmosphere
generated by its populace. Exotic fruits are
abundant and connoisseurs all over the world
hold the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain
coffee in the highest regard.
Jamaican food is celebrated and enjoyed
across the globe for its complexity and range
of flavors for those lucky to have tried the
Caribbean's best cuisine. The historical nature
of authentic Jamaican gastronomy is a blend
of provisions from contrasting cultures and
people including native Tainos, Africans,
European, Chinese, Indians, and Middle
Easterners. As every group of people came to
Jamaica, they transported their own way of
cooking, gifting their own scrumptious and
unfading contributions to Jamaica's
culinary lineage and personifying the nation's
motto "Out of Many, One People."
Port Antonio is still quite uncharted by most
seasoned globetrotters, but it has for decades
been the sanctuary and hideout of royalty and
celebrities alike wanting the anonymity the
region provides. It is easy to see why. Its
seclusion is what gives this town its glamor
and appeal. Verdant and lush, Portland is
Jamaica's gourmet star.

W H E R E Y O U R F I V E S E N S E S
J O U R N E Y
TRAVEL
milk
Coconut
Vanilla
AND SPICES
HERBS
Nutmeg, Allspice (Pimento), Mace, Thyme, Bay leaf, Coriander/ Parsley
Cinnamon,
typical but commonly used), Mixed spice, Cumin, Turmeric, Caribbean curry
(not
(preblend of different spices),Garlic, Cloves, Black pepper, Scotch bonnet,
powder
aminos (Healthy alternative soy(a), Himalayan pink salt (Healthy alternative
Coconut
white salt), Raw cocoa
to
FRUIT
, mango, pineapple, Coconut, papaya, orange, jackfruit, guinep, banana, lime
Soursap
PROVISIONS/TUBERS
VEGETABLES/GROUND
yam, sweet potato, green banana, plantain, dasheen, breadfruit, butternut
Cassava,
scallion, cho cho/chayote, okra
squash/pumpkin,
– Kidney beans, butter beans, cow peas, congo beans, pigeon peas, black
Legumes
beans
– Hot pepper sauce, green seasoning
Sauce
PANTRY OF
Here is a list of items frequently used in Jamaican cooking or at least items you’ll find
PARADISE
in an islanders kitchen/pantry.
Sweetener – Palm sugar (Healthy alternative to brown sugar)
Vegetable oils – Olive oil, Coconut oil (Healthy alternative to places butter)

o r t l a n d h a s a s p e c i a l c u l i n a r y p e r s o n a
P
h a t r a n g e s f r o m a m a s t e r f u l h o l e i n t h e
t
a l l t o e x c l u s i v e h a u t e d i n i n g . W i t h
w
c h a r a c t e r a l l i t s o w n , t h e b o u n t y o f t h e
a
r i s t i n e o c e a n o f f e r s t h a t w h i c h i s f r e s h
p
n d h e a l t h y . L a n d l u b b e r s a n d p l a n t
a
a s e d d i e t l o v e r s w i l l f i n d a n a b u n d a n c e
b
f c h i c k e n , b e e f , g o a t , p o r k , p a s t a a n d
o
e g e t a r i a n , a n d " i t a l " d i s h e s . M a n y
v
i n i n g e s t a b l i s h m e n t s o f f e r a c u s t o m
d
l e n d o f C a r i b b e a n o r C o n t i n e n t a l
b
m b i a n c e w h e r e t h e q u a l i t y o f t h e f o o d
a
Supper Club
Mike's
Best Kept Secret
Dickie's
Fleurs Restaurant
Mille
Veranda at the Trident Hotel
The
Camp Bar & Grill
Soldier
Woody's
San Tropez
San
Jerk Centre
Boston
Bushbar
Belinda's
Soom Ba Vegetarian Restaurant
Soo
Cuisine Seafood Restaurant & Bar
Wilkes
Cliff Hanger
Portland
Market
Musgrave
OFF THE EATEN PATH
i s f i v e s t a r w i t h I r i e i s l a n d h o s p i t a l i t y .
P L A C E S T O N Y A M

eat
cook
HAUTE CUISINE & CULTJA
only
IRIE
buy
& food
culture
travel the garden of music [and food], thru inspiration. It's a large,
I
large garden, seen?
very
Peter Tosh

LOBSTER WITH
JERK
GUAC AND SHRIMP CHIPS
ASIAN
PORK AND FESTIVAL WITH RED
JERK
AND RUM AT BOSTON BEACH
STRIP
SHRIMP WIITH
PEPPER
MUSTARD
MANGO
FRUIT STAND AT THE
FRESH
BEACH
BROWN STEW FSH
FRESH FISH FE-ET (TO EAT)

seasoning is one of Jamaica’s iconic exports. It is a paste of pulverized
Jerk
(pimento), scotch bonnet peppers, onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon,
allspice
scallions, and up to thirty more ingredients depending on the jerk
nutmeg,
These food stuffs all grow wild in the short bushes of the deep
master.
were runaway slaves who were so smart and fierce; the British
Maroons
a treat to leave them alone. In order for them to subvert capture from
signed
British slave masters in which they escaped, the Maroons perfected a
the
of cooking untamed boar with their marinade by poking holes in it,
method
the flavorful dressing with banana leaves and other flora to hold the
sealing
together as it slowly cooked in a fire pit flanked by pimento bark and
pig
fragrant wood that was covered so as not to alert the Maroon’s
other
with smoke.
enemies
H E A T Y O U L O V E T O E A T
Jerk- Resistance on a Plate!
interior of Portland, Jamaica where there are several Maroon encampments.

Mountain coffee is one of the most prized
Blue
coffees in the world. But it is the unique
gourmet
and microclimate that makes the coffee
location
The area where Blue Mountain coffee is grown
great.
high in the mountains. The mountains are 85%
is
which provides shade in which to grow the
forest,
The altitude, forest cover and climate provide
coffee.
conditions for growing the best coffee in the
the
Consumers pay from $40-$60 per pound for
world.
Mountain’s Peaberry, a "fetish coffee," is as rare
Blue
I G H L Y F A V O R E D A N D
H
L A V O R E D
F
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
as it is expensive.

FEVER
CABIN
COCONUT
visit the Caribbean in droves for Spring Break. With
People
is ever foreboding, most of the northern hemisphere
winter
between cold and temperate weather. Sweet
fluctuates
flavors meet crunchy winter vegetables in this
tropical
style coleslaw. Cabbage is eaten in abundance in
Caribbean
tropics since it is readily available and local now in the
the
East. This is an easy way to bring yourself to a beach and
North
least prepare your body for swimsuit weather. So when those
at
winter days come in the near future, make this recipe
snowy
think of eating it on your favorite sandy isle so you can get
and
3 cups of each
Approximately
into thin ribbon around
sliced
head 1/4
cabbage
Green
cabbage
Purple
cabbage
Savoy
med carrots cut into
3
or grated
matchsticks
c roughly chopped fresh
¼
pkg. (170g) coconut
ginger1
– chopped or 1 small
cream
coconut milk just the
can
cream part
thick
cup chopped basil
¼
cup chopped mint
¼
cup fresh lemon juice
¼
cup fresh lime juice
¼
cup water¼ cup maple
½
syrup
tablespoons tamari
2
all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. To
Toss
the dressing put all of the ingredients except for the
make
oil in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the
sunflower
oil in a fine stream while the blender is still running. It
sunflower
be smooth and creamy. Pour the dressing over the salad
should
toss till it’s evenly covered.
and
INGREDIENTS
COLESLAW
over your cabin fever.
Dressing:
¼ cup sunflower oil
DIRECTIONS

no secret for those of us who are Jamaican
It's
our country is a top culinary destination
that
to explode. Our food may not have the
waiting
finesse of some cultures, but Jamaican food
haute
some of the most delicious on the planet. Our
is
of heritages has culminated into an
mix
style of cookery and cultural story.
interesting
tourism industry has witnessed a dynamic
The
with increasing focus on the use of
evolution
relationship formation, and ever-
technology,
fields of tourism. While the
expanding
surrounding the eco-tourism
excitement
of the previous twenty years continues,
movement
new focus on culinary tourism has arrived. Since
a
of travel dollars go to food, strategic
one-third
makers wanting to capitalize on the
decision
profitable segmentation. The Caribbean has
more
been attractive to those who seek sun, sea
long
sand. But sun, sea and sand no longer offer a
and
advantage.
competitive
many destinations offer the same amenities,
Too
consumers are more interested in acquiring
and
and memorable experiences. New ways
unique
to be found to lure tourists. One such way is
have
food and the growing niche market
through
culinary tourism.
of
ANTONIO:
PORT
TOURISM ON
CULINARY
THE PLATE
in culinary tourism must identify and
growth
understand culinary tourists to achieve
better

WITH NADINE NELSON &
WORK
LOCAL GOURMET
GLOBAL
Nadine Nelson, the Green Queen of Cuisine, is the sustainable
Chef
and social entrepreneur of Global Local Gourmet, a roving
chef
kitchen specializing in experiential
community-supported
occasions that cook up delicious adventures far from
epicurean
yet close to home in the form of cooking classes, culinary
expected
culinary team building events, and wellness workshops. Chef
tours,
is from Toronto, Canada considered the most multicultural
Nadine
in the world. She is of Jamaican Heritage and likes to combine
city
has studied the culinary arts in Paris at the Ritz Escoffier, has a
She
in food styling from the New School and a certificate in
certificate
and philanthropy from N York University in New York,
fundraising
earned a teaching degree from Tufts University in Boston. She is
and
social activist, cooking instructor, chef, writer, recipe
a
food consultant, event producer and culinary artist
developer/tester,
she is from "foreign" she has been taking yearly trips to
Although
most of her life because her father lives there and to visit
Jamaica
family at their seaside house in Port Antonio. She has had the
her
to travel the whole island of Jamaica and appreciates the
pleasure
of landscape, people, culture, and food by region and
diversity
Her wanderlust and appetite have taken her all over the
parish.
and to more than seven islands in the Caribbean. She may be
world
and feels Jamaica has the best food in the Caribbean and
biased
monopolize on the fact that gourmands are big spenders
should
spread their money with their cravings for something new and
and
If you would like to talk about how culinary tourism can
exclusive.
your business, train your staff in hospitality that sets you
enhance
from your competition, work on experiential food services that
apart
your resources, or an integrated content marketing
maximize
Nelson at globallocalgourmet.com,
Nadine
or 917-719-6859.
nadine.nelson@gmail.com,
GROW CULINARY TOURISM IN JAMAICA & CARIBBEAN
global flavors with local ingredients.
and spokesperson.
strategy, please contact