Happy New Years + Shots from a Jamaican Market
Happy New Year to you all! Between the cookbook deadline, holidays and travel, I have been a bit MIA, but I wanted to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2013. AND I wanted to share some pretty cool shots from an open-air market I visited in Jamaica. This is a true local spot and gave me a great snapshot of what’s traditionally used in real Jamaican cooking.
This is fresh sorrel used to make a delicious, tart drink. You also may know this as hibiscus, if you’ve ever had the tea. I’ve always seen it in dried form, so good to know what it looks like fresh!
Talking that talk!
This is a major part of the cuisine, the national fruit of Jamaica, ackee. It’s often eaten with saltfish and related to the lychee and longan actually. Unripe, it can be toxic.
A little spice shopping – here is fresh nutmeg with its wrapper, mace.
The ubiquitous scotch bonnet pepper! I love it, but that heat is deadly. I was shocked by how much went into Jerk seasoning – such a key flavor.
