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Jamaican Spicy Foods
A List Of Our Spiciest Dishes

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Jamaican Spicy Foods | Curried ShrimpJamaican Spicy Foods | Curried Shrimp

by Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer

Jamaican cuisine is seen as extremely spicy by some, especially by visitors who might be unfamiliar with the dominant flavours. Locals, however, consider many dishes that are considered spicy by others as being simply “flavourful” not burning hot as many may make it seem.

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Ingredients like ginger, scotch bonnet pepper and pimento seeds are used quite often in our local dishes and for a newcomer who has not experienced these flavours, the dishes come off as extremely spicy.

Some dishes, for example, ackee and saltfish, brown stew chicken, run down and many others, while prepared with many herbs and spices are not oftentimes overly spicy or peppery, unless the person making it prefers it that way.

There are some dishes though, that we prefer a little spicy. They just don’t taste quite right or complete without that extra kick of pepper that makes you want to grab for the closest drink. So, if you are willing to expand your palette and test how much heat you can really handle, here are some of the spiciest Jamaican dishes that you may dare to try.

1. Curried Foods

Jamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Curry ChickenJamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Curry Chicken

If you are having a curry dish, whether it is some curried crab or curried goat, or if you are vegan some curried mango, and you don’t find your lips burning, eyes watering and nose running from all the peppery goodness, you are in the wrong place. The mildest curry dish is always curry chicken, so that is a safe choice. Curried crab isn’t for the faint of heart.

As a matter of fact, if you are not a lover of extremely spicy foods, do yourself a favour and avoid eating anything “curried” in Jamaica. Jamaicans say curry and peppers go hand in hand. Curry Crabs top the list, being the spiciest curry dish. Curry crab is usually whole and prepared with herbs and spices such as onion, garlic, scallion, pimento seeds, ginger, curry powder and a significant amount of scotch bonnet pepper.

2. Peppered Shrimp

This one will definitely have your lips burning and leave you panting, but despite the intense heat, the flavours captured in each shrimp are so good that you will continue putting yourself through the torture of the heat just to get some more.

Peppered shrimp is a street food delicacy, just as much as the curry crab but less messy to eat. They are usually sold in small portions in clear plastic or brown paper bags.

3. Pepper Pot Soup

Jamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Pepper Pot SoupJamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup

The name alone is a clear indication of what to expect. Pepper and lots of it. It is traditionally a vegetarian meal, made primarily with callaloo, of course, if you are a meat lover like many people are, adding some salted pigtail or beef only improves the flavour.

This is one of those dishes that doesn’t have to be spicy, as you can control the amount of pepper you add to the dish and it will still be tasty but in true Jamaican fashion it is usually made with a significant amount of scotch bonnet pepper, simply because everything is better with a little more heat. 

4. Escovitch Fish

Jamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Escovitched FishJamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Escovitched Fish

If you are a pescatarian and living in or visiting Jamaica, one of the first dishes you might want to grab whenever you are out is some escovitch fish. But, before you grab that dish, if you are not a lover of spicy food, you may want to just grab the fish minus the escovitch sauce. The escovitch sauce is what makes escovitch fish great, otherwise, it is just plain fried fish.

While many persons make their sauce fresh and serve it immediately, some actually keep their sauce in a jar glass, the longer the sauce sits, the more intense the flavours of the onions, vinegar, carrots, pimento seeds and the main event, peppers get. 

5. Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork

Jamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Jerk PorkJamaican Spicy Foods | Jamaican Jerk Pork

When you think of Jamaica, you think of Jerk chicken and a festival with a red stripe beer relaxing on the beach right? That serene moment may however be disrupted by how intensely hot Jerk chicken or pork can be.

The pork and chicken itself may not be much of a challenge, even though you should expect a small kick of heat, but similar to the escovitch fish, it is the additional jerk sauce that intensifies the heat. So if you are not tolerant to heat, remember to always skip the sauce.

So is Jamaican food spicy? Yes, but not by default. Many of our dishes are extremely flavourful without the added peppers, but Jamaicans in general just rather their food with an extra layer of heat.

Most restaurants that cater primarily to visitors on the island do tend to limit the spiciness of their meals though, so you don’t have much to worry about.

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Usually, you'll see the crab after its deliciously prepared. But, have you ever wondered where they come from? Here is how crabs are hunted in Jamaica!

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References & Sources For Jamaican Spicy Foods

  1. Jamaican Pepperpot Soup Recipe, https://jamaicans.com/jamaican-pepperpot-soup-recipe/

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