What do they eat for breakfast in Jamaica?

Jamaicans love a good meal food in general and breakfast is no exception!

Therefore due focus is placed on this, the first meal of the day, regardless of how simple it is.

It ranges from a simple as an egg sandwich to the heavier and “dinner-like” ackee and salt fish with roast breadfruit, or boiled yam (as shown above).

One thing for sure is that they are all delicious.

So, step into my kitchen as we go through a list of Jamaica’s most popular mouth-watering breakfast options, note that many are combined.

1. Ackee and Saltfish - What better way to start your morning than with your national dish? It is often paired with roast breadfruit, boiled yam, boiled bananas or fried dumplings.
   
   
2. Porridge - For all the “Goldie Locks” out there, porridge is another favourite on the breakfast menu in Jamaica.
   
   These include:
   
   
   
   • Cornmeal porridge
     
   • Oats porridge
     
   • Plantain porridge
     
   • Peanut porridge
     
   • Rice porridge
     
   • Hominy Corn Porridge
     
   
   
   Here are 3 simple and easy Jamaican porridge recipes.
   
   By the way, we actually have a video on that - Uncle Joe serving authentic Jamaican peanut and hominy porridge in the street! Here's the link. Here also embedded below
   
   
3. Fried Dumplings- This is one of my favourites, mostly because it can be paired with absolutely every and anything. Whether it be steamed callaloo, steamed cabbage or ackee & salt fish, fried dumplings is an excellent partner.
   
   
4. Fritters - If you loved fried dumplings, then you’ll adore fritters and we have them in many flavours...
   
   
   
   
   1. Salt fish fritters- This one is the most popular of all. It can be paired with callaloo and steamed cabbage, but it can also standalone. Either way it’s delicious.
      
      
   2. Ripe banana fritters- Don’t allow those ripe bananas to go to waste. Turn it into this sweet treat. Read more here.
      
      
   3. Callaloo fritters - Yes we have that too, sumptuous.
      
   
   
   
5. Festival - Festivals are quite similar to fried dumplings. We often see festivals being served with jerk chicken or Escoveitch fish. Delicious!
   
   
6. Steamed Callaloo- If you love your greens, then you’ll love steam callaloo (similar to spinach).
   
   It is usually added with tomatoes, onions, hot pepper and salt to give it some flavour. Again, callaloo is one of those items that is great with everything. So enjoy it with bread, fried dumpling, roast breadfruit or salt fish fritters.
   
   
7. Steamed Cabbage- Here’s another one for our veggie lovers. Just like callaloo, hot pepper, salt, onions and thyme are added to for some spice and flavour. Some people even add salt fish to it as well.
   
   
8. Roast Breadfruit - Now, roast breadfruit is one that can’t be ignored. It’s a staple dish and we Jamaicans enjoy it most when it is mature, just about to ripe (or as we call it ‘turn’).
   
   I grew up with a breadfruit tree in my backyard, so when it is in season, we have breadfruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No joke :-)
   
   But for breakfast, we typically have it roasted or fried with callaloo, steamed cabbage, ackee and salt fish and brown stew chicken. Read more on how we use Jamaican Breadfruit here.
   
   
9. Egg and bread - Now I, and many Jamaicans, usually have this when in a hurry to get out of the house. But, this simple sandwich can be upgraded to a heavy breakfast when you add a few slices of tomatoes, some lettuce and sausages.
   
   
10. Fried plantains- Fried Plantains is another versatile breakfast delicacy.
    
    If you want to add some sweetness to your plate, then you can have it ripe. Personally, I love it when it’s green.
    
    You simply...
    
    Peel it from the skin and half fry it.
    Remove the half fried plantain and press it.
    Then place it back in the hot oil and fry it to perfection. Yum! Read more here.
    
    
11. Bammy- This breakfast treat has been passed down to us, I understand, from the Tainos. Read more about it here.
    
    You can couple it with ackee and salt fish or callaloo. Whatever your choosing, I assure you that it will be delicious.
    
    
12. Fruits - One Banana, a few slices of papayas, pineapples and a Otaheiti apple complete the perfect breakfast fruit plate for us Jamaicans.
    
    There are also several roadside vendors selling this nowadays.
    
    
13. Stewed chicken- Or should I say brown stewed chicken. Sometimes, organs such as the liver and kidney are also stewed. Enjoy it with boiled bananas, roast breadfruit and fried dumplings, delicious.
    
    
14. Boiled bananas- Suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner, green bananas are both quick and easy to prepare. For breakfast, it is usually served with ackee and salt fish, stew chicken and callaloo.
    
    
15. Hot Beverage - Traditional Jamaicans have always insisted that tea, or should I say “bush tea”, should be a part of every breakfast. In other words, no breakfast is complete without tea. Peppermint , Fever Grass (also known as Lemon Grass), Cerasee and Mint as some of the popular.
    
    Hot chocolate, cocoa and coffee are other popular hot beverages served with a Jamaican breakfast.
    

Here also are 3 simple and easy Jamaican recipes.

That's it, we have even more, but those, in my opinion, are the most popular ones here. I hope this helps.

Regards,
AD

P.S. Remember to click here get even more helpful answers to frequently asked questions about Jamaica.

P.P.S. Watch Video: Meet Joe - Who Has Been Serving Breakfast To Working Jamaicans For Over 20 Years!

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