Jamaica Spice - the best of Jamaican cuisine FOOD FESTIVALS in Jamaica have become eagerly anticipated events not only for those who love to cook Jamaican food but particularly for those who enjoy eating it. The Jamaica Spice food festival, organised by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and presented in association with the Ministry of Tourism & Sport is planned as the annual event that showcases the best of Jamaican cuisine. From jerk to janga, bussu to blue drawers, Jamaica Spice offers food for every taste, gloriously presented in an attractive setting in or close to the town of Ocho Rios. This year, Jamaica Spice will be a festival with a difference. It will be staged over four days beginning on World Tourism Day, Thursday, September 27 and culminates in a culinary feast of colours, flavours, textures and tastes at the James Bond Beach on Sunday, September 30, Festival Day. Over 150 overseas travel agents have confirmed that they will visit the island and six overseas restaurants have also committed to taking part in the Restaurant Cook-off Competition, which will see the chefs matching skills with their counterparts from 15 local restaurants. It is a festival for the cook and aspiring cook, for family and food enthusiasts and according to the Jamaica Tourist Board's General Manager for Events and Special Projects, Frances Yeo, "it will have something of interest for everyone, from the master chef to the hobby cook to the person who just loves to be where there is a lot of food." Activities begin with the Tourism Day Street Fete which will be held on Main Street, Ocho Rios from 12 noon to 9:00 p.m. A number of seminars are also planned for both amateurs and professionals with international master chefs on Friday and Saturday. One of the main presenters is BBC celebrity Chef Anthony Worrall Thompson who will conduct the "Market to Market" seminar along with Dennis McIntosh, Executive Chef of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. This activity will not only focus on cooking but on selecting market items to produce fine cuisine. A seminar will also be conducted by Inter-American Institute for Co-operation on Agriculture (IICA) that will show the linkages between the tourism and agricultural sectors. Highlights Other highlights include cooking and product demonstrations as well as restaurant promotions and competitions. Numbered among the cooking competitions is Teen Spice, Granny Potato Pudding, the Golden Coal Pot which targets Jamaican restaurants overseas, and the Golden Apron Competition which is open to chefs in local restaurants and small hotels. The best of Jamaican food will also be presented in an evening of "fine dining" where award winning dishes in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's (JCDC) festival competition will be featured. A family event, Jamaica Spice also caters for children for whom a number of activities have been planned. These include the JF Mills "Kiddies Bakery" where they will be taught to bake simple products. This year, visitors will also be able to purchase "Spice" merchandise including jute bags, yabbas, wooden spoons and forks, aprons, mugs and balloons. Participation has been invited from leading food companies and new organisations with novel products. These include major sponsor, Best Dressed Foods as well as Walkers Wood and Reggae Joy, producers of drinks made from fresh Jamaican fruits. According to the JTB, adequate arrangements are being made for parking, security and accommodation for those who wish to stay over and experience the entire four day event. Featured entertainers will be Tony Rebel, Abiju, Peter Lloyd and Kumina specialist, King Baucho.
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