Left: Evon Brown sells corn on the cob in Junction, St Ann. Right: Michael Angus of Borowbridge in St Ann is proud of his cane juice that is just the right quencher after a meal of roast yam and salt fish.

IT COULD almost be considered sinful if anyone in our beautiful island died of starvation. The land is fertile and can produce all we need to eat. And, to make a meal these days, we only need sunshine ('sunfire cuisine' if you are into raw food ), or enough wood for an environment-friendly fire. All you need afterwards is an uncontaminated spring for water. If you live in rural Jamaica, just plant your food, reap and cook it.

Last Saturday, I attended a funeral in Clarksonville, St Ann, and, on the way back, I stopped at one of my favourite roadside eating spots. It's the other roast yam spot (Melrose Hill in Manchester, is the original place for the favourite treat), in Borowbridge, and along that main road are about four roast yam vendors, who sell roasted yam served with roasted or cooked-up salt fish and a liberal amount of Chiffon margarine.

Ice-cold cane juice

Right next to Azroy Parke's stall is Michael Angus who has ice-cold cane juice with ginger and bottled juices or soda. Of course, I had the cane juice. Angus told Food he makes the cane juice himself after buying the cane from farmers in the area. There is a small seating area but most customers take their purchases along with them.

Parke is a regular participant in the farm-work programme in Canada, but he is on hiatus now and he roasts yam to supplement his income. "The pickney dem have to go to school, so I can't sit down," he said. He starts early and leaves before night just to make sure no one comes to relieve him of his hard-earned money.

The yam is delicious, powdery, filling and dry enough to choke the careless eater. Parke is generous with the margarine so the health-conscious have to warn him to go easy. Some vendors also sell freshly reaped yellow yam and soup. Servings cost $300 or $350.

Further along the road in Junction is Devon Brown, the corn man. He sells corn on the cob at $300 per dozen and is ready to show his book with the name and address of the farmer from whom he purchased the corn.

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com

Salt fish cooked up with herbs and condiments.

A serving of roasted yam and salt fish.

Chilled home-made cane juice and other drinks.

Azroy Parke scrapes roasted yellow yam. - Photos by Barbara Ellington