FOOD NEWS
What Puts Jamaican Curry Powder Apart From Others?
BY WENDY MEAD
Jamaican curry powder stands apart from Indian or Thai curry blends. It's unique for its earthy and spicy flavors that appear in many dishes in Jamaican cuisine.
Jamaican curry powder was created by Indians who arrived in Jamaica as indentured servants. Their cooking blended the flavors of traditional Jamaican cuisine with Indian spices.
The spice blend is usually made of turmeric, fenugreek, coriander, cumin, and allspice, plus optional mustard seed, nutmeg, ginger, star anise, and/or cayenne pepper.
The resulting blend is by turns earthy, tangy, nutty, and citrusy, creating a multidimensional flavor with an herbaceous warmth and an occasional hint of zesty spice.
Although most curry powders around the world share a few ingredients, Jamaican curry powder is milder than Indian varieties, but not sweet like Japanese curry powder.
Jamaican curry can be used in everything from traditional curried goat stew and chicken curry, Indian dishes or meat marinades, to egg salad or a mayo curry aioli.
You can find Jamaican curry powder at some large supermarkets next to other Jamaican products like jerk seasoning, at specialty stores, or online for about $3 for 4 ounces.