Almost every culture has their form of a delicious, golden, baked or fried pastry filled with meat, vegetables, and delectable seasonings. Latin America boasts enticing empanadas, South Asia offers tantalizing samosa treats, Greece provides tempting spanakopita, and England has its appetizing Cornish pasty creations. If you’re looking for a taste of paradise wrapped and cooked to perfection, look no further than Jamaican patties, the Caribbean’s contribution to a long tradition of savory pastry dishes.
Jamaican patties came about through British influence in the Caribbean. An offshoot of the Cornish pasty, this conveniently handheld street food was spiced up and made unique by African and Indian flavorings. It most often contains beef, though it is sometimes found with other fillings such as goat, mutton, shrimp, lobster, fish, lamb, pork, chicken, cheese, or vegetables.
The protein often forms the base of the Jamaican patties’ filling, while vegetables and seasonings like thyme, paprika, scallions, cumin, curry, cayenne pepper, and scotch bonnet peppers are also often included. These ingredients are then packed into a moon-shaped pastry with a flaky, buttery crust. The pastry shell is often colored yellow from a combination of turmeric and egg yolks.
Jamaican patties are commonly enjoyed, as their name implies, in Jamaica, though they’re also popular in other countries in the Caribbean, like Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. These days, Jamaican patties have become so popular and have spread so widely that they can even be found in frozen form in grocery stores around the world — particularly in Great Britain and North America, mainly Canada.
You can also find Jamaican patties here at Caribbean Hut! Stop by today and give them a try.