Jamaican households are oddly similar. Knowing what to expect in terms of roles and customs is one thing, but surprisingly, no matter the socioeconomic status, the pantry fundamentals remain the same. It’s a small island full of culture and pride, we’re going to have whatever the next person is having. More importantly, home will feel like home no matter where you are. Case in point; I recently spent the weekend at my sister’s house and my mom called to ask if I’d arrived “home” safely. I replied, “Yes, I’m at my sister’s.” And my mom’s response was, “Then aren’t you at ‘home’?” Yes, this carries some bias and disregard for me and what is mine, but to her and the rest of the family, their home is my home and my home is their home too or at least it should be. It is seen and accepted as complete disrespect if one does not open their home to family. Likewise if an open hostess invite is overlooked and/or one gives preference to another, a friend’s place for example. And, a hotel stay is just outta order. Now, mind you, things almost never work out well, but we do it proudly in the spirit of tradition and duty. It’s also interesting to note that an invitation almost never happens, house visits tend to take place on the visitor’s schedule. Welcome to Jamaica! Where tradition trumps comfort.
What we almost always all agree on though are the items in the pantry. I picked these six — browning, hard-dough bread, crackers, rum, tin mackerel and hot sauce — at random, but they are also what I found in my sister’s pantry. Our culture never sleeps. Browning because, as discussed, Jamaicans are afraid of white meat. If browning is absent, it’s curry for dinner or no meat. Though, a good Jamaican is never caught without browning (I have browning in the pantry that I don’t even use). Bread because the Lord said so. And when it’s warm, straight from the oven, it’s devoured in a day. Tough crackers are great for the in-between, with your tea or morning porridge. It’s best paired with something else, but is consumed alone when one is famished and can’t wait for a meal. It’s also a great teething “ring” for babies. Rum for its various medicinal purposes, including teething. I kid. Tin mackerel is always around. I believe this stems from hurricane anxiety and preparation. Once you’ve lived through one hurricane, “hurricane season” stretches far beyond the Farmer’s Almanac. And of course, everything tastes better with hot sauce, but remember, we are jerk spice kings and queens. The fundamentals are as such so as to never be caught by surprise. Food is important to Jamaican culture, but even in a crunch, taste and customs will not be compromised.
In Jamaica, home is not only where the heart lives, but also in the contents of your pantry. I’m currently 1,714 miles from our island and I have five out of the six staples in my pantry. I don’t eat tin mackerel. I choose comfort.