The best traditional Jamaican dishes
The top 3 according to 106 votes from people: Curry goat · Jerk chicken · Ackee and saltfish. (Updated Sep 12, 2026.)
Jamaica's essential dishes, from the national ackee and saltfish to Maroon jerk, picked from Jamaican food guides.
Top 10
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1
Curry goat
Goat curry, legacy of 19th-century Indian indentured labourers.
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2
Jerk chicken
Chicken in a scotch bonnet and allspice marinade smoked over pimento wood, a Maroon technique.
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3
Ackee and saltfish
The national dish: salt cod with ackee fruit, which looks like scrambled eggs, eaten for breakfast.
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4
Rice and peas
Rice cooked with kidney beans, coconut milk and thyme, the Sunday side.
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5
Jamaican patty
Flaky golden pastry filled with spiced beef, chicken or vegetables.
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6
Festival
Sweet fried cornmeal dumplings eaten with jerk or fish.
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7
Escovitch fish
Fried fish topped with pickled onions, carrots and peppers.
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8
Bammy
Cassava flatbread from the Arawak tradition.
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9
Callaloo
Leafy greens steamed with onion and tomato, often for breakfast.
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10
Mannish water
Goat soup served at celebrations, said to give strength.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 10… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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11
Brown stew chicken
Chicken stewed in a browning sauce.
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12
Oxtail stew
Oxtail braised with butter beans and spices.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (2)
Ackee and saltfish with fried dumplings on a Sunday morning, nothing better 🇯🇲
Jerk chicken from Boston Bay, the birthplace of jerk.