Food · Portland · written in Patois with an English translation
Mek mi tell yuh bout Boston Bay, one likkle fishing village pon di Portland coast. A deh-so people seh jerk baan. Long time aback, di fus jerk was a way fi keep meat — smoke i an dry i so i wouldn' spoil. Even di word barbecue, dem seh i come from Taino talk. When di Maroon-dem run weh from slavery an go live inna di John Crow Mountain, dem tek dat deh knowledge an mix i wid African seasoning. Dem season op di wild hog wid pimento, scotch bonnet pepper an nuff spice, den dem cook i pon a gridiron mek outta green stick, bout two foot up offa di grung, wid di fire a bun unda i — six to nine hour slow. Up inna di Blue Mountain dem call dat rack a patta; di Maroon-dem call i caban. Afta bout 1900 di cooking come dung nearer di grung: some man dig out a pit, set di rack level wid di eart, an cover i wid piece a zinc — a dem one deh tun wa people call jerk pit tideh. Green pimento wood a wa gi jerk di real taste — di wood self full a flava. Fi most a di las century, jerk pork was a Portland ting, an Boston di place fi i. Kingston did have jerk pork man a sell a di race meetin fram di 1930s, an inna 1977 di Chelsea Jerk Centre open a Kingston an help di pit-dem spread tru di city. Boston stan op fi imself inna 2000 when dem start di Boston Jerk Festival. Tideh, when yuh drive tru Boston, sweet smoke ketch yuh nose from maanin till night. Man a chop pork wid machete, chicken a smoke pon pimento stick, an everybody a argue seh fi-dem pit a di best one. If yuh eva reach Portland, yuh haffi stop deh an nyam some. Belly full, ee!
Let me tell you about Boston Bay, a little fishing village on the Portland coast. That's where people say jerk was born. Long ago, the first jerk was a way to keep meat — smoke it and dry it so it would not spoil. Even the word barbecue is said to come from Taino. When the Maroons escaped slavery and went to live in the John Crow Mountains, they took that knowledge and blended it with African seasoning. They seasoned wild hog with pimento, scotch bonnet pepper and plenty of spice, then cooked it on a gridiron made of green sticks about two feet off the ground, with the fire burning underneath — six to nine hours, slow. Up in the Blue Mountains that rack was called a patta; the Maroons called it a caban. After about 1900 the cooking came down nearer the ground: some men dug out a pit, set the rack level with the earth, and covered it with a piece of zinc — those are what people call jerk pits today. Green pimento wood is what gives jerk its true taste — the wood itself is full of flavour. For most of the last century, jerk pork was a Portland thing, and Boston the place for it. Kingston had jerk pork men selling at the race meetings from the 1930s, and in 1977 the Chelsea Jerk Centre opened in Kingston and helped the pits spread through the city. Boston stood up for itself in 2000 when it started the Boston Jerk Festival. Today, when you drive through Boston, sweet smoke catches your nose from morning till night. Men chop pork with machetes, chicken smokes on pimento sticks, and everybody argues that their pit is the best one. If you ever reach Portland, you have to stop there and eat some. Talk about satisfied!
Mek mi tel yu bout Boston Bay, wan likl fishin vilij pon di Portland kuos. A de-so piipl se jerk baan. Lang taim abak, di fos jerk woz a wie fi kiip miit — smuok i an drai i so i wudn spwail. Iivn di word barbecue, dem se i kom fram Taino taak. Wen di Maroon-dem ron we fram slievri an go liv iina di John Crow Mountain, dem tek dat de nalij an miks i wid African siiznin. Dem siizn op di wail ag wid pimento, skach banit pepa an nof spais, den dem kuk i pon a gridairan mek outa griin stik, bout tuu fut op afa di grong, wid di faya a bon onda i — siks tu nain owa sluo. Op iina di Blue Mountain dem kaal dat rak a pata; di Maroon-dem kaal i kyaban. Afta bout 1900 di kukin kom dong niera di grong: som man dig out a pit, set di rak levl wid di ort, an kova i wid piis a zink — a dem wan de ton wa piipl kaal jerk pit tide. Griin pimento wud a wa gi jerk di riil ties — di wud self ful a flieva. Fi muos a di laas senchri, jerk puok woz a Portland ting, an Boston di plies fi i. Kingston did av jerk puok man a sel a di ries miitin fram di 1930s, an iina 1977 di Chelsea Jerk Centre uopn a Kingston an help di pit-dem spred chuu di siti. Boston stan op fi imself iina 2000 wen dem staat di Boston Jerk Festival. Tide, wen yu jraiv chuu Boston, swiit smuok kech yu nuoz fram maanin til nait. Man a chap puok wid machet, chikin a smuok pon pimento stik, an evribadi a aagyu se fi-dem pit a di bes wan. If yu eva riich Portland, yu afi stap de an nyam som. Beli ful, ii!
Higman's history of jerk is what this capsule now follows: the raised gridiron of green sticks — patta in the Blue Mountains, caban among the Maroons — the shift to ground-level pits after about 1900, the pimento smoke, and the commercial trail from the Kingston race-meeting sellers of the 1930s through the Chelsea Jerk Centre in 1977 to the Boston Jerk Festival in 2000.
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
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