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 Taino people-dem did know hou fi smoke meat an keep i good. 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 slow-slow inna pit unda di grung, so no smoke couldn' show di soldier-dem weh dem deh. Afta di Maroon-dem get dem own land, dem start cook pon open fire, pon green pimento wood. A dat gi jerk di real taste — di wood self full a flava. Lata on, some jerk man set op di fus jerk pit-dem a Boston Bay, an from dat day di likkle village tun di jerk capital a di whole worl'. 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 Taino people knew how to smoke meat and preserve it well. 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 slowly in pits under the ground, so no smoke could show the soldiers where they were. After the Maroons got their own land, they began cooking on open fires, on green pimento wood. That is what gives jerk its true taste — the wood itself is full of flavour. Later on, some jerk men set up the first jerk pits at Boston Bay, and from that day the little village became the jerk capital of the whole world. 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 Taino piipl-dem did nuo ou fi smuok miit an kiip i gud. 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 sluo-sluo iina pit onda di grong, so no smuok kudn shuo di suoja-dem we dem de. Afta di Maroon-dem get dem uon lan, dem staat kuk pon uopn faya, pon griin pimento wud. A dat gi jerk di riil ties — di wud self ful a flieva. Lieta aan, som jerk man set op di fos jerk pit-dem a Boston Bay, an fram dat die di likl vilij ton di jerk kyapital a di uol worl. 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 covers the pimento smoke, the cooking method and the trade. His account of how the method and the commerce developed differs from this capsule in several particulars — see the sourcing notes.
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
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