Here's what to expect from restaurants and food in Negril, Jamaica.

I love to know what to expect from restaurants and food before I go!

In Negril, like nowhere else that I am aware of, you can walk the beach, as well as the road and discover any number of great places to eat. On the West End (or cliffs), taxis are the way to go ( most roads are narrow and winding--not always the best for walking).

In Jamaica, the food is seasoned and well-prepared. In most restaurants all dishes, including sides, are prepared from scratch. The seasoning, considered an art, begins early in the day or even the day before.

Jamaica is famous for "jerk," a barbequed, highly seasoned chicken, pork or fish. You will find it on most any menu, but there is so much more to Jamaican cuisine. Locally prepared meals might include any of the following; rice and peas (red kidney beans cooked with coconut milk), yams, dasheen, irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and/or dumplings (made with flour or cornmeal) on the side.

Salt fish (salted codfish) and ackee, the island's traditional dish, combines the salted cod with ackee fruit (tastes a little like sweetend scrambled eggs). This dish is often served with boiled green bananas, and johnnycakes(fried flour dumplings) and bammies (cassava cakes).

Some other local specialties include; pepperpot soup (hot and spicy), callaloo (a spinach like plant), escovitch fish, grilled lobster and roasted breadfruit. Be sure to try a Jamaican patty--it's Jamaica's take on fast food, inexpensive and delicious (will be made with beef, vegetables,chicken or seafood).

There are many local "must try" fruits; mangoes, guineps, soursop, naseberries, otaheite apples, bananas and coconuts.

For beverages, try the local brands--Ting is a grapefruit flavored soft drink, Red Stripe and Real Rock are local beers and Tia Maria the local liqueur. For coffee lovers, most coffee served in Jamaica is not the coveted Blue Mountain Coffee. You can find it in gift shops and supermarkets and it's much less expensive the back at home.

The tasty, fresh dishes are wonderfully prepared. Cooking methods are slower to allow for the flavors to develop naturally. Very little is prepared ahead of time and nothing is pre-cooked and warmed over. As a result, you might experience a wait now and then. Relax!--start out a little early and enjoy a libation while you wait. Just know it will usually be worth the wait.

There are many restaurants and bars in Negril. Most hotels and resorts have at least one on premises or right next door. You can sample Jamaican, Caribbean, North American, Continental or Asian foods. Not all establishments will accept credit cards and many small local places only accept Jamaican dollars.

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