Meat Patties
Jamaica's Favorite Post-Colonial Cuisine
Introduction
Within the nations of the Caribbean lies a rich source of food history, full of indigenous and post-colonial influence. Despite many of the Caribbean islands being so close in proximity, each contains its own variations and signatures while preserving the roots of universal cooking methods. Aside from geographical location, an additional link between each of the Caribbean nations was their relationship to Spanish-English colonialism in general, which stripped away from indigenous culture and pushed a more universal post-colonial narrative for years to follow (Atkinson, 28). In this time, cultures were exchanged and fused together, which is how many foods that are eaten today came to be such staples of the modern diet.
Islands in the Carribean
The Jamaican Meat Patty, a savory stuffed dough pastry, shows an example of post-colonial fare; it can be inferred that they are variations of the English Pasty. Additionally, they bear resemblance to the Empanada, which is thought to be of “colonial-era Spanish food and cooking methods” (Pite, 102). Thus, I argue that Jamaican Meat Patties were a product of colonization. Despite such roots, the patties are a national symbol of Jamaican culture on all sides of the diaspora.
Jamaican Meat Patties
What are Jamaican Meat Patties?
Meat Patties, also known as Meat Pies, are a form of pastry that fall under the savory category and are eaten alone to satisfy a complete meal. Usually, they’re made from a well-seasoned beef mixture, but often other meats such as goat and chicken are substituted. A typical seasoning blend that goes into the preparation of the filling consists of salt, pepper, curry powder, onion, assorted chili, and thyme (DeMers, 147). Upon trying a Jamaican Patty for the first time, I tasted the distinct, spicy flavor of the curry-powder-chili-infused oil and was instantly hooked. One bite turned to two, which then led to multiple patties—I digress. This heavy seasoning blend is used in other dishes such as meat stews and other meat-protein-based dishes.
The spicy, well-seasoned nature of the dish is not attributed to its English ties but rather its ties to African culture and cuisine, as a great 95% of Jamaica’s cultural demographic makes up those of African heritage (DeMer, 23). In addition to the cultural palette, “spices [were] used for the preservation of food by reducing rancidity” as many of the spices they used contained antimicrobial properties (Porter, 14).
Pasties and Empanadas
The English connection to the Jamaican Meat Patty comes from the cooking method of making savory pastries. Described as a “portable, well-balanced meal as one,” Pasties served a similar function in the diet as that of the Meat Patty and was even the choice meal of midwest American miners in the early 1900’s (Walker, 245). The dough used in pasties is a simple flour-egg base that is eventually spread thin, topped with filling, and folded over. the same dough and preparation method is used in the Jamaican recipe, as well as Empanadas.
Empanadas
Empanadas are a small dough pastry usually filled with meat and other savory options. It’s thought to originate from Spain and has many variations to the recipe within Latin American countries, such as Cuban Pastelitos de Guayaba. Spain is thought to be the origin of the Empanada after its first historical documentation in the recipe book Libre de Coche by Ruperto de Nola, published in Barcelona, Spain in the year 1520. Originally written in Catalan, the book has since been translated into English. De Nola was a highly esteemed chef who served as a chef for royalty and was eventually the first to publish a cookbook. The first recipe for an empanada dish was the 48th recipe in the book, titled “Pastel de Cabrito” or “Kid Pie.” Kid (goat meat) was a commonly used meat in cooking for high-class citizens, so the targeted audience of this book was less likely to be lower-class citizens and more of upper-class and royalty. The recipe was quite vague, not calling for specific seasoning nor does it give instruction on preparing the dough. Much is left up to the imagination (and the pantry) on the seasoning choices when the instructions call for “fine seasonings” (de Nola, 356). Such similarities between Empanada preparation and Jamaican Meat Patty preparation support the ideology of Spanish influence.
A plate with the Jamaican flag
Works Cited
Atkinson, Lesley-Gail. The Earliest Inhabitants: The Dynamics of the Jamaican Taíno. University of the West Indies Press, 2006.
DeMers, John, et al. The Food of Jamaica: Authentic Recipes from the Jewel of the Caribbean. Periplus, 1999.
Medina, F. Xavier. Food Culture in Spain. Greenwood Press, 2005.
Pite, Rebekah E., et al. “La Cocina Criolla: A History of Food and Race in Twentieth-Century Argentina: Semantic Scholar.” Undefined, 1 Jan. 1970, www.semanticscholar.org/paper/La-cocina-criolla%3A-A-history-of-food-and-race-in-Pite-Alberto/2e4fecab848dc1e26095129bd11b502639b303e0.
Porter, et al, Roy B. Jamaican Spices as Food Preservatives. University of West Indies, 2013.
Walker, Harlan. Food and the Memory: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery, 2000. Prospect Books, 2001.
Nola, Ruperto de. Libre Del Coch: Tractat De Cucina Medieval. Curial, 1520.
Pictures
https://assets.bonappetit.com/photos/5e13adf8e7b92300089ad153/1:1/w_2560%2Cc_limit/0120-Beef-Patties-Cookbook-Club-1.jpg
