The Best Jamaican Street Foods You Need to Try on Your Next Visit
When you visit Jamaica, skip the hotel buffet. If you want to taste the real island, hit the streets—and better yet, take a guided bite with the Taste of Jamaica Farm, Herbal Garden and Food Tour in Ocho Rios.
Jamaica’s street food scene is as bold and flavorful as its culture. Here’s a rundown of the must-try eats, and how you can take your experience even deeper—by learning to cook them yourself.
1. Jerk Chicken
No Jamaican street food list starts anywhere else. Smoky, spicy, and grilled over pimento wood, jerk chicken is a national obsession. It’s best eaten fresh off a roadside barrel drum grill, with a cold drink in hand. On the Taste of Jamaica tour, you’ll not only eat it—you’ll see how it’s marinated and grilled the traditional way.
2. Festival
This golden, slightly sweet fried dough is the perfect sidekick to jerk anything. Crunchy outside, soft inside, and always served hot, it’s street food comfort at its best. You’ll get to sample it on the tour—and even learn to make it in our hands-on cooking class.
3. Patty
Spiced meat (beef, chicken, or even ackee and callaloo) wrapped in a flaky, turmeric-tinged crust. Jamaican patties are handheld perfection. Locals grab them for lunch or a quick snack—and so will you when we stop at a roadside vendor on the tour.
4. Roasted Corn
Simple, smoky, and a little charred, street-roasted corn is usually rubbed with butter and seasoned with salt or jerk spice. It’s the kind of local treat you won’t find in any resort—and it’s even better when you pick it yourself fresh from our farm.
5. Bammy
A flatbread made from cassava, bammy is usually fried or steamed and served with fish. On our farm tour, you’ll see cassava growing in the ground—and you’ll taste bammy made the old-school way.
6. Sugar Cane & Fresh Fruit
Stop by any roadside stall and you’ll find bags of juicy pineapple, mango, or peeled sugar cane ready to chew. During the Taste of Jamaica tour, we walk through the herbal garden, tasting native fruits and learning how local farmers grow them.
Learn to Cook Jamaican Food Like a Local
If you’re hungry for more than just a taste, join our cooking class. You’ll get hands-on with the spices, herbs, and traditional techniques that make Jamaican cuisine unforgettable. From jerk rubs to coconut rice and peas, you’ll leave knowing how to bring island flavor back home.
Why Book the Taste of Jamaica Tour?
Because it’s more than a food tour—it’s a real connection to Jamaican culture. You’ll walk the land, meet the growers, eat with locals, and cook with heart. Whether you’re a foodie, an adventurer, or someone just tired of the tourist traps, this is the Jamaica you came for.
Ready to eat like a Jamaican?
Book your spot on the Taste of Jamaica Farm, Herbal Garden and Food Tour today—bring your appetite, and leave with unforgettable flavors.
