Jamaican Jerk

I’ve often wondered where the word ‘jerk’ comes from when it comes to food and here is the answer…

early 18th century (as a verb): from Latin American Spanish charquear, from charqui, from Quechua echarqui ‘dried flesh’.

Now, we’ve sorted that out, let’s talk about Jamaican Jerk and how to use it.

Image: Alan Benson

Jamaican Jerk is a rub which is usually associated with chicken, although I have discovered it tastes great with lots of other foods too - pork, prawns and even cauliflower. Traditionally this blend contains salt and sugar, however since Salivate! Blends are salt and sugar free, I leave it to you to experiment and add them to suit your own taste.

You can use Jamaican Jerk in many ways and here are a few:

• a dry rub to give your food an extra bite before it hits the pan or to get it ready for the smoker

• with some added salt you can sprinkle the seasoning over cooked chicken wings or chips

• you can drizzle an entire head of a cauliflower with olive oil and rub the spice blend in, then bake it in the oven for an incredible vego taste sensation

• create a marinade by combining the spice blend with some ginger, garlic, sugar, salt, lime juice and vinegar into a paste, then rubbing it over the chicken, or prawns, or pork.