Words by Natalie Weiner
When you think of Jamaican cuisine, certain dishes come to mind right away—jerk chicken, rice and peas, curried goat, ackee and saltfish.. and they come to mind for a reason: they’re delicious. But the island’s diverse heritage (and abundance of unique ingredients) means that there’s actually a lot more to Jamaican food than just these traditional recipes.
It was the island’s unique history (and naturally, food) that inspired Robin Lim Lumsden, granddaughter of Red Stripe co-founder Peter Desnoes and the founder of Jamaican gourmet food brand Belcour Preserves, to write The Belcour Cookbook. Lumsden’s background—her father is Chinese and Scottish, her mother French and English—frames the recipes as she shares her family’s favorite dishes, ranging from Sichuan pork to mac and cheese, all with a Jamaican twist.
Growing up in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Lumsden learned the ins and outs of Jamaican cooking, as well as how to use foods like naseberry, star apple, and breadfruit. With dishes like the Warm Honey Jerk Chicken Pasta (pictured above), she provides new takes on the Jamaican classics. (She’s an experienced beekeeper, producing Jamaica’s finest honey from her family’s Belcour Lodge property.) Traditional recipes are included as well, though, like callaloo and stewed mangoes. Throughout the book, Lumsden shares anecdotes about her family’s heritage, and how exactly her ancestors came to Jamaica, giving context to the wide variety of recipes that she presents. Lumsden’s
What’s your favorite Jamaican recipe? Share the recipe in the comments for a chance to win a copy of the Belcour Cookbook for yourself!
