“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.” -Mark Kurlansky
Walking through the Coronation Market in downtown Kingston is an exhilarating experience. As you walk from one stall to the next, you are surrounded with every bit of Jamaican culture. From the hand-cart man’s efforts to compete with ongoing traffic to the persuading screams of vendors in their Jamaican dialect. Vendors travel from all over the island to come to the market and sell their fresh produce at often cheaper prices than the local supermarkets and grocery stores.
As you journey down the narrow aisles, trying not to step on produce that might be trying to escape the open pile from which it was stacked, one has to take notice of the colorful array of seasonings and spices in view. Baskets of bagged dry pimento sit overlooking rows of scallion, black pepper, chicken seasoning and thyme. Pumpkin, carrots, white potato, yellow yams and cho-cho stack in soup appeal. The eye-catching vibrant colors flirt with the cool Jamaican breeze. The fruit of the season sits in abundance and the ripe aroma travels through the often raw smelling air.
Children would sometimes accompany their parents to the market. The children of the vendors are sometimes seen with small baskets in hand, attempting to help to increase the day’s profits. If not, they are asleep with their tiny heads “cotched” upon some man-made pillow. The children also play games with each other to keep themselves occupied. The loud market chatter is almost completely synchronized with the sound of music coming from the hand-made music boxes placed along different areas of the market. Vendors and customers can be heard negotiating cost and quality; laughter follows with the wind.
Fresh mountainous-like piles of callaloo, cabbage and bok choy flourish on top of plastic crates. Scotch bonnet peppers sprawl about, thus creating a red, green and yellow mirage; culture lives here. Sunshine gleams through the make shift tents and the footsteps of a busy market scene come alive. Ripe and green plantains, green peppers, tomatoes and onions become victims to the endless fingers of buyers trying to pick their best. Sugar cane, jackfruit and water melons supply a welcoming whisper at each passerby.
One of our main goals at JCSKitchen is to expose the world to the finest and most authentic Caribbean cuisine and culture, by offering foods and beverages that derive from the very foundation of one’s culture; the market. Our seasonings, spices and marinades are blended from authentic ingredients, nostalgic of traditional cooking. Beans and Peas like those piled in the market are flavorful, convenient and guaranteed to add something extra to every dish that requires its ingredient. Our JCS Callaloo is very similar to the fresh callaloo leaves from the market basket: we only made it more convenient. Our seasonings derive from authentic Jamaican ingredients, sure to satisfy the master chef as well as the amateur.
Our brand of sauces uniquely qualifies as “culture in a bottle.” The unique mixtures of sweet, spicy and savory are what differentiates it from any other. Our lines of Juices are the finest on the market. Partaking in the mango and coconut juices will have you feeling refreshed, as though you are standing in the hot market sun and was suddenly saved by a sip of fresh coconut water and freshly squeezed mangoes. Our no sodium Grapefruit juice is as refreshing as it is better tasting than any “ting” else you have ever had. Our Gungo Peas (Green Pigeon Peas) and Red Kidney beans are the best for adding authentic taste and color to the traditional Bean/Peas dishes. Our JCS Peppermint, Cerassie, Ginger and Instant Ginger tea’s are certainly the best way to start the morning or end the day: nostalgic to the fresh leaves that lay in market baskets waiting to be brewed. Our extensive product line represents the sense of “natural” and “culture” that the market scene creates.
The market is said to be the best place to experience culture. It is this experience that our products bring into the homes of all its customers. JCSKitchen is constantly working to bring the “market vibe” into your home. Welcome to our Kitchen!