None of this surprises Philip Rose of the Jamaica Tourism Board. “Over
the past five or ten years, there has been a commitment to ensuring that
our culinary offerings not only meet but exceed visitors’ expectations,” he
says. It’s a wise policy, he adds, because food is a top reason people
choose a vacation destination — and why they return. Jamaica has the
highest percentage of repeat business in the Caribbean, Rose notes. He
admits such iconic items as jerk chicken remain key to the country’s
identity. “It’s woven into our culture, into our DNA, and we’re very proud of
that. But Jamaica isn’t limited to that. There’s so much more.”
That’s a far cry from 2001, when the general manager of the Sandals
Resort in Montego Bay, Horace Peterkin, complained local products were
too tiny a part of his multi-million-dollar kitchen purchases. He begged
farmers to produce more – while acknowledging they were challenged by
lack of both irrigation and labour-saving technology. Backing words with
money, Sandals joined forces with the Rural Agricultural Development
Authority and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
to teach farm management skills. As it turns out, Milton Murdock was one
of those on the 2001 course.
Even now, government officials are encouraging greater investment in
agriculture, and setting up loan programs to help farmers expand capacity.
“If we focus more on growing our own produce, we would reduce the need
to import and satisfy the demands of our markets, which also results in an
increase in our gross domestic product,” Nigel Clarke said last year. Clarke
represents the country’s agricultural interests abroad. “The data suggest
that wherever agriculture goes, that’s where Jamaica goes.”
Jamaica has also invested in culinary training, bringing chefs and
producers together to understand each other better. “As a result,” says
Philip Rose, “items even on resort buffets or in lovely street-side stalls are
the very freshest possible.” Examples? Rose, a vegetarian, practically
swoons as he recalls a dish at Half Moon Resort in Montego Bay: breadfruit
gnocchi, a traditional Jamaican fruit given an Italian twist. And in the next
breath, Puddin’ Man Edgar Wallace of Just Coool, whose sweet potato and
cornmeal puddings cooked over a coal fire are so popular they’ve caused
traffic congestion in tiny St Ann.
Back home in Canada, where winter makes Jamaica seem a world away,
I learn Chef Morris left Sunset at the Palms a couple of months after our
visit. I worry the link between Murdock and the hotel might snap — until
the new chef, Conrad Moore, assures me that won’t happen under his
watch. “Dwight did exceptionally well,” Moore said. “He created a really
good team that I inherited, and a really good system of local supply. He
helped bring the resort to number eight out of 80 Negril resorts on Trip
Advisor.” Moore aims to bring Sunset at the Palms to top position. In his
first two months, the resort indeed rose a notch.
In part, that continuing commitment may stem from similar biographies.
Both were influenced early by culinary families. Morris’s parents were chefs
at Negril resorts (“I was constantly around conversations about food at
home”). Moore’s cousins entered the industry in their teens (“They had so
much fun, it didn’t seem like work to me”). Both chefs joined Jamaican
resort kitchens, scrambled up the career ladder, and eventually polished
their training at US schools — Morris at the State University of New York,
Moore at Ohio’s Hocking College.
Both gained foreign experience. Morris worked at the storied Sagamore
Hotel in the Catskills and The Breakers in Palm Beach, largely in AsianSERVES 6–8Roasted Pumpkin and
Curry Potato Soup
ONE OF CHEF Conrad Moore’s prized recipes,
easy for home cooking and with ingredients readily
available in North America – yet Jamaican
through and through.Pumpkin
2 lbs, diced
Irish
Potatoes 1 lb
Onions
2 medium,
diced
Thyme
1 sprig
Celery
1 stalk, diced
Garlic
4 cloves,
crushed
Curry
Powder
1 Tbs
Coconut
Cream 4 oz
Vegetable
Stock 1 L
Olive Oil
¼ cup
Salt and
White
Pepper
to taste1 PLACE the pumpkin and
some of the onion on a baking
sheet; add some of the oil and
marinate. Roast in the oven for
15-20 minutes.2 ADD the remaining oil to
a stock pot and sauté the
onions, celery and garlic until
translucent. Add the curry
powder and sauté two more
minutes. Add the potatoes
and stir until the potatoes are
coated in the mixture. Add the
roasted pumpkin and thyme to
the stock pot.3 ADD the vegetable stock. Cook
for 30–35 minutes. Remove
the thyme sprig and purée
the soup with a stick blender
until smooth or to desired
consistency.(^4) STRAIN the mixture, return to
the stove and add the coconut
cream. Season with salt and
pepper and bring to a simmer
until ready to serve.
70 TAST E&^ TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL^ APRIL–JUNE 2019
DINING FARM-TO-TABLE
JA
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Cook
it