Jamaican Pepper pot soup: Jamaica is not only famous for its Reggae Music ,Herbs, Culture,Naturopathic healings, and sports icons. But as the saying says "we Likkle but we talawah".Jamaica is also famous for its delicious ,tasty and mouth watering dishes such as ackee and satfish, rice and peas and chicken ,home style cooked with coconut juice coconut rundung ,flawbous,dukonoo, cornmeal pudeng, tie teath,bus mi jaw and white rum.Jamaica and its cuisines are inseparable as how the land is to the indigenous people. One of our hidden secret is our indigenous Jamaican Pepper pot soup.Pepper soup are usually made from food and herbs grown on the farms or the back yard garden. Weh Granny Zippie use to juck the escallion and thyme she get from the market to grow for rainy day as she said. Pepper soup usually contains coconut juice badoo heart, annotto,corn, pumpkin ,okro,beans ,Banabis or any peas available such as crab eye ,gungo or red peas.,one or two pepper,cho cho,yam, banana ,dasheen, or any available Ground provisions. The coconut is grated with the hand and the juice extracted this is placed on the wood Fire in the old board kitchen to boil for 15 minutes with peas or beans, then the yam or Ground provisions added . please remember to put in the corn and badoo heart okro, pumpkin ,cho cho etc then add pepper and seasonings and allow it to simmer down until cooked. Jamaican pepper pot soup seet yah you must try it.
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Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup – A Hidden Culinary Gem
By Fabian Stennett
Jamaica is not only famous for its reggae music, herbs, rich culture, naturopathic healing, and sports icons—as the saying goes:
"Wi likkle but wi tallawah!"
We may be a small island, but we’re mighty in spirit—and even mightier in flavor.
Jamaican cuisine is bold, unforgettable, and inseparable from our identity. Dishes like ackee and saltfish, rice and peas with chicken, coconut rundown, flawbous, dukunnu, cornmeal pudding, tie-teeth, buss mi jaw, and a splash of white rum are just a few delicious examples.
But there’s one dish that deserves more shine: the indigenous Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup.
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🌿 What Is Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup?
Pepper Pot Soup is one of Jamaica’s best-kept secrets—a hearty, flavorful, and healing soup made from farm-grown or backyard ingredients. It's the kind of dish passed down through generations.
Old folks like Granny Zippie would “juck” a few sprigs of scallion and thyme into a backyard corner to grow “fi rainy day,” and when that day came, Pepper Pot Soup was on the fire.
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🥥 Traditional Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll often find in an authentic Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup:
Coconut milk (freshly grated and squeezed by hand)
Badoo heart (from callaloo stalks)
Annatto (achiote) for color
Corn (cut into chunks)
Pumpkin
Okra
Cho Cho (chayote)
Beans or peas such as:
Red peas
Crab-eye peas
Gungo peas
Ground provisions:
Yam
Green banana
Dasheen
Cocoa
Seasonings:
Thyme
Scallion
Garlic
Pimento
Whole Scotch bonnet pepper (for flavor and fire!)
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🔥 Traditional Cooking Method
1. Grate the coconut and extract the milk by hand.
2. Pour the milk into a large pot over a wood fire (if you have one!), just like in the good old board kitchen.
3. Add your peas or beans and boil in the coconut milk for around 15 minutes.
4. Once they start to soften, stir in your yam, banana, dasheen, and other ground provisions.
5. Add the corn, badoo heart, okro, cho cho, and pumpkin.
6. Season with scallion, thyme, and pimento. Drop in a whole Scotch bonnet (don’t burst it unless you want it spicy).
7. Let everything simmer gently until tender and flavorful.
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🍲 Why You Must Try It
Jamaican Pepper Pot Soup is a pot of culture, comfort, and resilience. It’s a meal that reflects the island’s resourcefulness and deep connection to nature. Whether you’re feeling under the weather, homesick, or just hungry—this soup will nourish your body and soothe your soul.
So next time you're feeling for something truly Jamaican, skip the fast food and go for the Pepper Pot Soup. One taste, and you'll understand why it's a national treasure.
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