Jamaicans believe that food is the “staff” of life. A lot of planning goes into the preparation of each meal. Of all the meals, breakfast is the most important of the day for Jamaicans, and it is not uncommon to find them enjoying meals typically served for lunch or dinner at breakfast time. Jamaicans believe that a heavy breakfast is very important to starting off the day right.

A visit to a Jamaican home or restaurant will have you discovering breakfast meals such as ackee and saltfish, calaloo and bananas, fish, and porridges are the norm. Porridge itself is a breakfast meal typically served even when there are other meals. Porridge is a sweet, hot meal which can be made from any number of main ingredients including cornmeal, hominy corn, peanuts, rice, wheat, and even grated green bananas. It is a culinary delight that has to be experienced.

The hot cereal-type meal is flavored with local spices including cinnamon leaves and nutmeg, along with vanilla extract. The porridge is sweetened with sugar from our local sugar cane, coconut milk (optional), and condensed milk. If one prefers, just plain milk can be added, and many persons opt to sweeten their porridges with soy milk.

Porridge is prepared by using a hot pot of water and mixing in the ingredients of choice. The mixture is cooked on a low to medium flame with a continuous stirring to prevent lumps. After the grain is cooked, the spices and sweeteners are then added to the porridge. It is best served hot to ensure that the flavor is not lost.

Porridge is delicious by itself or accompanied by other Jamaican fare such as crackers or bread. Many people, especially children, enjoy breaking their bread and adding it to the porridge.

Enjoy a hot bowl of porridge with your big Jamaican breakfast the next time you visit the island, and remember to include a cup of hot aromatic coffee or tea!