I bet you don’t. This dish is not just this deliciously spiced grilled chicken that reminds you of shaking your ass in the London streets during the Notting Hill Carnival. Please, next time you taste this piece of pure happiness, think about its origin. The word "jerk" comes from "charqui", a Spanish term of Quechua origin, which becomes "jerky" in English.

The dried and smoked meat  draws its origins  from the Arawak people settled in Jamaica 2 500 years ago. Indeed, 17th century fugitive slaves better known as Maroons joined the few survivors of the Taino people, decimated by Christophe Colombus, in the Blue Mountains. The jerk chicken process evolved thanks to the coexistence of these two groups of peoples. First, the meat is picked in order to let all the flavours of a marinade brought by the Africans penetrate it. The major ingredient of the incredible mixture of spices is the Scotch Bonnet. Although slightly modified, the tradition of this Jamaican speciality persists and follows its diaspora through the four corners of the globe. 

Come on, now, I’m sure every bite you take will have a taste of freedom and community, don’t you?