Customer Reviews

The Real Taste of Jamaica

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the best cookbook for Jamaican cuisine that I've ever seen! The author is a well-known cook in Jamaica; therefore, she's an excellent source of information. The cookbook has many wonderful photos of the finished product (a feature that is not commonly found in cookbooks that are geared towards Jamaican cooking), and the recipes are very easy to follow. I am born of Jamaican parents, and I really wanted to find a good book that could help me cook authentic Jamaican dishes in an authentic way. I've had this book for seven years and I successfully made every dish that I've tried. The book covers all types of food (appetizers, entrees, desserts, drinks), and it has a glossary to help you learn about certain foods that are not commonly found outside of Jamaica. If you are serious about learning how to cook Jamaican food, this is the book to have. If you are unable to get this book in your home country, I would suggest contacting the Jamaica Tourist Board and finding out the names of some bookstores in Kingston, Montego Bay or Ocho Rios. Contact those stores directly. If someone is going over to Jamaica, have them get this book for you (it's a great gift). I just bought a copy for someone while I was in a bookstore Ocho Rios. It was being sold in hardback for $29.95 ($60.00 less than what it was being sold for on-line). I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to make authentic Jamaican food.

I was born in Jamaica and have not been home for a long time, so I was trying to find a book with everything that my mother used to make, and untill now I have been searching endlessly whenl I found this book it was like a dream come true for me Thanks you Enid.

I lived in Jamaica for twenty-eight years, never cooked. My mother and sisters always cook, but now I live in the States and crave Jamaican food So I got this book to help me out. It is the best. I use my book at least once per week.

Some people have limited views of what Jamaican cooking is. Some have preconceived notions, based on what their own grandmothers or fathers best liked to cook and eat, about what must or must not be in a Jamaican cookbook. Please set such thinking aside and open this book. It is a pleasure and every single recipe I have tried is spot on and well written. You will cook good food with this.

Like a reviewer below, I was disappointed not to see an oxtail recipe, and I would have liked to have seen some Jamaican-Chinese foods, but that is a small issue in that one book cannot touch on every single thing and still be affordable and usable. Every other recipe I was ever familiar with is there and plenty more besides. Donaldson also weaves in a bit of cross-cultural comparison and some history (i.e., some people call them 'johnny cakes' others 'fried dumplings'; or, breadfruit came to Jamaica on Capt. Bligh's ship to feed the slaves, but the slaves initially wouldn't eat it and it was fed to the hogs for a few generations before cooks began to use it) -- all very interesting and none of it detracts from the ease of reading and using the recipes.

I introduced this book to my Jamaican born-bred-and-raised mum and aunties, including one award-winning cook, who all loved the book so much and were reminded of recipes they'd not used or food they'd not cooked in decades and all four went out to buy their own copy. Each year one or more of these Jamaican women living abroad think of someone else they want to share this cookbook with, so each Christmas a stack are ordered and wrapped!

Buy this. Use this. Love the food.

This was a gift to me from my father. I've had this book for 10 years and just recently started using it. So far i've made the Curry Chicken, Fricasee Chicken, Ackee and Saltfish and Fish. They all turned out REALLY good...and on my first try. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for a 'taste of Jamaica'.

This is the most comprehensive Jamaican cook book I've ever had the pleasure of using. I was mostly impressed by the author's inclusion of some of the Island's unique recipes which are difficult if not impossible to find elsewhere. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys caribbean cuisine. My highest praises to the author and thanks for this compliment to my cook book library.

I first saw this book at a friend's house. And asked to borrow it. I read this book from cover to cover within a day. One of the beauties about this book is that you can read it without being a cook.

There is much to be learned about Jamaican culture and food preparation. This book talks about the development of Jamaican food history.

You will learn how the contributions of East Indians, Arawaks, Chinese, Africans and others have made Jamaican dishes so very appealing.

I was very happy with my purchase, actually I bought them as gifts. Each one was gratly appreciated. The author really bring us back to "Home". The recipes are simple and the ingredients are readily available in most parts of the USA. As usual, Ray Chen's pictures are a beauty to behold. I whole heartedly recommend this book to every Jamaican and even those who want to try ethnic cooking. Great job Ms. Donaldson

I love this cookbook! The best part I like about the cookbook are the photos of the dishes. The directions are very easy to follow and each step is numbered. This cookbook is useful for anyone wanting to cook great Jamaican Cuisine.

I am going to Jamaica in June and can hardly wait to taste the catch of the day, bananas, paw-paw, jerk, sauces, bullas, otaheite apple pies and other foods found in this book. Photographs by Ray Chen, are inspiring and fresh. Recipes are easy to follow with many color photos. After trying some of the recipes, I know I'll want to explore more of the different Jamacian foods. This was a gift from my wonderful friend Joy, from Jamaica.