Jamaican patty

Jamaican patty
A plate of Jamaican patties
TypePastry
CourseSnack
Place of originJamaica
Region or stateCaribbean
Serving temperatureHot
Handmade beef Jamaican patties

A Jamaican patty is a semicircular pastry that contains various fillings and spices baked inside a flaky shell, often tinted golden yellow with an egg yolk mixture or turmeric.[1] It is made like a turnover as it is formed by folding the circular dough cutout over the chosen filling, but is more savoury and filled with ground meat.[1]

As its name suggests, it is commonly found in Jamaica, and is also eaten in other areas of the Caribbean including the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. It is traditionally filled with seasoned ground beef, but other fillings include chicken, pork, lamb, vegetables, shrimp, lobster, fish, soy, ackee, mixed vegetables or cheese. Jamaican patties are typically seasoned with onions, garlic, thyme, oregano and chili peppers, especially the Scotch bonnet pepper. In non-Jamaican-based restaurants, the composition may be extended to include low-fat, whole wheat crusts or the absence of chilies.[2]

In Jamaica, the patty is often eaten as a full meal, especially when paired with coco bread. It can also be served as a snack or appetizer in bite-sized portions called cocktail patties. Among the Jamaican diaspora in the United Kingdom, the pastry is more like that of a suet crust and often made with butter or margarine, which provides the flaky pastry, and curry powder containing turmeric, which provides the yellow colour.

  1. ^ a b B., Cassidy, F. G. La Page, R. (2009). Dictionary of Jamaican English. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-11840-8. OCLC 759092116.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Kadet, Anne (31 January 2015). "Golden Opportunity: Building New York City's Biggest Locally Owned Restaurant Chain". Wall Street Journal.