Summer Review- The Jamaica Jerk Festival

Family, we cannot  believe that it is already the end of summer!!!! What happened? Where did the summer go?It is our hope that you enjoyed every nano second of it and that we can spend the next few hours and days savoring the last bits and pieces of summer 2013. 
To ensure  that summer  lives on  for at least a month or two, we here @ the RKMFoundation,Inc. will be playing catch up and bringing you  highlights from our summer in a series of blog posts appropriately titled Summer Review!!!!
 First up, the Jerk Festival which  is sponsored by Grace Kennedy Ltd. The Jerk  festival is a celebration of everything Jamaican.

What  is a Jerk festival? Ok! Ok! lets  get down  to the hard dough bread and bones of the matter:-)
The Caribbean  is known for spicy foods and chief among those spicy mixes is a staple in Jamaican culture. "Jerk" as it is casually known is  Jerk seasoning principally relies upon two items; allspice called "pimento" and  scotch bonnet peppers  which is similar in flavor to the habanero pepper. Other ingredients include cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, and salt. This wonderfully spicy seasoning  is added to  chicken, fish and pork,shrimp,lobster, they have even concocted Jerk Ice-cream...yes Ice cream!!!

 The Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival has the unique distinction of being “The Biggest Caribbean Food Festival in the USA” with a reputation for delivering an enjoyable experience of the highest quality to patrons as well as a rewarding experience to sponsors. Staged annually in Queens, New York and Sunrise, Florida, the festival appeals to all ethnicities and  demographics, particularly the Caribbean communities

 This year marks the  3rd Annual  Jerk Festival held in New York which attracted over 10,000 patrons  Florida however  is  in their 12th which is expected to attract over 16,000 in November. The day offers a mix of professional chefs, home cooks,eager taste-testers, reggae and soca music lovers,cultural enthusiasts and everyone in between.
 
"The festival has been recognized as Best Jamaican Annual Event 2010 & 2009 (Ft. Lauderdale) by Jamaicans.com, One of the Top 10 Yummy Experiences by Get Lost Magazine 2009 and Best Festival by New Times Magazine 2006".

We  hope that you will be able to take advantage of this wonderful festival  in 2014 if you are  in the Tri-state area or if you  are in Florida  in November, take the opportunity to experience all things Jamaican and all things Caribbean.

Much Love &Walk Good