JERK CHICKEN

Where to Eat It: Jamaica

Jerk chicken is easily Jamaica’s best-known culinary export, but if you’ve never eaten it on the island, you’ve never experienced the real thing. That’s because anyone can make a jerk sauce (allspice berries, thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, scallions, fresh ginger, and oil or soy sauce) and marinate chicken in it before grilling, but only in Jamaica is the meat cooked properly. All jerk chicken is cooked over charcoal, which imparts a smoky flavor while producing crispy, blackened bits of meat; in Jamaica, logs of fresh green wood are placed on grates over the charcoal, and the meat is cooked directly on top of the wood, absorbing oils and fragrance that significantly affect the flavor of the finished product.