The Jamaican sun beat down mercilessly, turning the bustling streets of Nain into a shimmering mirage. But under a camouflage hat, a beacon of resilience stood her ground – Jessica “Jess” Bent. Her weapon of choice? An unassuming weaved basket overflowing with Jamaican pastries.
KareemsQuest.com caught her as she approached the train tracks, her hazel eyes scanning the road with laser focus. Then, a flash of white teeth as she unleashed her secret weapon – the basket. Inside, an assortment of Jamaican delights: golden potato pudding, coconut drops, and the rich, nutty allure of peanut drops.
“Coconut drops fly off the fastest,” Jess confided, a knowing glint in her eye. “Usually gone by midday. Everyone seems to really like it. ” But Jess isn’t a woman to rely on just one source of sweetness. “I’m a jack of all trades,” she declared, her Jamaican accent a melody in itself. “Even when the economy gets rough, there’s food on the table.”
That’s where the sorrel came in. “Planted all year round,” she explained, pointing to the direction where she comes from. “Right now, them jus plant in the earth, but come next three months, I’ll be reaping a harvest!”
Between customers, Jess perched on a chair by the roadside, a rhythmic efficiency in her movements as she restocked the basket. The lull, she explained, is a time to prepare for the coming storm. “Another big rush starts after work hours,” she said. “So I make the most of this quiet time to reload for battle.”
Watch the full video of Jess
And a battle it was, a delicious war waged with sugar, spice, and the magic touch of St. Elizabeth. “There’s something special about that red dirt,” Jess revealed, her voice filled with pride. “Soaks up the rain, dries out in a flash, and bring some of the finest crops you’ll ever find.” Below her is another one of our favourite chicken vendors, Cedric, who watched with approval when I sampled the pastry.
A bite into a still-warm potato pudding confirmed her words. The fluffy interior held the essence of a baker’s ‘touch’, which is linked to the land that nourished the potato. The coconut drop, a perfect sphere of crystallised sweetness, transported me to my childhood life.
Create your own adventure
Craving your own taste of Jamaica? Head over to our TOUR PAGE and let us help you craft the perfect Jamaican itinerary, complete with pastry pit stops like Jess’s. After all, a Jamaican adventure is incomplete without a taste of its soul, and Jess’s basket overflows with it.
