Scothies- Kingston is the latest and largest version of this Jamaican icon which literally began as a "hole in the wall" operation in Montego Bay.
Renowned for it renditions of classic jerk pork and chicken it also offers Roast Breadfruit, Yam and Sweet Potato in addition to the wonderful sweet potato "poon" which is slow cooked over a charcoal fire in the back yard.
A bucolic oasis amidst the heat of Kingston, Scothies, sitting in a dusty used car lot on Chelsea Ave in New Kingston, has fast become a must visit vendor of Jamaican road food; serving 2500 meals on a busy day.
While remaining rustic, Scothies offers the opportunity to sit in an arbour in the verdant gardens. Choose to be served or line up at the take out window, sharing in the carnival atmosphere of food being prepared . 
The cooking takes place in a large smoky kitchen reminiscent of Dante's inferno. Laughing cooks drop huge slabs of pork  and split chickens directly onto rafts of sweet wood laid over huge charcoal pits   

The meat is covered with zinc sheets to retain the smoke and reflect the heat from the glowing coals below. Beginning early in the morning hundreds of pounds of meat that have been marinaded over night go onto to the grills to be tended carefully over the long cooking period.
Jerking is a complex process that goes beyond the marinade, requiring an understanding of history to execute properly

The story of Jerk begins with the Maroons. When the British captured Jamaica in 1655 the Spanish Colonist fled leaving a large number of slaves behind. Rather than be enslaved again by the British they escaped into the remote mountainous regions of the island, joining those who had previously escaped to live with the Ameridian natives. The maroons lived in the tangle of mountains, supporting themselves by farming, hunting wild boar and raiding the plantations. The Spanish had imported large quantities of animals to Jamaica, of these pigs and goats adapted the best, many escaping into the wild. 
                                                                            These wild hogs became a favorite food source for the Maroons

Due to their aggressive attacks on the planters, they were constantly harrased  by the British army who hunted them throughout the rugged cockpit country. Wiley and mobile they defied capture by constantly moving throughout the hills. To sustain themselves and avoid giving their location away they devised the method of "jerking" their food.
Wild boar was tough and of course refrigration unknown, they therefore preserved their meat by marinading it. Pimento and papaya acted as tenderiser while, lime juice scotch bonnet and bird pepper acted as preservaties. The marinaded meat was "jerked" or dried in pits of smouldering green pimento wood covered with leaves and earth. This slow cooking method had the advantage of not requiring constant attention or signalling their location.

Jerk Seasoning Ingredients:
There are any number of recipes for jerk seasoning, and many have an ingredient list a mile long but Jamaican's cooks agree that there are three jerk spice ingredients that are key: 
 All Spice also known as "Jamaica pepper," gets its name from the  rich, spicy flavor which  is reminiscent of the mingling of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Scotch Bonnet Peppers are small, orange and wrinkly (looking like the cooks scotch bonnet of old). They are extremely hot- among the hottest peppers known
Thyme, Jamaica's ubiquios herb adds complexity to the flavor of the meat. Thyme was brought the island by the Spanish as it has many symbolic uses beyond cooking- being associated with honour, strength and bravery.
Additional ingredients often include garlic, brown sugar, escallion, soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, papaya, rum, bay leaves, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and black pepper.

There are many proprietary brands of Jerk Seasoning available these days with Walker's Wood, Busha Browne and Spur Tree being amongst the best on the market. Jerk Seasoning can be purchased wet or dry rub. I prefer the wet version and often add coconut oil to the mix to aid the infusion.

Depending on the cut of meat being used and the overall weight one can marinade the item from 1 hour up to 2-3 days. The flavour and intensity will increase and in the case of tougher cuts will tenderize. When fully marinaded and slowly jerked  chicken will take on a wonderful white almost translucent colour and  a "melt in your mouth" texture. Pork often becomes red around the bones which creates an impression of not being cooked but is just a chemical reaction. 

To create your own flavorful seasoning, buy spices whole, toast them lightly in a dry skillet--just until they become aromatic--and then grind them in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.
Remember to remove the seeds from the peppers; to decrease the heat, also the white membranes. Do not handle without latex gloves: the oils can cause serious irritation and burning to your hands. 

Place the peppers, the ground spices, and all the remaining ingredients in a food processor and let it run until a smooth paste forms. soy sauce, lime juice, orange juice, papaya juice, rum, or water if the mixture appears to need more liquid.

Here is one recipe you can try:
    1/2 cup ground pimento berries
   1/2 cup packed wet brown sugar
    1 head garlic-peeled
    6 Scotch Bonnet peppers, seeded and cored 
    Small bunch of fresh thyme leaves - strip out  hard woody stalks
    2 bunches Scallion or green spring onions
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
    1/2 teaspoon cumin
    1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
     Course sea salt and ground black pepper
     Tablespoon lime juice, orange juice and soy sauce 

The road network in Jamaica consists of almost 21,000 kilometers of roads, of which over 15,000 kilometres is paved. 
As a percentage of kilometers to population Jamaica is extremely well endowed with thoroughfares. This is fortunate as Jamaica is also a country with a high percentage of entrepreneurs per capita with many of them plying their trade along the nations highways.

In the next few postings I will take you on a pictorial culinary journey around this beautiful jewel of the Caribbean. As people, what we love to eat is one definition of our cultural identity.  Jamaican culture is unique in the fact that from the highest to the lowest levels of society everyone enjoys and eats the same foods. 

Much of what is eaten at home can also be purchased at a myriad of road side establishments, many rustic in nature but  "temples" of flavour; each one a specalist in some ethnic creation that is sure to have its own devotees. 

I will not take on the onerous task of defining who is "best" in this gastronomic minefield, just allow you to vicariously wander the bye ways of the island, exploring those places where no Jamaican road food connoisseur with a "hungry belly" could pass. In fact the majority of these "joints" would be considered worthy destinations in and of themselves.
We will visit Scotchies in Kingston, Prendy's on Hellshire Beach, Fresh Touch at Bluefields, The Best Kept Secret in Port Antonio, Claudette's in Mandeville, Gloria's in Port Royal, Howie's in Middle Quarter,  Morant Bay and Coronation Markets and who knows who else we will meet along the way,

Jamaica " the land of wood and water" with its motto 'out of many - one people" is a land rich in heritage and agriculture; a rich brew that has fermented over the ages to create a unique culinary melting pot. Let's explore!