What is jerk meat in Jamaican cuisine?

Jerk is a traditional Jamaican cooking style characterized by marinating meat, seafood, or vegetables in a pungent, spicy blend of seasonings and slow-cooking them over a fire or grill.12

The marinade typically features allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers, along with ingredients such as green onion, thyme, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Traditionally, the food is cooked over green pimento wood placed over burning coals, as the resulting smoke is essential to the dish's distinct flavor. While chicken is the most common preparation, the method is also applied to beef, pork, goat, boar, seafood, and vegetables.12

The technique originated with the Taino people, who later shared it with African slaves who adapted the method. The term is believed to derive from the Spanish word charqui, referring to dried strips of meat. In Jamaica, this iconic dish is frequently served with sides such as rice, beans, plantains, sweet potatoes, and festival—a type of small cornbread fritter.1