WORLD CUP DIARY: Food update

Just had oxtails!!!

Trips such as these inevitably end up as being basic grab-a-burger-or-a-pizza kind of trips, with very little time available to eat all the well-advertised local options. Pakistan was different because the basic option was a grab-a-fantastic-new-form-of-kebab…

Here, well, I just had the braised oxtails. Very tasty, cooked as it was in some sort of yummy sauce. But they had loads of bones; strange, because I didn’t tails would have such solid bones. Unless oxtails are not tails of oxen…are they? Dunno!

Haven’t had a chance to have any of the lobsters and stuff on offer, but have been feasting on some good fish. You don’t need to go to one of the better restaurants for good fish here; any small place or even you hotel room service is good if fish is your thing. Loads of mackerel, tuna, snappers and salmons. In various forms and with different sauces used to alter the taste.

What I didn’t like though, was the ackee. Remember ‘Ackee rice and the fish is nice…”? That’s ackee. I came here thinking ackee was a kind of rice – like Basmati. Ergo, Ackee rice. Nope. Ackee is ackee. It’s a fruit, that is mashed and made to look like scrambled eggs and is had with fish. Doesn’t taste too bad, but I didn’t like the texture – it’s kind of squishy. But the saltfish you have with the ackee is good.

The other grand thing about Jamaica is that you get the most fantastic tropical fruits. Many kinds of melons, papayas, bananas, mangoes, etc…really, really good stuff.

Will keep my many devoted readers updated on the next great bit of flesh that I try.