One of Jamaica's most famous dishes Jerk chicken is one of the most well-known dishes to come from Jamaica. The meat is marinated in spices with scotch bonnet pepper, pimento and scallion before being cooked over coals and pimento wood.

Jamaican food doesn't have to be spicy. Jamaicans use a variety of herbs and spices in meal preparation, and the result ranges from sweet, savory, spicy, and everything in between. If you don't like spicy food, be sure to ask before you order how hot a meal is expected to be.

Jamaican cuisine is unique because of its isolated roots and the way that it has preserved its core flavorings throughout centuries of outside influences. If you're reaching for a glass of water in Jamaica, chances are you are just getting started with the local Scotch Bonnet peppers.