Jamaican Pepper Shrimp

Everytime I visit the land of wood and water, I must get a cold Red Stripe beer, then I find the pepper shrimp vendor and start indulging. This is definitely one of my favorite Jamaican street food.  

No matter how many times I’ve tried, I have never been able to duplicate the flavor you get when you purchase a bag of pepper shrimp on the streets of Jamaica. On this blog post we won’t give you a recipe because It’s just impossible to replicate when you’re stateside. Maybe it’s the shrimp that we get in the US, or the seasoning that’s available, or a combination of both! but it has never ever tasted the same.

Now rumor has it that this deliciousness originated in St. Elizabeth Jamaica, but again we’re not certain because it’s an islandwide delicacy. While the shell fish has been consumed by locals for centuries, it is widely reported that the ladies in StBess decided to season it with a lot of scotch bonnet pepper, cook it with the shell on, portion it out in little plastic bags and sell it on the streets as a snack.    

Pepper shrimp can be eaten anytime for any occasion but most Jamaicans treat it as a high protein snack food. If you’re allergic to seafood then look away, but if you’re not, please add consuming pepper shrimp to your to-do-list for the next time you’re in Jamaica. 

#JamaicanFood #CaribbeanFood #seafood #peppershrimp #reggaemusic #goodeats