Food

Beyond its luscious taste in tropical drinks, its nutritional content (a coconut is said to have as much protein as a quarterpound of steak) and its fragrant oil, the allpurpose and all-important coconut—which also provides material for roof thatching, shampoo, fuel, furniture, buttons, and bracelets—is an inviting symbol of the island of Jamaica.

While I have enjoyed spicy and sweet coconut curries in Thailand and sipped delicious, thick coconut smoothies in Hawaii, most recently I was on the coconut trail in Jamaica. We piled into a white Jeep and drove around this third-largest island in the Caribbean (about the size of Connecticut) with our eyes scanning for coconut as we navigated past goats, boats, horses and egrets, noting shacks that offered unusual pairings: ice cream and hair gel, bar and bicycle repairs—even a restaurant/car wash.

“Jellymen” sold coconuts along the roadside, which was mostly devoid of standard signage, although we did pass one reading “Welcome To Western Consciousness,” and another round, red and white sign promoting “silence” as we drove south to Jake’s, a boutique property named after a parrot. Jake’s—where you can mingle with the locals on Treasure Beach—has funky décor and great food (delicious coconut vegetable stew) and prized piña coladas (made by Dougie at the outdoor bar), along with a saltwater pool and a brand new open-air Driftwood Spa featuring local healing herbal teas such as cerasee (a creeping herb with yellow blossoms that helps settle the stomach) and treatments with coconut oil. Back on the road, after a series of steep switchbacks that took us high above the sprawling city of Kingston, we were embraced by the cool air and lush green foliage of the Blue Mountains. The alluring Strawberry Hill compound is filled with antique Jamaican décor such as four-poster mahogany beds, and vintage photos of musicians who have worked with Chris Blackwell, the legendary record producer and founder of Island Records and Palm Pictures (and a recent convert to organic farming and rum producing) who is also the owner of Island Outposts—the intimate hotels that cater to individual needs, and the alternative to the many mega-all-inclusive resorts found in Jamaica.

At Strawberry Hill, which also promotes a lifestyle concept called Strawberry Living, the spa manager Dale explained: “Coconut water from a young, green coconut with a squeeze of lime helps bring blood pressure down.” Ready to be smothered in coconut, I opted for the coconut hydrotherapy. It’s a grated coconut scrub with a coconut oilbased body polish, followed by a primal water experience involving a rain dance aimed at my chakra points by a therapist who functions as a sound engineer at a mixing board, creating pans along my spine in varying patterns of intensity.

Guests at Strawberry Hill may have bumped into Bob Marley, who spent time there recuperating after he was shot, as well as Mick Jagger, Naomi Campbell, or Prince Charles. And it’s a great place to eat a traditional Jamaican breakfast with the national fruit ackee, which resembles scrambled eggs, or to taste coconutinfused dishes. Chef Kingsley McGregor whipped up a variety of fare made with “rundown sauce” (snapper, mackerel, conch, shrimp, tofu, vegetables, etc.). We watched him prepare the food, gently cooking the onion, sweet peppers, salt and coconut. The name “rundown” refers to the reduction process, where the sauce is continually cooked down.

In the Blue Mountains, we discovered that coconuts—quite unlike the prized Blue Mountain coffee beans—don’t grow at altitudes above 1500 feet. But having a yen for a drink of coconut water was a “no problem mon” situation at Strawberry Hill, where by request, several coconuts were delivered to our mountain chalet. Sipping on its water was very satisfying, but other culinary delights in the Blue Mountains included an engaging private coffee tour a Craighton Estate UCC (a little-known gem), and a sampling of new gourmet artisan food products such as guava jam, pepper jelly, and a yummy honey created at Belcour—part of the soon-to-come Blue Mountain Culinary Trail.

On the north coast, we couldn’t pass up a chance to visit Goldeneye on the centennial of Ian Fleming’s birth. Just outside the poor, once-thriving banana port of Oracabessa (literally Gold Head), this is where Fleming spent his winters and created the James Bond character, named

after an author of a West Indian bird book. Fleming returned each winter to write a series of James Bond novels, chronicling the adventures of a well-loved international character in the serene surroundings of his Jamaican villa. Nowadays, you can stay at Goldeneye, which is also an Island Outpost property, and even chat with Ramsey, one of Fleming’s staff who still works there. Ramsey spoke of Fleming’s preference for nude swims in the sea with his harpoon (which he didn’t use), his pet octopus, and his love of rum and traditional Jamaican foods. Just as Ramsey related tales of the donkey racecourse and his first scary encounter with a car, his cell phone rang, reminding us of the many changes that have occurred during his lifetime.

Goldeneye’s elite private villas, furnished with bamboo and batik and nestled amongst nature, embody understated elegance. Goldeneye cook Pam Clark claims native Jamaican coconuts are superior to the other local types known as sunblast (big and not as tasty) and dewolf (small and very tough). We loved her toto (coconut spice bread) and learned of other traditional delicacies such as coconut drops, grater cake, and gizzada (flaky crust with sweet coconut filling), which are less popular nowadays.

Back on the coconut trail, we arrived at another spectacular villa: Scotch On The Rocks, just outside Ocho Rios. This vacation home above the azure Caribbean waters comes with a Rasta butler and other staff who attend to your every whim. The excellent cook, Cherry, creates a very tasty and complex pumpkin vegetable soup made with coconut, and her creamy coconut mousse is divine. Scotch On The Rocks also allows for a quick jaunt into town to check out the newly renovated interactive Reggae Xplosion museum, which traces Jamaican music from mento to today’s latest dancehall moves taught by the exhibition guides.

Both at the Reggae Xplosion and the Island Outpost properties, Jamaica’s cultural hero Bob Marley was never far away in this land laced with coconut in salads, soups, main dishes, deserts, and drinks. And I never lost interest in this delicious food, whose milk is the main ingredient in traditional Jamaican rice and peas. Back home, I’m longing for the reggae downbeat, the crystal blue waters, and the fresh taste of coconut.