Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore, Staff Reporter

Jerk tofu kabob marinated in fresh pineapple, and red bell peppers. - photos by Keisha Shakespeare-Blackmore/Staff Reporter

Fort Lauderdale, Florida:

The cuisine was entirely jerk at Florida's Jamaican Jerk Festival last Sunday, at Markham Park, Sunrise in Florida. Everything you could think of was jerked; yam, chicken, pork, lobster, fish, banana, even ice cream.

There were about 100 booths displaying Jamaica's great heritage through culture and food. Among the many food stalls was the famous Boston Jerk, straight out of Portland, Jamaica. And, of course, Raymond 'Tari' Marshall, one of Boston's finest jerk men, did not disappoint.

Hungry patrons

Sharon Jefferson's master jerk chicken.

Just after 10:00 a.m. when the festival began, he already had three huge jerk pits fully operational. Plus, there was jerk chicken and pork awaiting hungry patrons. Other stalls such as Truck Stop, homemade West Indian, were busy preparing for the crowd.

It rained intermittently during the course of the day but that did not stop the large crowd from coming out. The local police estimated a turnout of about 15,000. As the day progressed, there was a massive build-up at stalls that earlier were easily accessible as patrons tried to purchase their favourite Jamaican dishes. The lawn was coloured with people from all walks of life listening to live entertainment or just enjoying their meals.

Jerk Ice cream

The jerk ice cream was a big hit, not just among children but adults alike. One patron who came all the way from Manchester, England, stood among the crowd waiting to try the much talked about novelty. "It is good, a little hot but good. The jerk festival is also great and I will definitely come back and bring others next year," she said as she dug into her ice cream.

Stooping under a tree devouring a jerked fish was Herman Walters from Chapelton in Clarendon who now resides in Florida. He too thought the festival was great. "It never miss mi man, every year I am here. The time gets a little hot so I find this tree to get some breeze while I enjoy my jerk fish," he said as he took the fish apart.

The Cook-Off

Raymond 'Tari' Marshall doing his thing on the jerk pit at the Boston jerk stall.

There was a lot to keep patrons entertained; cooking demonstrations, samplings and the highlight of the day, the cook-off. Micheal Anderson from Jerk Werks, showed patrons how to make jerk chicken salad and jerk ribs. The cook-off had seven contestants vying for the coveted Dutch Pot trophy. They were; Ricky Ginsburg, Marcia Minott, Sharon Jefferson, Mark Robinson, Michael Anderson, Everton Welsh and The Gleaner's Jerk Seasoning Competition winner, Caecuis Scully.

They were to prepare a dish from any of the following three categories: jerk pork, chicken (boned or de-boned), seafood. Other meats (lamb, mutton, beef) and vegetarian; fruits, vegetables (tofu or veggie-meats etc.). They were judged on presentation, texture/tenderness, taste, want more factor and chef's appearance/work area. The judges were Helen Wilinsky, founder of Helen's Tropical Exotics, Dwight Lauderdale, journalist at Local 10 News, and Nigel Spencer, executive chef at Ripe Kitchen and Bar.

The contestants eagerly stood by their displays as the judges went around tasting and observing their creativity. The competition looked stiff to onlookers as they waited on the judges to name the true winner. Some contestants were a bit nervous, as they were first time entrants. However, supporters of Michael Anderson and Everton Welsh were sure each would have been walked away the winner. But, it turned out that they were a little off with the predictions.

Dentist, Sharon Jefferson came out victorious, she won the gold Dutchy trophy along with US$1,500. Everton Welsh got second place wining the silver Dutch Pot trophy and $500, while Ricky Ginsburg got third place taking home the bronze Dutch Pot trophy and $250.

The festival continued until about 9:00 p.m after the rain decided not to stay away this time around. Nevertheless, people were still piled up in front of their favourite food stalls trying to get the last taste of jerk before they left. For many stall owners it was a good day as they were sold out.