Jamaica

Jamaican culture emphasizes three square meals a day, however, there is no meal that takes the spotlight like a Jamaican Breakfast.

Whether you’re having callaloo, bacon and saltfish, ackee and bammy. Jamaicans look forward to their breakfast in the mornings, especially on a Saturday and Sunday morning.

One can usually be awakened by the aroma of liver being fried with onions, served with boiled green bananas, or the spicy scents of Jamaican rundown (mackerel and banana with coconut sauce).

My most cherished memories of my Granny was watching her make breakfast in the mornings. Granny prided herself in making the best Hominy Corn Porridge in our family. One taste of Granny’s Hominy Corn Porridge and you were guaranteed to return for seconds.

In her estimation, one should always start off the morning with a nice, hot bowl of cereal or porridge. Granny made cornmeal porridge with style and finesse, it had to be the right consistency, not too watery, not too lumpy…..Just smoothe and delectable. She would sweeten it with condensed milk and then adorn the bowls with single bible leaves.

Granny’s breakfast ensured that my Grandfather would go skipping off to work with a big grin on his face. That was her way of contributing to his productivity.

I remembered my Grandmother collecting eggs from the rooster early in the morning for an enjoyable egg breakfast. The milk she served was directly from the Farmers in the country. The Milkman would drop off the milk promptly at 5:30 a.m. When Granny boiled that milk, you could see the real cream curdle at the top. There was never any question about the quality, because its purity was evident.

As I got older, and schedules became more sporadic, sometimes sitting for a healthy breakfast seemed far fetched.

Granny would always go on, “Mags, what did you have for breakfast this morning?”

“Cereal Granny.”

“What kind of cereal? Cornmeal porridge, oatmeal, hominy corn?”

“No Granny.”

“I had corn flakes.”

“Lord have mercy! Are you eating that frosted flakes again ?”

“That stuff is filled with sugar Mags, it’s a wonder you can stay still for a second. There is just too much fructose in corn flakes. How are you supposed to concentrate with all that sugar running around in your head?”

Somehow, my Grandmother could not have a full-filling conversation with any of her grandchildren until she had verified what they had eaten for the day.

I would always respond to her dining inquiries by simply saying,

“Gran, a quick meal, is all I have time for.”

Then a few days later I usually complained to Granny about stomach aches and pains. She would blame it on not having a healthy breakfast.

“No man, you need to get up extra early and boil some bush tea, or drink some hot cocoa. You know, the real old-fashioned cocoa from the tree. There is a big difference, when you consume nutritious foods. Your body functions properly and you can retain information easily.”

“Granny, you are right, but sometimes I just don’t have the time to prepare elaborate meals. Remember, this is America Granny, everyone has to be somewhere like yesterday.”

“That’s the thing with you younger folks, everybody is following the next one. I see some of the kids having cookies and soda for breakfast. When they were in Jamaica, they had porridge, milo or ovaltine. Following fashion will only lead them to the Doctor’s office with a tummy ache.”

“Granny, sometimes people just eat what they feel like having. Suppose we switched breakfast to lunch and vice-versa?”

“ I watch T.V. and I see all these people having bagels and doughnuts for breakfast. That’s good, once in a while , but everybody needs something warm in their stomach to keep away the bubbles. When you children experience colic first hand, you’ll realize that Old Granny was telling you the gospel truth.

After resisting Granny for several years, I finally realized that as usual, she was right.

Sometimes it seems so easy to pour a box of flakes and mix with milk, or indulge in instant oats. But the truth is, It just isn’t the same as a well cooked breakfast. It just makes sense to take the time for yourself and the ones you love.

In the cold, winter months, a cup of tea or hot cocoa with eggs and toast, usually makes you feel more fortified to greet the day. As a matter of a fact, sometimes you are able to go a little longer until your next meal, because your first, was satisfying. Therefore, you don’t over eat and there is no tendency to gain unwanted pounds.

Some mornings as Granny and I would travel along the way, we would be greeted by long lines at coffee shops, McDonalds and Burger King. Busy folks waiting to get their coffee and breakfast.

Granny would say, “What a stressful way to start the day. You haggle with somebody to get your breakfast, then if they don’t get it right. Your day has started off on a negative note. No man, these children should get up early a mek a little green tea or milo. If they don’t have time, toast is nice with some jelly, you know, a bagel is nutritious with some eggs or cream cheese. Furthermore, how much money they spend on breakfast?”

“I don’t know Granny…..I suppose $5.00.”

“$5.00! That’s a tidy fund right there. They could probably save that money towards a nice family vacation. Uncle Ben’s porridge only take two minutes to make you know. God Bless America! They have all these nifty things. There is no reason for a woman to be a baff-hand or starve her family to death.”

“Granny, that’s a good point you’ve made. I never thought of it that way…Hmmm.”

Grandma’s breakfast theory was simple, but it made sense. How many times do you hear about teenagers trying to be weight conscious, and then they pass out from not eating properly? Factors such as heat, extreme cold, poor nutrition can make a person weak in the knees. There was always a method to my Grandmother’s coaxings.

Granny may sound like a cliché’, but she truly believed that breakfast should be the most nutritious and enjoyable meal of the day. A warm bowl of porridge always does the body, heart and soul good.

Today, I can still hear my Granny asking me what I’m going to have for Breakfast, I want to answer back by saying, “I’m trying to be creative Granny, but some days I run out of ideas for the first meal of the day.”