The three words we use to describe Open World Spice Company could have come from one of Bob Marley’s songs; Express, Experience, Excite. We believe that you should: Express yourself, Experience life and Excite everyone, Bob certainly did. The music, the life and the people that make up the Island Nation of Jamaica can also be defined by these words. It can be a way of life, a mantra to live by. If you are lucky enough to visit the Island be sure to experience the food as much as the music.
The term Jerk seasoning or Jamaican Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meats are dry rubbed with a hot spice mixture. Originating with pork and goat, Jerk seasoning is used for all types of meats. Traditional jerk recipes incorporate allspice and Scotch Bonnet peppers, these babies are about as hot as Mother Nature can give to us. Authentic Jerk is cooked over pimento wood (allspice) or berries placed over the coals. Our St. Ann’s Jamaican Spice is not so hot as to over-power the senses but it does carry a bit of heat from the peppers and the tang of allspice. The term jerk comes from the Spanish word “charqui” which means dried meat. North American Jerky derives its self from the same origins and in its modern form is a more accurate description of “charqui”. The method of Jerk cooking is a combination of Caribbean cooking styles and those of the African slave communities that popped up throughout the West Indies. The history of this cooking style is varied and so are the recipes that come with them, so once again this is cooking that is meant to be fun. Be sure to experiment with it, we barbeque, grill, sauté and even bake with it. Be a bit adventurous and substitute some of our St. Ann’s Jamaican Spice in a recipe that calls for allspice. Of course when one thinks of Jamaica, reggae and Bob Marley come to mind. We wanted to celebrate some of what Bob Marley has given to the world, so our Jamaican spice blend references his birthplace. Bob Marley was born in 1945, in St. Ann Parish, which is one of the oldest populated areas of Jamaica, dating back to 600 AD. Christopher Columbus first landed on the shores of St Ann’s bay in 1494 upon his fourth visit nine years later he was marooned for a year. The Spaniard’s first settlement was here with the first sugar mills established prior to 1526. In 1655 The English captured Jamaica and St. Ann’s Bay became a fishing port. St Ann’s Parish was named after Lady Ann Hyde the first wife of King James II. Bob Marley was born in the village of Nine Mile, located within St. Ann’s Parish, to a white Scottish Jamaican father and a young black woman, although his father provided financial support for them, he was a Marine Officer who seldom saw them. Growing up Bob experienced racial prejudice because he was of mixed race. Although Bob Marley recognized his mixed ancestry, he self identified himself as a black African. Through his music he spoke of peace, tolerance, freedom and acceptance. He once reflected on his racial status: “I don’t have prejudice against meself. My father was a white and my mother was a black. Them call half-caste or whatever. Me don’t dip on nobodies side. Me don’t dip on the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me dip on god’s side, the one who create me and cause me to come from black and white.” Bob left school at the age of 14 and started playing music with Joe Higgs, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh and in 1962 he recorded his first two singles. His music is timeless and is listened to around the world by all races and nationalities. Since his death in 1981 Bob Marley remains the biggest selling musician for his genre, reggae. A fact made even more interesting is that he annually outsells all other Reggae artists combined. In December 1976, just two days before a free concert organized by the then Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manly, Marley, his wife, and manager Don Taylor were wounded in an assault by unknown gunmen inside their home. Marley’s wife and Taylor sustained serious injuries but they survived and made full recoveries. Marley on the other hand received only minor injuries and insisted the concert go ahead and he performed as schedule just two days later. When he was asked why his response was simple, “the people that are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?” On that day in 1976, on this small Island he played for a crowd of 80,000 people. Bob Marley was diagnosed with cancer in 1977 and continued to write, record and perform until his final concert on September 23, 1980 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. While flying home to Jamaica for his final days he became ill and landed in Miami for immediate medical attention. He died on the morning of May 11, 1981 at the age of 36. As profound as the words his music carries so were his last to his son Ziggy, “Money can’t buy life.” Bob received a state funeral and was buried in a chapel near his birthplace with his Gibson Les Paul guitar and a bible. Bob Marley has received numerous awards posthumously; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement award and Time magazine chose his 1977 album Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century. The house that Bob Marley lived in at Nine Mile is open to the public, when you enter there is a bar, so just grab yourself a Red Stripe beer and enjoy the moment as you listen to Bob’s music blaring away. There is a courtyard with a small stage out back where you can listen to some locals playing and singing Bob’s tunes. While cooking with our St. Ann’s Jamaican Spice use all of your senses: close your eyes and visualize the history of the island, inhale the aromas as you cook, taste the exotic flavours as they blend with the meat and of course be sure to listen to a little bit of Bob Marley. This will bring Jamaica all the way home
