Authentic Jamaican Festival (Sweet Dumplings)
Jamaican Festival for me brings back memories. Growing up one of my favorite thing to do was to go to the beach. Because I knew that going to Hellshire Beach meant Festival and Fish. Jamaican Festival, also known as sweet dumplings, is a popular street food in Jamaica. This delicious treat is made from a mixture of cornmeal, flour, sugar, and spices, and is deep-fried until it is golden brown and crispy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside. Jamaican Festival is often served alongside other Jamaican dishes, such as jerk chicken, fish, and fried plantains.
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History of Jamaican Festival
The origin of the Jamaican Festival dates back to the 18th century when enslaved Africans in Jamaica were given cornmeal to make their own food. They would mix it with water and spices and fry it in oil to create a quick and easy meal. Over time, this simple recipe evolved, and additional ingredients such as flour and sugar were added, resulting in the delicious sweet dumplings we know and love today. If you want to try making Jamaican Festival at home, it’s a simple recipe that requires only a few ingredients. Here’s how to make it:
What is the Jamaican Festival made of?
Jamaican festivals are made of all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, refined yellow cornmeal, white sugar, vegetable oil, optional nutmeg, vanilla, cow’s milk, and water. You may however substitute regular cow’s milk with almond or coconut milk which gives your festivals a rich, flavor! Jamaican Festival is a versatile food that can be enjoyed in many ways. It can be eaten as a snack on its own or served as a side dish with other Jamaican dishes. It is also a popular street food, often sold by vendors at festivals and events throughout Jamaica.
Get the perfect Jamaican Festival
It is very simple and easy to prepare and it’s a staple in Jamaica! Using fine-grain cornmeal is essential to achieve a great texture when making this recipe. If you want your festival to be fluffy use milk instead of water to form your dough leaving you with softness on the inside but slightly crunchy on the outside. Mastering the Jamaican festival can be a hard task at home, but if you follow our homemade recipe you will not be disappointed. We have given a few tips and tricks below to ensure you amazing results!
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to make a Jamaican Festival?
- In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, cornmeal sugar, nutmeg, and salt and mix it well then Add the room-temperature butter and use your hand to spread it evenly.
- Secondly, add the vanilla extract and the milk or water and knead them into a ball. Cover the dough with a damp kitchen cloth for about 30 minutes.
- Heat Vegetable Oil in a large frying pan, Use your hands and form the dough in an oval cigar-looking shape.
- Add each festival to the heated oil and fry on both sides for about 7 to 10 minutes or until each festival is golden brown.
- Drain on absorbent paper and serve with your favorite fish or meat kind.
Jamaican Festival FAQs
What’s the difference between a festival and a dumpling?
Difference Between a Dumpling and a Festival? Jamaican dumplings are made with flour and water, while Jamaican festivals are made with cornmeal, flour, sugar, and spices. Dumplings are boiled, fried, or baked, while festivals are always fried. Dumplings are typically served as a side dish, while festivals are often eaten as a snack or street food.
What is festival food?
Jamaican festivals are a type of fried dumplings made with cornmeal, flour, sugar, and spices. They are sweet and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Festivals are often served alongside jerk chicken or fish and are popular street food in Jamaica.
What is the difference between Johnny Cakes and Festival?
Jamaican Johnny Cakes and Jamaican Festivals are both fried dough-based Jamaican foods that are popular in Jamaican cuisine. However, there are some differences between the two. Jamaican Johnny Cakes are softer and fluffier, while Jamaican Festivals are sweeter and denser with a crispy outer layer.
What are the names of Jamaican dumplings?
Jamaica has many ways we cook dumplings, we have boiled dumplings, fried dumplings, and festival dumplings.
Can you make a Jamaican festival in an air fryer?
Yes, you can! Heat the air fryer to 400℉/205℃ and cook them for about 8-10 minutes or until golden.
“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” Matthew 6:3 NKJV
Wisdom
Being charitable is a great trait to have as a Christian. Charity covers a multitude of sins. But some people only do charitable deeds for others to see. Some do it to get praise from men, others for accolades. Some wealthy people do it for tax purposes. God teaches us to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. He wants charitable deeds done in secret. For he sees all things and he said he will reward us openly. He even wants us to pray to him in a private place.
Don’t just do things for others to see. Do it with love. Not only because you know it’s right or someone told you to do it. Do charitable deeds because you want to in your heart. Do it for Jesus. God does countless things for free for us every day we live. He even sent his son who died for us and freely gives of his Holy Spirit and the gift of salvation, the Gospel. Follow him, love him, keep his commandments, and remember He freely gave life to us so let us also give freely to others.
Authentic Jamaican Festival Sweet Dumpling
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- ¾ cup cornmeal
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- ½ tsp of salt
- 4 tbsp of sugar
- 3-4 tbsp of soft butter
- 1 cup milk or water adjust water to form soft dough. You can use almond milk
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together the flour,baking powder, cornmeal, sugar, nutmeg and salt.Then add butter
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients then , add milk, and knead the dough to form a soft dough.
- Divide dough into 15-20 equal pieces. Set aside for about 30 minutes to 1 hour If making festivals shape the dough like you would a sausage-like oval, by rolling with your hands together. keep repeating the process until finish
- In a large, saucepan pour vegetable oil, until it is at least 3 inches, and place on medium heat until the oil is 350 degrees.
- Fry until golden brown about 7 10 minutes depending on size. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper napkin. Let it cool and serve.
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