Words by Martei Korley
Juicy! The most succulent of adjectives (think juicy stories, Juici Beef, Juicy Fruit from Wrigley’s or perhaps Mtume) has been added to the title “Chef” recently. And that seems to be a good thing. So who is this JuicyChef? After sleuthing for clues, Large Up found that behind the title was none other that the very talented Jacqui Sinclair, a Jamaican expatriate who, after growing up in England and spending years in France, has returned to the isle of her birth.
Here, she has launched her JuicyChef moniker and a never-ending campaign to promote whole and natural foods and the amazing culinary contributions of the Caribbean. As per the JuicyChef: “My favourite thing about Jamaican food is the flavour, it is very tasty and lingers on the palate. Very rarely do you eat something bland, whether it is spicy or not”
When she is not busy leading island wide foodie tours/writing about food for various publications/developing her own TV show/launching Slow Food Kingston (Slow Food is an international eco-gastronomic society which seeks to preserve the culinary heritage of unique cultures around the world), Jacqui lectures part-time at Utech (a branch of University of the West Indies). Says Jacqui: “I also created and partner with DaVinci Jamaica Vacations on a unique, off-the-beaten track food tour of the island. This project is dear to my heart as I have worked incredibly hard developing it over the last three years to put Jamaica on the map as a special culinary destination. I am incredibly in love with food from an educational and communications point of view rather than being a typical kitchen chef, whom I have the greatest respect for, but I have found that my greatest love and niche is in food media where I can serve the public better. I was destined to speak about food.” Check out Jacqui’s very tasty Curried Butter Beans and Veggies recipe below and try it for yourself! Mmmmm, delicious…