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Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge (recipe)

1 April 2007 11,318 views 13 Comments

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

Earlier this year I was asked to share Five (Foodie) Things Most People Don’t Know About Me. One of them was that cornmeal porridge is one of my ultimate comfort foods. Last month when I was quite ill I had more than my fair share of it as a result (it was one of the few things that I could keep down!). Cornmeal porridge holds a very special place in the Jamaican food psyche. Its prominence was highlighted in the Fall/Winter 2006 issue of Jamaican Eats

Excerpt:
I ALWAYS KNEW THAT JAMAICANS WERE PORRIDGE-LOVING PEOPLE, what I didn;t realize was the extent of our porridge craze. We found vendors serving up steaming bowls of porridge from the back of their vans and from pushcarts in busy community squares. We even got wind of a bicycle porridge man who balances his trade in the Portmore area of St. Catherine. Plus, porridge no longer means just oats and cornmeal. As a porridge lover, I was amazed (and warmed) by some of the porridges combinations I found.

This love and attachment is one that my Jamaican mother has successfully transferred to me in turn. I make mine the way she showed me. An American friend once asked me if she could add jam and fruit?!? OK. Let me say that when it comes to most things culinary I believe in less is more, and with certain dishes some things are just heresy. So feel free to throw in the kitchen sink, I wouldn’t say no, but please please please don’t let me know about it. To me (an old school girl who learnt from an old school yardie) porridge is a healing, simple, almost purifying elixir. Fruit and jam… tsk tsk tsk.



Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge (recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

METHOD:

1. Mix the cornmeal with 1/2 cup of the water
2. Bring the remaining 1 cup of water to the boil
3. Stir in the cornmeal mixture and salt
4. Continue cooking for 10 minutes

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

5. Add condensed milk and vanilla essence

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

6. Top with grated cinnamon and nutmeg

Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge

Makes 3-4 servings

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13 Comments »

  • T.W. Barritt said:

    I would guess that the vanilla and the condensed milk really brings out the sweetness of the cornmeal — sounds lovely and so easy to do!

    # 1 April 2007 at 10:08 am | link
  • Sarina said:

    they do! :) and the whole thing is very smooth and creamy, not gritty at all :) it’s my ultimate comfort dish :lol:

    # 1 April 2007 at 11:22 am | link
  • Nj said:

    I’m making it right now…its my comfort dish too. reminds me of Sundays morning when my mom would make a big pot!

    # 7 September 2007 at 9:12 am | link
  • Jesse said:

    I am glad, I found this page.
    I’ve only had cornmeal porridge,once.
    A friend of mine, made it one day, while we were at Camp Casey, Korea.
    I miss her.
    And can’t wait to try it!

    # 30 December 2007 at 9:20 am | link
  • Sarina (author) said:

    NJ – hope it turned out right :D Isn’t it funny how evocative even a simple dish can be? :)

    Jesse – I hope you had success with this recipe :)

    # 12 May 2008 at 1:36 am | link
  • Susan said:

    Just finished making a pot of cornmeal porridge. My mum used to make it all the time but you know how it goes…you eat eat eat but don’t always remember to note how it is prepared when you are young. Anyway your website was a useful reminder of the proportions of meal to fluid. Just need to find some cinnamon now.
    Thanks. Susan UK

    # 22 August 2008 at 11:04 am | link
  • kitwana kafele said:

    Right i am gonna try this recipe, wish me luck. I will tell how it come out

    # 17 September 2008 at 2:52 am | link
  • Joy said:

    When I was young, I would go to my Jamaican friend’ s house every morning to pick her up and her Mom would have porridge ready. Some 30 years later, the taste is so clear in my mind, that I thought I would never be able to enjoy those flavors again. Thank you, thank you, so much for this recipe, I made a pot and all over again I feel six years old.

    # 14 October 2008 at 10:46 am | link
  • Kira J said:

    I actually just had a bowlof porride this morning. I’m American but my grandfather was West Indian (from Barbuda)and I’ve been eating it since I was young. Since he passed away (12 years now) I havent found any place that makes it the way I remember until recently. And now that I’ve found this recipe I will be sure to make my own so thank you.

    # 18 November 2008 at 10:09 am | link
  • Melanie said:

    Yum and double yum–I love this recipe and will make cornmeal porridge very soon using your Mom’s recipe. Thanks.

    # 18 January 2009 at 11:04 am | link
  • tom the jamerican said:

    In falmouth jamaica, pauls wife sharon cooks it with bit of orange peel, finishes it off nicely, I wouldve eaten a whole pot of this if no one else was there.

    # 26 April 2009 at 8:19 am | link
  • Cathy said:

    Try using coconut milk, it’s yummy. Our last trip to Jamaica we were served porridge made with coconut milk and it was sooo good!

    # 14 July 2009 at 7:43 am | link
  • dianne said:

    Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

    I had it first at room temp. But its just as good hot. I think I will then try it cold. Good Recipe…..Thanks

    # 28 July 2009 at 5:06 pm | link

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