Jamie Oliver's 'jerk rice'

[PPPMA]

Jamie Oliver has been accused of cultural appropriation for calling a new product "punchy jerk rice".
The decision to label the microwavable rice "jerk" has been criticised, because the product doesn't contain many of the ingredients traditionally used in a Jamaican jerk marinade.

What we think of this?! As someone of Caribbean descent, who loves jerk, and raised an eyebrow when I looked at the ingredients, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow... not offended, just baffled!

AIBU to think that if you create something new, you call it something new...?

SimonBridges: "So if this is cultural appropriation then when is someone going to have a go at Wagamama?"

Maybr when they market deep fried cheese rolled in potato and label it 'sushi'?

By using it to describe a food he has made which doesn't include the ingredients of jerk seasoning he is misrepresenting Jamaican food.

Its quite normal in British food to use a name that completely contradicts its 'cultural' ingredients. Do you think a Chinese restaurant only uses ingredients that Chinese people use? Or an Indian curry? I imagine the Italians would be horrified at the ingredients we use in Italian food. Or food from any other culture in the world.

People in the UK are allowed to interpret and sell their versions of, Chinese, Indian, Italian or indeed Jamaican food. Its NORMAL.

In fact at lunch today I had a Chicken and Mushroom pot noodle, that had no chicken in it. Don't see any MP's (or chicken farmers) getting their knickers in a twist over that.

All this talk of cultural appropriation is akin to the far right with their rhetoric of races shouldn't mix, it's a slippery slope

www.mccormick.com/zatarains/recipes/salads-sides/caribbean-jerk-rice

In fact at lunch today I had a Chicken and Mushroom pot noodle, that had no chicken in it. Don't see any MP's (or chicken farmers) getting their knickers in a twist over that.

That literally proves nothing 🤣

www.amazon.com/Jerk-Rice-Black-Beans-24oz/dp/B01AKCLDI0?tag=mumsnetforum-21

If I tossed my uncooked rice in jerk spices, added some oil, fingered it about, left it to marinade and fried off for a few minutes before adding water to boil - could that be considered as jerk rice?
Forgive my ignorance, I'm just trying to better understand the jerk.

It's not that Jamie Oliver is selling carribean-style food. It's not that he is amending recipes to make carribean inspired food. It's that he has taken a term used for a specific style of preparation style used on a specific type of food using specific ingredients and applied that to an item of food that means none of the criteria.

So misrepresentation then. I don't see cultural appropriation, our food is constantly changing as we become more global.

All this talk of cultural appropriation is akin to the far right with their rhetoric of races shouldn't mix, it's a slippery slope

Eh?

I think a lot of people have missed the point entirely here...

www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/emerils-jerk-rice-530490

www.bigoven.com/recipe/bahama-jerk-rice/171845

If you read the thread very few people have claimed cultural appropriation. I at best have claimed that it is culturally insensitive (it is!) - the headline says cultural appropriation. Most people here agree that it isn't. I'm not sure it is either. I just think it's bizarre and don't quite get why it's called jerk...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=ygAU-GkNkh8

Why is everyone jumping on Jamie???

www.mec.ca/en/product/5003-280/Jamaican-Jerk-Rice-with-Chicken

@Roxers you know all of those recipes you've posted at least contain jerk paste or seasoning, so what's your point?

@Roxers ok we get it

www.thinkrice.com/uncategorized/caribbean-jerk-rice-with-chicken/

I’d just like to point out it’s the exact opposite of cultural appropriation- literally. Cultural appropriation would be him using the traditional recipe then calling it ‘Jamie’s rice’ to sell to the English masses- THAT would be appropriation. All he’s done is switched up the traditional recipe - still called it the same thing (giving credit to the origins of the style of cooking) I can’t help but think his race has been the biggest catalyst in this: if someone of any other descent had done the same- even if not from carribean descent I can’t imagine there would be an issue.

Nando’s calling their food Portuguese when it’s African - to sell to the masses- now that’s Appropriation.

OP, because Carbonara now occasionally has cream we aren't allowed to defend what we hold dear to us. Only white chefs get rich by 'exploring' other cultures, and Jamie, however likable he is, is prime example.

I've had good, bad and outta this effing world Jerk. The fact that his recipe lacks pimento insults me. If he put out a recipe with badly underseasoned chicken and called it jerk, we'd all be laughing and it would never have made national news.

🤦🏽‍♀️

I think Roxers is Jools

I think it’s very unlikely he even knew he’d made this product prior to it being in the news

OP - Yanbu. I am part black and I take issue with this too!!! I'm not even Jamaican but whatever.

White privilege is a wonderful thing! (And that's all I'll say on the matter for fear of being deleted yet again

@PPPMA

OliviaStabler but it's totally different though... you can't even compare those two scenarios.

I have to disagree. Nigella took a very popular dish and added something to it that is not in any 'original' recipe and put her own twist on it. All Jamie did was interpret 'jerk' seasoning and used it with rice.