First time trying a Jamaican beef patty and while I am probably not doing the dish any service by opting for a highly processed frozen version of it, it was still good, though not as good as the fresh and more authentic version that you might find somewhere other than your local freezer section at the market I'd bet. And yes I'm still enjoying my holiday carb break as you can tell.

If I had to give a description for the item I would say that it tastes like a combination of a Shepherd's pie and a hot pocket without the cheese.

It is common to find the Jamaican patty throughout the Caribbean, but it has also made its way to many other regions. These here are a beef variety but you can also find lamb, vegetables, chicken options, and many others. It's an extremely popular dish that is served in fast food restaurants, from street vendors, and yes even from the freezer section.

It's difficult to know exactly how many beef patties might be sold every year, how big the beef patty market is or Jamaican patty market in general including all varieties, but these are the boring things I like to think about when I opt for a Jamaican beef patty.

The Patty Demand

One restaurant that is well known for serving them, Golden Krust, has produced more than 50 million of them in just one year alone. Other vendors who distribute Jamaican patties might easily see hundreds of thousands in sales in just one year as it is an extremely popular item, easily consumed on the go.

One of the leading Jamaican patty brands in the UK right now is from Island Delight, which is manufactured by Cleone Foods, and they say that for kids they see that chicken is the most popular variety. In other regions, they see preference for other options though, but overall it is clear that millions of people love this simple pastry snack or meal.

From being served to troops, prisoners, or even in the U.S. school system, you can find these patties being served now all over the world today.

Entrepreneurs have used these popular patties to help introduce people to Caribbean food, Jamaican cuisine specifically, over the years with the introduction of different types of patties. And while the processed freezer aisle options might be an insult to the real thing, it can still spark an interest for that food in general, giving folks a reason to go on and try even better versions down the road.

Some patty producers, like Juici Patties in Jamaica, have also been looking to make what they call are healthier versions, with all-vegan crust recipes that don't include cooking the item in animal fat, they're also baked rather than deep fried as some patties on the market tend to be.

Why are patties booming?

Those in the industry say that tourism is a major driver in the success of the snack, along with convenience because many people want to grab something that's cheap and delicious on the go, something easy to handle.

There might be a lot of fierce competition in this market but that is because the demand is clearly very high, people all over the world love this snack item.

Pics:
pic3 via walmart

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