With more Caribbean natives living in the United States, and our continuing fascination with reggae, Cool Runnings and ganja, Caribbean restaurants aren't as scarce as they used to be. We're not talking about inventive Floribbean cuisine, or upscale restaurants with Caribbean influences. We're talking about informal little places, often unairconditioned, where you order at the counter and take your food to the table. Where the owners have island accents, the oxtails come over rice and peas, and the coolers are full of Jamaican Kola and Vita Malt. For the most part, Caribbean food in Jacksonville means Jamaican food, but occasionally you can find dishes from other islands.
Jamaican food is a mix, anyway, with influences from India, Africa, Europe and China.
That would explain why the Pepper Pot has egg foo young, but more about that later. It's chopped in small enough pieces to look like just bone and meat. Stewed and served over rice. Fried fish topped with an onion-pepper sauce. It's soaked overnight, boiled and then blended with milk and various spices.