Out of Many, One Patty

The golden, flaky crust of a Jamaican beef patty holds much more than beef, or any other filling of choice. Along with its spices and various fillings, the patty embodies the rich history of Jamaican culture, ingenuity, and identity — which cannot be untangled from Jamaica’s colonial history.

Origins

The patty is a culinary manifestation of Jamaica’s diverse and complex colonial history. Many historians have attributed the origins of the patty to the Cornish pasty, which was brought to  the island during the transatlantic slave trade. In addition to West Africans that were enslaved and brought to Jamaica, indentured laborers and migrants from countries like India and China brought their spices, such as cumin, paprika, and turmeric. The culinary traditions of these migrants blended to form the distinct flavor profile of Jamaican cuisine. Over time, the pasty was adapted to incorporate locally available ingredients and the tastes of the indigenous and imported populations. The addition of the Scotch Bonnet pepper, a common ingredient in Jamaican cuisine and one native to the island, helped transform the patty into the beloved global delicacy it is today.

Following Migration Patterns

The mouth-watering Jamaican patty has been making its way around the world since the 1960s, carried by Jamaican immigrants who arrived in the United States to work as hospital orderlies, home health aides, and nurses. Soon, the delicious patties were popping up in restaurants across New York City, but the Jamaican patty's fame didn't stop there. It quickly became a beloved staple in other major cities with large Jamaican populations, such as Birmingham, London, Toronto, Miami, and Washington, D.C., and has even been adopted in the menu at New York City public schools.

Migration is deeply engrained in Jamaican identity, and the Jamaican storefronts that have popped up around the world are a testament to how food serves as a gateway for migrants to connect to their ancestors, their land, and their identities. For those who are distant from Jamaica’s shores, the bustling patty shop is a connection to home, and can provide both a moment of comfort and a place of respite from the daily tribulations of migrant life. As described by Yuri Lee in Decolonizing Food: An Antidote to Oppression:

But food can also be an antidote to oppression. Reclaiming our cultural foods and connecting to the land can help us recover from the effects of racial trauma, both physically and emotionally. Food can help counter racial trauma as we find healing in the stories of survival and resistance that each crop, technique, and dish reveals about our ancestors and cultures. These stories show us that no cuisine belongs solely to one culture; they carry the stories of solidarity, identity, and the brilliant exchanges between cultures as people move around the world. The mix of Indian, Chinese, Spanish, and Afro-Caribbean flavors and ingredients in the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago is an example of this. Food is transnational: a mix of cultures and crossed borders over time, whether forced or voluntary.

Jamaican culture is recognized worldwide thanks to prominent Jamaican musicians, political leaders, and figures, and it is not unlikely to find Jamaican-themed restaurants draped in Rastafarian colors along the Mediterranean coast. In the age of unprecedented globalization, the patty has made its way to new places — pizzerias, supermarket freezers, and even Japan, where Bryan Washington described finding, “patty variants on the menu of an entirely delightful Jamaica-themed queer bar (now defunct) in Osaka, where the microwaved dish I snarfed in fours as a child was served alongside umeshu.” (NYT).

All’s Fair in Love and Patty Wars

The patty is an embodiment of Jamaica’s motto, “Out of Many, One People,” because of it’s rich history, inextricably linked to migration to and from the island. For the Jamaican diaspora, it has become a symbol of home and identity - one worth fighting for.

Back in Toronto in February of 1985, the beloved Jamaican patty found itself in hot water with food inspectors. They claimed that, under the federal Meat Inspections Act at the time, vendors couldn't call the patty a “beef patty" because it was wrapped in pastry and therefore, by definition, not a beef patty as it is known for hamburgers. Their demands that Kensington Patty Palace should change the name, packaging, signage, and more would cost the business upwards of $10,000 (approximately $22,500 today), but most of all, it would compromise a piece of Jamaican cultural identity. In the documentary, Davidson recalls, “the unnecessary burden that we were being placed under would have brought the business to a premature end.” Kensington Patty Palace stood their ground as the infamous, “Patty Wars,” began in earnest. 

Both sides dug in their heels, and it looked like there might not be a resolution. But eventually, the Jamaican Consulate intervened and "The Patty Summit" negotiations were held. After much debate, a compromise was reached: the patties could still be called, "Jamaican patties."

The vendors were thrilled with the decision and declared that February 23rd would henceforth be known as Jamaican Patty Day in Toronto. And with that, a crisis was averted, and the much-loved patty was able to keep its name and its place in Jamaican diaspora culture. The ordeal was documented by CBC News Canada, who published a short documentary called, Patty vs Patty.

Out of Many, One Patty

While it has since become a fond story of Jamaican pride, The Patty Wars represent a moment of cultural reckoning. It highlighted the complex, unintended repercussions of colonialism and highlighted the tension that forms when a previously colonized culture dares to gain a foothold in Western society. It shows how the preservation of cultural memory, traditions, and stories is a radical act when done in opposition to a system that holds power. In preserving the name of the patty, Ray Davidson and the Kensington Patty Palace team were showcasing the resilience and ingenuity of a people, compelled to be one by colonialism, to reinvent a food that was originally forced upon their shores and make it their own.

No matter where you find yourself enjoying a Jamaican patty - whether it's in Queens, Toronto, Manchester, or Kingston, and whether it's filled with beef, cheese, veggies, or simply savored straight from a paper bag - one thing is certain: you're tasting a slice of Jamaican history. Don’t forget to shake off the crumbs.

Can’t get enough? Here are some additional resources we love about patties:

Make your patties at home with The Seasoned Skillet’s recipe

Listen to three community members reflect on the impact of a recently closed Toronto patty shop

Learn more about the Patty Wars, retold on CBC