Jamie Oliver’s “punchy jerk rice” has been called out as cultural appropriation, with people quick to point out last week that the celebrity chef’s microwavable interpretation of Jamaican cuisine fails to live up to its name, Fox News reported.
Traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning is primarily made up of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers, which did not even feature in Oliver’s dish of chili, aubergine and beans.
Jamaican jerk is a recipe that was created by escaped African slaves on the Caribbean island and Oliver’s loose interpretation of the recipe fired up British shadow equalities minister Dawn Butler, who happens to be the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, The Guardian reported.
Taking to Twitter, she asked Oliver if he even knew what Jamaican jerk actually was.
“It's not just a word you put before stuff to sell products,” she posted on Twitter, adding that his product was “not ok” and stating that “this appropriation from Jamaica needs to stop.”
Since her criticism of the celebrity chef, Twitter has lit up as others weighed in on the topic, some agreeing with Butler, but many others siding with Oliver.
One Twitter user pointed out that Oliver’s take on the tradition Jamaican dish would understandably be offensive to some people but, “rather than try to understand what offends them about said act. they are being told to shut up and get over it.”
Another Twitter user noted Oliver used the phrase “jerk rice” to sell his product, which was “appropriation of culture.”
Others felt that the entire situation had been blown out of proportion.
“So it’s all kicked off because Jamie Oliver has brought out his own range of jerk rice, so does that mean Jamaicans can’t cook fish and chips or pie and mash?,” a Twitter user said. “Welcome to 2018 where everyone is offended by everything.”
“People of different nationalities should be allowed to cook & explore dishes from various backgrounds it's how food progresses, it's how ideas are spread,” another twitter user said. “Don't make this about race when it's literally about rice. “
Oliver on Monday night addressed the controversy in a statement, explaining that the name of the product was meant to reflect where he drew inspiration from.
“I’ve worked with flavors and spices from all over the world my whole career, learning and drawing inspiration from different countries and cultures to give a fresh twist to the food we eat every day,” he said, according to The Guardian. “When I named the rice my intention was only to show where my inspiration came from.”
Oliver has come under fire before for a similar incident. In 2016 his paella recipe caused backlash when he included chorizo in his version of the traditional Spanish dish.
Paella originated in Valencia and includes rice plus ingredients such as rabbit, seafood, snails, and artichokes — but never chorizo.
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