Our class discussion of Gladys, a Jamaican restaurant owned by two white American men, relates to Mintz piece on authenticity and locality. The climate of the class discussion as well as the perspective in the article reflect a popular topic in modern American society, the idea of cultural appropriation. Over the past few days, I’ve formed a few ideas on the subject both in relation to Gladys and overall.

According to Mintz, the authenticity of food is marked by locality, the environment, the people shaped that environment, and, in my own interpretation, the experience that the original people who created the food have. The men who created Gladys traveled to Jamaica and traveled 80% of the island learning the “proper” techniques of cooking and seasoning jerk chicken. They then brought these ideas to the United States (not as the first to do so, of course) and, in the words of one of the founders of Gladys, attempted to keep the food as authentic as possible.

Is Gladys jerk chicken authentic? I believe so. Rather, I believe Gladys cooks authentic Jamaican-American jerk chicken. Like Mintz, I believe the narrative of food is important. The reality is, regardless of the matching of the spices and woods, the flavor of a food is impacted by its environment. I could eat Gladys jerk chicken and be reminded of Jamaica, even praise it as a successful copy of Jamaican jerk, but it would never be able to take the place of Jamaican jerk made by Jamaicans of any color, in the motherland of Jamaica. This is not a bad thing, mind you. Gladys Jamaican-American jerk chicken is creating its own narrative, its own take. From how it’s been described, it will be a good supplement for any American or otherwise who currently lacks the means to enjoy a trip to Jamaica.

In terms of cultural appropriation, I can only speak from my perspective as an American child born to Jamaican born parents. I speak as a Jamaican-American. Jamaican culture is diverse, with influences from Africa, Europe, and Asia, seen in everything from Jamaican food, to Jamaican people, to Jamaican patois. As a result, it seems unfair to say that anyone who is not of Caribbean descent cannot enjoy or re-produce an aspect of Jamaican culture. I will say, however, that it isn’t possible for a person to understand West Indian culture from a trip to Jamaica. Even several trips wouldn’t be enough, therefore, a single food dish studied and 80% of one of the many Caribbean islands explored is definitely not enough. Again, that does not mean, however, that someone who doesn’t fully understand Caribbean culture cannot appreciate and prepare Caribbean foods. The West Indies is an amalgam of identities come together to create a uniqueness that has attracted the attention of the world year after year. The difference between appropriation and appreciation here seems to be respect. A short narrative about the founders of Gladys’ time in Jamaica on their site would be more than enough and would definitely, I feel, be appreciated by Caribbean people.

-Stephanie A.