About Ariah's Kitchen

Food is a massive part of how my family show affection. I remember that as a child, myself and my twin would watch my mother and big sister cooking in the kitchen. They would start from the night before, seasoning the meat and placing the peas to soak. We always knew we were in for a treat when the big Dutch pot came out. My grandparents came from Jamaica in the 1960s and passed on their traditional recipes to my mother. There were slight alterations due to native vegetation unavailable in the United Kingdom. For example, Callaloo and saltfish would have been a dish my nanny would have cooked in Jamaica. However, in the ’60s, callaloo was not easily available so she replaced it with spinach.

Ariah’s Kitchen is more than just food. It represents connection and togetherness; as the saying goes, ‘food is where the heart is’. Now as a mother myself, with my own family, mealtime is extremely important. I now find myself having the magical moments of cooking with my daughter, Ariah  and creating our own dishes. She loves sharing it with her brothers and father. He has always encouraged and inspired me to share this with the world. And now I can share our unique take on some of my Jamaican-inspired food. We hope that it will bring loved ones closer, as it has done for us- ‘Nyam well‘ (Eat Well) your going to love it!