Vol. 6, No. 24
Panama City, R.P.
December 1 - December 14, 2000
Eureka! Jamaica relish at the Grand Deli Gourmet
by Eric Jackson
I grew up on the Atlantic side, with ample exposure to Jamaican delicacies. Yet in my adult life I found Jamaica relish easier to find in the United States than in Panama. Maybe the fact that most of my time in the states was spent within a reasonable distance of Ann Arbor's fabulous Big Ten Party Store has something to do with the anomaly, but in any case a void in my life has been filled by the Grand Deli Gourmet store, on Calle 50 in San Francisco.
It was not labeled as "Jamaica relish," but rather as "barbecue relish." A perusal of the ingredients, a small purchase and the taste test confirmed my suspicions: this was the good stuff, the real Jamaica relish. You'll find it among the store's amazing collection of relishes, pickles, conserves, and olives.
You will also find a lot of jellies, jams and marmalades at this little store, both national and imported varieties. If you are not the sort of person to make your own, this is the place to get the sweet mango, passionfruit or cashew fruit spreads for your isthmian-style PBJs.
Grand Deli Gourmet also has a better-than-standard assortment of the things you expect in a deli - meats, cheeses, wines, vinegars, ceviches, cookies, pastas, pates and so on. It's a great little addition to Panama City's culinary culture.
