jamaican pattie – Jellybeans in the City

One of my challenges as a work-from-home mommy during quarantine is keeping the fam energized for all the things we need to do at home. Whether these tasks involve Zoom meetings with work colleagues, attending online classes or simply doing our tasks to maintain the household, giving Hubby and kiddos a tasty snack to tide them over between mealtimes is crucial to the continued harmony of our home during quarantine.

One of my go-to snack treats for the fam is the Jamaican Pattie.

As its name implies, this meat-filled pastry came from Jamaica but had roots from among the various cultures present in the country during its colonial period. From the Cornish immigrants came the baked pastry, while the Indian and African laborers contributed the use of cumin, curry and cayenne pepper. Together, these influences have produced a tasty and filling savory dish.

Here in Manila, the Jamaican Pattie was introduced and popularized by de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop & Juice Bar. In these kiosks, the delicious pastries are baked – not fried – fresh everyday.

For the kiddos and myself, the Cheezy Beef Jamaican patties hit the spot while Hubby’s favorite pattie is the Cheezy Pinatubo. The patties’ flaky crust and generous filling make for an enjoyable family snackin’.

Previously, we could only get these patties when we go to malls but since the quarantine, the chain’s kiosks have begun offering their wares for delivery via its official delivery partner Coco Delivery, or through GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Download the Grab App and get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order.

Check out my blog posts on comfort food joints around the metro:

Feeling peckish with hours to go before the next meal?

Why don’t you stave off your hunger with something tasty?

A Jamaican pattie (or two or more!), for instance.

This flaky pastry traditionally tinted a golden yellow and filled with seasoned ground beef is claimed to be Jamaica’s No. 1 snack.

It came about when Cornish pastry was introduced in the Caribbean and was then combined with meat fillings flavored by seasonings from India, Africa and Jamaica. The Jamaican pattie then made its way to the US, Canada and UK in the 1960s and 1970s, brought by Jamaicans who migrated to these countries.

In 1990, it arrived in Southeast Asia by way of the Philippines when Fruitas Holdings, Inc. opened the first of many de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar in Manila, where these yummy patties are baked – not fried! – fresh everyday.

Hubby was the first of us to develop a taste for the Jamaican pattie. His favorite from long before is the Cheezy Beef Pinatubo Pattie, which, as the name implies, was inspired by the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo as evidenced by its spicy beefy flavor.

The rest of us in the fam were introduced to this delicacy during the quarantine when one of my former officemates opened a de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar at the Zeta Tower in Bridgetowne Business Center some short distance from our home.

The kids and I developed a liking for the Cheezy Beef Pattie. We love its savory goodness, made even better by the cheese that accompanied the ground beef filling.

Each pattie is priced at Php59. Other variants available include Beef Pinatubo (without cheese), Cheeze Tomato, Cheezy Tuna and Chicken Stew.

Order a pattie bundled with a ready-to-drink Fruitas bottled juice (Mango, Four Seasons, Dalandan and Calamansi flavors available) for just Php88.

This branch of de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar is located at Ground Floor, Zeta Tower, Bridgetowne Business Center, Libis, Quezon City, open for takeout or pickup.

However, it also offers free delivery within Barangay Santa Lucia in Pasig which is where I live. The patties can be delivered baked, for immediate consumption, or par-baked, so you can just reheat during snacktime. Well, isn’t that just awesome!

So when the fam is in the mood for some munchies, we know what to do.