There can’t possibly be a more aptly named food than the fried Jamaican favorites pictured here. They’re  called Festivals, and as their name implies, eating them yields a joy worthy of celebration.
These “sticks,” as my kids call them, are a common staple in Jamaica, enjoyed as a stand-alone snack, breakfast treat, appetizer or an accompaniment to most any meal. They go especially well with spicy dishes like anything made with Jerk seasoning as Festivals have a magical way of balancing out the fire.
For me, though, they’re way too special to be called common.
The smell of Festivals frying, the first taste of the warm dough hitting my mouth; it all takes me back to past good times traveling through this very special island where so much of what’s great about the Caribbean was born (more on that here).