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Montego Bay (Jamaica)
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Fish & Seafood
Food Flavour DNA
Nutritional Values
550kcal
34gProtein
16gCarbs
38gFat
4gFibre
350 gServing
* Per serving · 350 g. May vary.
Allergens
🐟 Fish
Run Down
How to order / say it
Say it
Run Down — [Run-down]
Order
Can I have the Run Down?
Locally
Mi can get di Run Down?
Say locally
Salt fish simmered in coconut milk sauce.
Why try it?
Run Down is integral to Montego Bay's classic home-style cooking, reflecting the island's history of utilizing salt-preserved foods and local spices. It is soul food for many Jamaicans, linking the daily meal table with the larger Caribbean culinary traditions.
How it tastes
The dish is creamy and flavorful, with the salt fish offering a savory punch against the rich sweetness of the coconut milk. Each bite is filled with the aromas of garlic and thyme, often accompanied by leafy greens.
Origin & History — first documented: 1890
Dating back to the colonial era, Run Down began as a way to stretch limited food supplies, featuring salted fish traded by colonial powers. It evolved locally with the addition of coconut milk and spices around the late 19th century, becoming a mainstay in Montego Bay.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 🐟 300 g salt fish
- 🥛 400 ml coconut milk
- 🥕 2 tomato
- 🧄 1 large onion
- 🧄 3 scallion
- 🌿 1 tbsp thyme
- 🧂 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 🧄 3 cloves garlic
Method
- 1 Soak salt fish overnight.
- 2 Sauté onions, tomatoes, and peppers.
- 3 Add fish and coconut milk, simmer until thickened.
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