Caribbean Paradise Jax Serves the Best Jamaican Oxtails in Town

If you’re craving the rich, slow-cooked flavor of authentic Jamaican oxtails, look no further than Caribbean Paradise Jax. Our oxtails are seasoned to perfection, simmered until tender, and served in a bed of thick, flavorful gravy over Caribbean rice stewed with colorful bell peppers and onions. Each plate is a celebration of island comfort and home-style cooking.

To complete the experience, every order comes with a golden side of fried plantains—sweet, caramelized, and crisp at the edges—creating the perfect balance of savory and sweet.

Whether you’re a local foodie or new to Caribbean cuisine, Caribbean Paradise Jax offers the authentic flavors of Jamaica right here in Jacksonville. Come see why our oxtails with rice and plantains have become a local favorite for flavor, comfort, and tradition.

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Part One: The Curry Chronicles: How Turmeric and Scotch Bonnet Became Best Friends

The marriage between turmeric’s earthy brightness and the scotch bonnet’s “fish peppers” fierce heat might seem like a natural pairing today, but it was the underlying foundation of pimento and indigenous seasoning wisdom that made this fusion possible.

Long before the first indentured workers arrived from India in 1845, Jamaica’s indigenous Arawak people had already mastered the art of transforming humble ingredients into extraordinary flavors. The Tainos were the native Indians of Jamaica, who lived a peaceful lifestyle that was changed in immeasurable ways when the Europeans arrived. They had their origins in the Arawak tribes of Eastern Venezuela, in an area called the Orinoco Delta. What many don’t realize is that when Indian curry powder met Jamaican kitchens, it wasn’t encountering virgin territory—it was joining a sophisticated indigenous spicing tradition that had been perfecting the balance of heat, aroma, and preservation for over a thousand years.

The secret lay in Jamaica’s native pimento, known globally as allspice, which is indigenous to the Western Hemisphere and was first discovered on the island of Jamaica.

ALL DAY…CURRY GOAT AT CARIBBEAN PARADISE RESTAURANT JAX

The indigenous people of Jamaica have historically been identified as the Taínos and Arawak, known by the Spanish as the “First People” of Ancient Xaymaca (land of the wood and water). Their language, diet and culture influence Jamaica to this day. The real secret ingredient in curry goat isn’t just the curry powder or the scotch bonnet—it’s the centuries-old indigenous wisdom that knew exactly how to make foreign spices feel at home.

Today in the United States, popular Caribbean spices include cloves, garlic, allspice, nutmeg and peppers, which are found in various forms throughout the sea coast islands and have become iconic ingredients in both classic Caribbean and modern Gullah Geechee dishes. The Taino diet was based heavily on what was available in their fertile surroundings. They cultivated yucca (also known as cassava), sweet potatoes, corn, and peanuts. But beyond their staple crops, the Arawak understood something profound about flavor layering.

“Jamaican curried goat is a dish usually eaten maybe twice a month on Sundays or for big celebrations and gatherings like parties, Christmas get-togethers or funerals.“

Allspice, also known as Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, or pimento, is the dried unripe berry of Pimenta dioica, a midcanopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, and its flavor profile is often described as a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves – hence its name. It offers a complex, warm aroma that is distinctive and highly prized in both sweet and savory dishes. This indigenous spice would later prove to be the perfect bridge between Indian curry traditions and Caribbean palates.

Drop by Caribbean Paradise Restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, 900 Dunn Avenue, today for a taste of Caribbean spices! Our Jamaican curry goat carries within each spoonful this remarkable story of cultural resilience and fusion. Every time you taste our distinctive combination of Indian spices mellowed by Caribbean sweetness and ignited by scotch bonnet fire, you will experience a direct connection to both the African ancestors who carried their homeland’s flavors across oceans and the indigenous people whose sophisticated understanding of Jamaica’s native plants provided the foundation for one of the Caribbean’s most beloved dishes.

Part Two

Article by Jermyn Shannon

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Includes red peas, chicken, fish.

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Each slice is perfectly balanced with warm notes of fruit and spice, making it the perfect indulgence to pair with your favorite Caribbean entrée or coffee. Alongside our house-made desserts, you’ll find a rotating lineup of midweek delights, from sweet pastries to tropical treats that turn any Wednesday into a celebration.

Stop by and experience the heart of the islands right here in Jacksonville. Every bite is a reminder that Caribbean flavor isn’t just food—it’s a feeling.

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At Caribbean Paradise Restaurant, we cook with love. It was Grandmama who shared her deep knowledge of local spices and herbs, combined with their understanding of how native aromatics could enhance and balance intense flavors, that inspired Caribbean Paradise to create the perfect cultural and culinary soil for curry to take root and transform.

In Part One, we talked about the indigenous recipes and spices like allspice and scotch bonnet peppers, as well as herbal remedies that arrived through various cultural exchanges but have become essential to Caribbean cooking. The world’s first native chefs shared deep knowledge of indigenous peppers, combined with their understanding of how native aromatics could enhance and balance intense flavors, created the perfect cultural and culinary soil for curry to take root and transform the community.

Picking Herbs From The Ackee Tree

These spices have found their way into the kitchens of celebrated chefs like Trinidadian, Marcus Samuelsson of the Food Network, who incorporates Caribbean influences into his African and Scandinavian cooking, and Caribbean icon, Levi Roots, who introduced vibrant Jamaican flavors to the UK food scene. The versatility and complex flavor profiles of these Caribbean spices make them invaluable tools for creating the layered, aromatic dishes that define modern Caribbean-inspired cuisine in restaurants worldwide.

Top 5 Caribbean Spices Used by World-Renowned Chefs

These Caribbean spices have become essential ingredients in the kitchens of celebrity chefs and Michelin-starred establishments:

Allspice (Pimento) – Jamaica’s indigenous “wonder spice” combining cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove flavors S

Scotch Bonnet Peppers – The Caribbean’s signature heat, used fresh and dried by top chefs

Thyme – Essential in jerk seasoning and beloved by chefs for its earthy complexity

Nutmeg – Originally from Grenada, prized for both sweet and savory applications

Cinnamon – Both Ceylon and cassia varieties feature prominently in Caribbean-inspired dishes

Learn more – Part Three

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Authentic Caribbean Recipe

Jerk Chicken
(Jamaican spicy grilled chicken)
Yield: 4-5 servings

INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Chicken pieces 3-4 lbs

Scallions minced – 1 bunch
Garlic minced – 3-6 cloves
Ginger minced – 1-2 Tablespoon
Peppers, hot chile minced – 2-6 each
Soy sauce – 1/4 cup
Lime juice – 1/4 cup
Brown sugar – 1/4 cup
Water – 1/4 cup
Oil – 1/4 cup
Salt 1 Tablespoon
Allspice, ground – 1 Tablespoon
Cinnamon, ground – 2 Tablespoon
Pepper – 2 Tablespoon
Thyme, dried – 1 Tablespoon

METHOD
Basic Steps: Mix ? Marinate ? Grill
In a large bowl, mix together all but chicken well. Adjust flavors to your taste. Add chicken and let marinate at least 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.

Grill chicken pieces over a slow fire till cooked through.

VARIATIONS
Substitute pork or firm white fish for the chicken if you like. The fish will not need to be marinated as long.
If grilling isn’t possible, roast the pieces in a 350° oven till done, about 30-45 minutes. Or chicken can be grilled till browned on outside and then finished in a 350° oven.

NOTES
Jerk originated with the Arawak Indians of Jamaica. They would roast game over fires of pimento wood, the fruit of which is allspice. The wood would impart a distinctive flavor to the meat. So a jerk marinade must contain allspice.

A true Jamaican would use Habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers, the hottest peppers there are. But you can lower the heat of your marinade by using jalapeños or Serranos instead.

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