Have you ever tasted something so delicious that before you could finish it, you were already dreaming about the next time you’d be eating it? That’s exactly how I felt when my cousin returned from Jamaica with gizzada – it was the first time I recall enjoying it so much. The gizzada’s grated coconut mixture placed on top of a homemade buttery shortbread crust had just the right amount of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, vanilla extract, mixed spice, and ginger combined with the coconut. The way I devoured it – one would have thought I hadn’t eaten for days – it was that good. At that very moment, the question of “Why do dishes prepared outside of their country of origin so often miss the mark” came to mind, and I could not wait for my next trip to Jamaica to buy some more to take back with me to the States.
When that time eventually arrived, I found myself scrambling around on my last day in Jamaica to purchase all sorts of snacks for my return trip back to the States. From police button cookies (pictured below), jackass corn (pictured below), Milo sandwich cookies, and gizzada; to St. Mary’s or Chippies banana chips, National Brand cheese curls (a modern-day version of the cheese trix I used to eat as a child), and salt and vinegar flavored cassava chips. No snack was off-limits for me. Of course, since I was always running short on time, the nearby supermarket was where I usually tried purchasing whatever I could before heading to the airport for my flight. Unfortunately, that didn’t always work out in my favor since some of the more popular items always seemed to be low in stock. So, when I heard about the shop at Jamaica’s Coconut Industry Board (“The Coconut Shop”), it was a game-changer.
No longer would I be running up and down the aisles of the Hi-Lo supermarket searching for the additional quantity of snacks I wanted to purchase; my days of hoping that they’d be at one of the endcaps, the next aisle over, or by the registers at the front of the store were over.
The Coconut Shop carries all things coconut – from coconut water, coconut oil, and coconut jelly, to an assortment of local coconut confectionaries – such as toto, gizzada, coconut macaroons, coconut drops, grater cake, and busta. This place is a one-stop shop for all things coconut. Besides the coconut-based snacks, the shop also sells green plantain chips, peanut drops (looks like peanut brittle; sometimes referred to as peanut cake), plantain tart, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. (Wondering what some of the snacks mentioned in this blog are? Check out the highlights at the end of the blog for more specifics.)
grater cake 
coconut macaroons 
plantain tart
There’s nothing like freshly made coconut confectionaries. If you’re a fan of coconut and in the Kingston area, The Coconut Shop at Jamaica’s Coconut Industry Board needs to be on your list of places to visit.
Snack highlights:
Toto (pronounced /’toe-toh/) – a coconut-like cake (see featured image – the large round cake located on the upper left hand side f the plate).
Coconut drops – similar to gizzada, but the primary difference is the coconut is diced into small pieces (instead of grated), there is no baking required and no crust.
Grater cake – Not an actual cake, but more a coconut candy. Made of grated coconut and sugar (pink and white colored square pictured above).
Busta (pictured below)– said to have been named after one of Jamaica’s National Heroes and former Prime Minister (Sir Alexander Bustamante). A hard candy made of wet sugar, coconut, ginger, and lime juice.
Jackass corn – said to derive its name because it’s tough and stubborn as a donkey. A hard biscuit made of flour, coconut milk (or grated coconut), brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and baking powder.
Police button cookies – (policeman button for short) button-shaped coconut cookie.
