Traditionally in Jamaica, no Sunday dinner is complete without rice and peas. In fact, rice and peas is a very important part of major celebrations such as Christmas dinners and events such as weddings, parties and funerals.
The history of the side dish comes from African culture.
The cooking of rice and peas originated in the Akan tribe hailing from Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa.
The eating of this dish on Sunday also comes from the slavery period- in the 1700’s slaves were permitted to not work on Sundays and therefore would cook the best food in their arsenal. Therefore the rich dish of rice and peas was chosen as the best of the best.