Jamaica’s classic rice dish cooked with kidney beans and coconut milk is called rice and peas.
Despite its name, Jamaican “peas” traditionally means pigeon peas or kidney beans, depending on the recipe and region. The beans are cooked with coconut milk, thyme, scallion, garlic, and often Scotch bonnet pepper before rice is added. The result is a fragrant side dish served with jerk chicken, curry goat, stewed meats, and fish.
Rice and peas developed from the meeting of West African cooking traditions with ingredients and techniques used in Jamaica. Coconut milk adds richness, while the beans contribute color and protein. In Jamaica, the dish is especially associated with Sunday meals and celebrations.
It is easy to confuse Jamaican rice and peas with Trinidadian pelau or other Caribbean one-pot rice dishes. Pelau usually combines rice with caramelized meat and pigeon peas, whereas Jamaican rice and peas is primarily a seasoned rice-and-legume accompaniment.