I quote from an article in The Independent Traveller; "Jerk is a way of smoking or grilling meat and seafood. It originated from the Taino Indians who pre-dated the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494, but it was perfected by the runaway slaves known as Maroons. Absconding to the mountains, the Maroons preserved the meat of birds and wild pigs by marinating it in pimentos, hot peppers and spices and then smoking it over hot coals sprinkled with water. From this has descended present-day jerk. Smoking is the authentic way but, for the sake of speed, grilling will suffice."
