This is not about good behaviour. Although if you fail to wash your hands after an encounter with this particular jerk, there could be some very loud swearing involved!
We're talking jerk the seasoning. It's one of Jamaica's gifts to the world, up there with Bob Marley, reggae music and Usain Bolt. And one of the two key ingredients is Scotch bonnet chillies - which is why you want to wear gloves, or wash your hands very thoroughly afterwards, when rubbing jerk seasoning into meat. You really, really don't want to rub that in your eyes, or any other tender spots, accidentally.
But eat it? Oh yes, you want to eat it. It's tender and juicy and smoky and spicy...
The seasoning - which always includes those Scotch bonnets and allspice (also known as pimento) - can be used on chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, even tofu.
There are several explanations around for the origin of the name - is that it comes from the South American word charqui. But wherever it came from, it's now popular round teh Caribbean, and especially in Jamaica.
And while most of us can't cook jerk Jamaica style, the Aussie oven or barbecue will do just fine (scroll down for our favourite recipes).
In Jamaica, jerk chicken (the most common way you'll see it) is traditionally cooked in open pits, with the marinaded meat laid on green pimento wood over coals, which adds another element of smokey appeal.
These days visitors to the Carribbean might also see it cooked in steel drums that have been turned on their sides and made into grills:
And check out this set up in London:
But if you want to cook up some jerk at home, you don't need to build a pit. Here's how you can embrace the jerk, at home (and safely!).
Allspice, chilli and thyme come together in the marinade for these jerk wings and drumsticks. Prep it one day, let the marinade work magic in the fridge overnight, and then grill or barbecue. The deliciously sticky-spicy chicken goes amazingly with coconut and bean rice.
Source: Brett Stevens
Chef Guy Turland of adds brown sugar and rum to his marinade, and serves the drumsticks with a tripical pineapple salsa.
Jerk chicken drumsticks Source: Food Network
Jerk seasoning is great with pork - and if you don't have a barbecue, this recipe also has instructions for roasting the rack of pork ribs.
Jerk pork Source: Alan Benson
"This recipe works with chicken or pork and is exotic, delicious and easy,” says Food Safari' host Maeve O’Meara, of this version by Jamaica-born chef Damion Brown. You can use the marinade with chicken legs or a pork shoulder.
Damion Brown's Jamaican jerk Source: Kaily Koutsogiannis
From the Feast magazine archives, this jerk chicken is coated in a rich spicy marinde of chilli, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, lime juice and brown sugar. Great served with coconut rice and .
Jerk chicken Source: Alan Benson
"I fell in love the first time that I bit into that juicy, smoky, slow-cooked chicken leg. The aroma, the smokiness, the spice!," says of his first encounter with jerk chicken in Jamaica. This is his take. It's got the heat dialled up, but you can cool things down by cutting the chilli hit.
Watch Matty Matheson cook his jerk chicken this Saturday August 11 on It's Suppertime (double episodes from 5:40pm Saturdays on SBS VICELAND) or catch up on.
Source: Viceland / Heami Lee
