A traditional Jamaican dish — Solomon Gundy is the island’s boldest appetizer: smoked or salted mackerel pounded with scotch bonnet, onion and pimento into a fiery, tangy spread. The name comes from a nonsense nursery rhyme the British brought over, but the flavor is pure Jamaica. It is spooned onto crackers or hard-dough bread at parties and sundowner gatherings.
Solomon Gundy Jamaïcain
A traditional Jamaican dish — Solomon Gundy is the island’s boldest appetizer: smoked or salted mackerel pounded with scotch bonnet, onion and pimento into a fiery, tangy spread.

Step by stepInstructions
- Soak the salted mackerel in cold water for 2 hours, then boil for 10 to 15 minutes until it flakes; drain, cool and pick out all the skin and bones.
- Combine the fish, vinegar, onion, scallions, scotch bonnet, thyme, pimento, sugar, oil and black pepper in a food processor.
- Pulse into a coarse paste, stopping short of a smooth purée so it keeps a little texture.
- Scrape into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour so the flavors marry.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature, mounded on crackers with extra hot pepper on the side.
💡 Chef tips & storage
Taste before adding salt — the fish is salty enough. The heat is up to you: seed the scotch bonnets for a milder spread, or use two for the full effect.

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