Home / Breakfast / Festival

Festival

A traditional Jamaican dish — Festival is the island’s sweet cornmeal dumpling, golden-fried and slightly crisp outside with a tender, faintly sweet crumb.

⏱ 15 minPrep time
🔥 20 minCook time
🍽 6Servings
🏷 BreakfastCategory
☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
Festival - Jamaïcain recipe

A traditional Jamaican dish — Festival is the island’s sweet cornmeal dumpling, golden-fried and slightly crisp outside with a tender, faintly sweet crumb. Its name promises a party in the mouth, and it delivers, especially alongside jerk chicken or fried fish. These little batons are street-food royalty, sold warm in brown paper bags across Kingston.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
  2. Add the milk and vanilla, and mix into a soft, slightly sticky dough, adding a splash more milk if needed.
  3. Knead lightly for 1 minute on a floured surface, then shape the dough into small cylinders about 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long, tapering the ends.
  4. Heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil in a skillet over medium heat until a scrap of dough sizzles gently on contact.
  5. Fry the festivals in batches for 4 to 5 minutes, turning often, until puffed and deep golden all over, then drain on paper towels.
  6. Serve warm with jerk chicken, fried fish or escovitch fish.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Do not fry at too high a heat, or the outside browns before the inside cooks. The dough should be soft but shapeable — overworking it makes festivals tough.

Rate this recipe

☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
Sign in to rate this recipe.

Recipe details

Prep15 min
Cook20 min
Servings6
CategoryBreakfast
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →