Left: Patrick Rosegreen - Contributed.   Right: Sweet cassava is a great accompaniment for stews and your favourite meat dish. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Montego Bay businessman, Patrick Rosegreen, has opened the top-flight Rosa's sports bar and disco on Montego Bay's Gloucester Avenue Hip Strip shopping, entertainment and restaurant corridor - and is wooing locals and tourists.

Rosa's is located on the site of the former Walter's Bar And Grill entertainment complex, and Rosegreen says he is in the middle of transforming the new business into a comfortable area for locals and tourists.

"We are bringing something new to the strip!" Rosegreen said. I am creating an allure for those over 35 - a pleasant general ambience of a warm, unhurried, relaxed, contemporary overall fare of comfortable music, good stage shows, a strong mix of drinks, and elegant service," he promises.

Jamaican, international music

Rosa's will soon introduce a Friday night 'oldies' presentation of vintage Jamaican and international music, with a top traditional Jamaican entertainer as the highlight.

"We are in discussions with a number of hit-makers in the early history of our island's culture and music," Rosegreen said, "and in a short while I shall announce the star."

Rosegreen says he will shortly begin discussions with hospitality industry interests, in cruise shipping and resorts to offer a lively entertainment package for tourists.

The vision for Rosa's is that it will play a pivotal role on Montego Bay's entertainment stage. "The whole entertainment desire is changing!" he points out. "Locals and tourists are demanding a new fare - something special and different; not just noise but something pleasant, entertaining wholesome and palatable."

Indigestion and colic, and is a mild laxative. It may be applied as an ointment or poultice mixed with some other antiseptic herbs such as comfrey.

It may also be used as a dyspeptic to relieve complaints of bladder and urethra; as a diuretic, an eyewash and to cure dysentery and sunburn as well as for back strength and to make porridge.

Jokoto

Jokoto looks just like callaloo and grows wild in the rural parts of the island. It likes the Irish potato fields of places like Harrywatch in Manchester and though much like callaloo, it has a spike at the end of the leaves. Once removed it is perfect for pepper pot soup that it is commonly used by locals. When boiled over food such as yam and bananas, just remove, chop finely and simmer with some corned pork and seasoning. Yummy!

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric also called turmeric is a spice that is a member of the ginger family, (zingiberceae). It is commonly used in curries. It is a significant ingredient in most commercial curry powders. In fact, this was what country folk used for curries long ago.

It is also used to give a yellow colour to some prepared mustards, canned chicken broth, and other foods (often as a much cheaper replacement for saffron). Also it makes a cheap fabric dye.

In traditional medicine, turmeric is thought to have many healthy properties. It may be taken as a dietary supplement and is said to help with stomach problems. In Okinawa in Japan it is popularly served as tea. It is currently being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer's disease, cancer and liver disorders.

Turmeric is mildly aromatic and has aroma of orange or ginger. It has a pungent, bitter flavour. It is used in canned beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, yoghurts, yellow cakes, biscuits, popcorn-colour, sweets, cake icings, cereals, sauces, and gelatines. In combination with annotto, it has been used to colour cheeses, dry mixes, salad dressings, winter butter and margarine.

Turmeric is a classic addition to chutneys, pickles, and relishes. Add a pinch of turmeric to fish soups. Blend with melted butter and drizzle over cooked vegetables, pasta, or potatoes.

Eddo

Eddo is a large tuber that is grown in hilly area of Jamaica. In some other parts of the world it is known as taro, dasheen or kalo.

Eddo is similar in characteristics to the Jamaican dasheen but it is much bigger. On the island, most locals use it to feed pigs but it is eaten as a starch in other countries.

Eddo has a brown fibrous skin and grey to white (sometimes purple-tinged) flesh. The roots range in length from about five inches to a foot or more, and can be several inches wide. Though acrid-tasting in its raw state, the root has a somewhat nut-like flavour when cooked. It is also extremely easy to digest. It should be noted, however, that some varieties are highly toxic unless thoroughly cooked. It has large edible leaves that can be prepared and eaten like mustard or turnip greens. It is used in place of a potato.

Sweet Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

This is a popular root crop of the West Indies and Central and South America from where it was taken to the east of Africa.

In Jamaica, cassava comes in two varieties: sweet and bitter and it is very hard to distinguish between them. The sweet variety can simply be cooked and eaten as a starch as is customary here. Bitter cassava however, has a high prussic acid and should be processed before use to dissipate the poison. Also this is the variety that is used to make ever-popular bammy.

The cassava's roots are long and tapered with a firm homogeneous flesh. It is encased in a detachable rind, about one millimetre thick. A woody cordon runs along the root's axis. The flesh can be chalk-white or yellowish and darkens quickly when exposed to air. For this reason, the skinned root must be kept under water until it is ready to be cooked.

Cooked in various ways, cassava is used in a great variety of dishes. The soft-boiled root has a delicate flavour and can replace boiled potatoes in many uses. It may be used as an accompaniment for meat dishes, in soups, and stews. Deep fried (after boiling or steaming), it can replace fried potatoes. Also, it is great for making chips. Plus, back in the old days people usually used the cassava to make flour.