Meaning
The prized reef fish — especially the red snapper — that is the classic choice for fried fish, escovitch, and steamed fish. Firm, sweet, and fine-flavoured, snapper is the favourite of the Jamaican fisherman's catch and the star of the fish market and the beachside stall, fried whole and dressed with peppery escovitch or steamed with okra and pumpkin. A good fresh snapper with bammy and festival is a treasured seaside meal, and it stands at the top of the everyday eating fish of the island.
Examples
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Fry up a nice red snapper wid bammy.
Fry up a nice red snapper with bammy.
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Di fisherman catch plenty snapper today.
The fisherman caught plenty of snapper today.
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Steam di snapper wid okra an pumpkin.
Steam the snapper with okra and pumpkin.
Origin
The snapper fish (named for its snapping jaws); the reef fish most associated with Jamaican fried and escovitch fish.
How it’s used
The go-to fish for fried, escovitch, and steamed fish. See [[escovitch-fish]].