CHICOPEE – I moved to Western Massachusetts a little over three years ago now, and one of my favorite things about the area is the amount of diversity – especially when it comes to food. Growing up in a small, predominantly white, town in Upstate New York, I hadn’t had the chance to experience authentic Spanish and Puerto Rican food prior to moving here.

Recently, I made the drive up to Chicopee to interview the one of the owners of Yaad Jamaican Food about their newest location.

I’d never had the chance to try Jamaican food before and despite the heavenly smell, I hadn’t intended to leave with food, as I’m trying really hard to be healthier and eat takeout less. However, when he informed me that they had healthy options and named off their offerings, I couldn’t resist being able to try another new food.

One of their most popular and familiar items to Americans, the owner told me, was jerk chicken. I’d heard of this dish before and decided to order it with a salad. The owner was also kind enough to put in a sample of their rice and some plantains. I live in Springfield, so it was about a 15 minute ride home with my food, but when I got home the food was still hot.

Right away the smell of the chicken had my mouth watering, the aroma of spices simply cannot be described, it’s something you can only experience yourself. The plantains, which I’d only ever had once before, looked similar to bananas you’d get if you ordered bananas foster, golden brown and some spices visible. The rice resembled dirty rice, if you’ve ever tasted that dish, and had a red tint as there were kidney beans mixed in, and the salad looked fresh and crisp.

I tried the salad first, which I’d gotten with a Italian dressing. It was just as it looked, crisp and fresh. The lettuce blend proves that Yaad uses exceptional and fresh ingredients. The plantains were next. Immediately, I was smitten with the sweet flavor they brought to a very savory meal. As someone with a sweet tooth, I’ve had my fair share of sweet treats that were too much or overtook a meal. This wasn’t the case, however, with the plantains. They were not overly sweet and didn’t taste like the sweet dessert I thought they resembled, they were just a side that happened to be slightly sweeter.

I moved onto the rice next, saving the chicken for last. As a lover of rice, I thought it was cooked perfectly. It was almost sticky (which I partially attributed to the kidney beans), but not a giant mushy mess. The flavor was also incredible –  savory and delicious. I could have eaten a whole pot of it!

Lastly, the chicken. As I mentioned before, I could smell the spices even before taking my first bite.

The first bite was as good as the spices made it smell, the chicken was moist, the skin crispy and the spices while present, weren’t overwhelming.

Now as someone who grew up eating spicy foods and buffalo sauce on everything, I’m very particular about how spicy foods taste. I’ve had spicy foods whose entire flavor profile is just that: spicy. However, I’ve also had foods that exhibit other flavor profiles and leave your mouth with a delayed spiciness. The latter is my preference.

Let me tell you that the jerk chicken at Yaad did this perfectly. The spice didn’t overwhelm and take over the dish, but was merely an afterthought in my mouth once I was done appreciating the other spices on the chicken. It was incredible, and one of the best ways I’ve ever experienced spice.

All in all I was 100 percent satisfied and impressed with my meal. It was also the perfect portion! I hadn’t eaten all day and went for a run that morning, so I was a little hungrier than normal, but didn’t need a huge portion. This meal filled that hunger perfectly and I didn’t feel as though I’d over eaten.

Yaad has locations in both Chicopee at 66 Cabot St. and Indian Orchard at 278 Main St. Each location also has a new special each day. You can order by calling the Chicopee location at 331-3231 or the Indian Orchard location at 883-8364, or by placing an order through food delivery services UberEats and DoorDash.

Specials and menu items are also posted on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Yaad-Food-Jamaican-Restaurant-1592794164311469/.