Food Grails

Why the Jamaican Beef Patty Is a NYC Icon (1x2)

Air date: May 24, 2017

Welcome to Food Grails, a new First We Feast travel series hosted by Miss Info. As a music journalist, she's travelled the world and seen the power of artists who rep for their hometown sound. Now, she wants to discover how foods define a city’s flavor—from Atlanta's lemon-pepper wings, to NYC's beef patties. These are America’s food grails. In episode 2, Miss Info investigates how the Jamaican beef patty became a NYC icon. As the flaky meat turnover has infiltrated all aspects of city life—found in mom-and-pop bakeries, bodegas, pizza shops, and even street carts—the patty itself has inspired fierce debate. Because if you think a patty is a patty is a patty...well, you're dead wrong. From heated conversations with DJ Clark Kent, to philosophical musings in the back of a Rolls Royce with Upscale Vandal, here are what New Yorkers really have to say about the beef patty.