Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has been criticised for his use of the term jerk on his latest food product, "jerk rice".
Jamie Oliver's Punchy Jerk Rice retails for around £2.35 is described as a mix of "garlic, ginger and jalapeños to create a jerk marinade with attitude."
But Labour MP Dawn Butler wasn't impressed and tweeted to let the chef know.
#jamieoliver @jamieoliver #jerk I'm just wondering do you know what #Jamaican #jerk actually is? It's not just a word you put before stuff to sell products. @levirootsmusic should do a masterclass. Your jerk Rice is not ok. This appropriation from Jamaica needs to stop.
The Brent Central MP, who was born to Jamaican parents, asked Oliver: "I'm just wondering do you know what Jamaican jerk actually is?"
Butler described Oliver's use of the term "jerk" as appropriation of Jamaican culture in the name of selling his product and some people agree with her.
@DawnButlerBrent @jamieoliver @levirootsmusic I totally get your point Dawn.Product was poorly executed. It doesn’t even contain the authentic ingredients to warrant its jerk label,which is actually misleading to consumers. At the very least to maintain integrity it should say ‘jerk inspired’ & contain x3 authentic flavours
“Jerk rice” Dark days are near...
‘Punchy’ Jerk Rice .... PISS OFF @jamieoliver 😂😂😂😂😂
Oi @jamieoliver no recall this back.
Conservative MP Neil O'Brien chimed in to remind people that Oliver also owns a chain of Italian restaurants.
If Jamie Oliver isn’t allowed to make Jerk chicken because it’s cultural “appropriation” she’s going to go mad when she finds out about “Jamie’s Italy” https://t.co/uY7YzWZ5Vr
This wouldn't be the first time the celebrity chef has received criticism for his take on cultural rice dishes. In 2014 his take on the west African jollof rice dish sparked outrage and was dismissed as "inauthentic".
This is @JamieOliver's "jollof rice" with "tomatoes on the vine" & "coriander". It's nothing like the original, well-loved West African dish. All he need do is ask an African chef to help him out, so I have to agree with @DawnButlerBrent on his #jerkrice appropriation @gmb https://t.co/H2TReNU0HM
@GMB @jamieoliver has the habit of getting ethnic foods wrong. This is the same way that he crucified the West African Jollof Rice. Jamie please stick to what you know.
Some people have pointed out that the concept of "jerk rice" is problematic. Jerk describes a style of cooking in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice.
I'm part Jamaican. I don't have a problem with Jamie Oliver making Jamaican food; people can cook what they want to. The only issue I'm having is whether you can actually jerk rice, I'm pretty sure you can only jerk meat.
@DawnButlerBrent @jamieoliver @levirootsmusic The thing is, she’s absolutely correct. If he did his research, which obviously he did not, he would know that you cannot “jerk” rice. Jerk rice is not a Jamaican dish and isn’t even possible. It’s quite disrespectful to take a cultures cuisine and botch it for profit.
Former Dragon's Den contestant and "Reggae Reggae Sauce" entrepreneur Levi Roots described the product as a "mistake".
Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Monday, he said: "I do think it was a mistake by Jamie – either by him or by his team. Maybe he wasn’t actually involved in this."
In a statement, Jamie Oliver said: "I've worked with flavours and spices from all over the world my whole career, learning and drawing inspiration from different countries and cultures to give a fresh twist to the food we eat every day.
“When I named the rice my intention was only to show where my inspiration came from.”