Peanut and corn ... A soup match made in food heaven

It is no understatement to say that 'street food' is an integral thread in the fabric of Jamaican culture.

Soup, being one of the more commonly served meals on the go, has a special place in the minds of the food-loving massive. Unfortunately, this foodie's affinity for soup was only minuscule, at least it was until I tried Wayne Powell's ital peanut and corn soup.

Near the foot of Spur Tree Hill in Eglington, Manchester, under the cover of trees and flanked by the stunning backdrop of the St Elizabeth hills, the popularity of Powell and his strange sounding concoction has been quietly growing for decades. Though the creation is new to this foodie, Powell said peanut and corn have always been a staple of St Elizabeth cuisine.

"For a number of years I've been selling corn and soup and peanut porridge. My soup is the ital corn soup. I cyah remember how many years but it quite a long time. The idea just come up and I said I'd try it out and it really work," he said. While careful not to share what makes his soup so sumptuous, Powell said the natural country seasoning from St Elizabeth, including thyme, escallion, pepper and garlic play a major role in the flavour.

Before I sampled the soup, regular customer and Jamaica Constabulary Force member Corporal Davies assured me that disappointment was not in the cards.

"The soup is consistent, he maintains that and it is really really good," the St Elizabeth-stationed cop, who said he has been getting soup for more than three years. He said that while the flavour is amazing, the good customer service from Powell is the icing on the cake.

"Whenever he approaches the vehicle, he always greets you with whatever the time of day is," he said.

One customer, who travelled from Kingston, said every time she is heading to the western end of the island, she has to stop at Powell's stall.

"The soup is great because it has that peanut and the corn; it is totally different. It's like a vegan soup you know. It's a must, a definite must," said Michelle Robinson, who was carrying both her aunts from the US to sample the famous soup.

After such critical acclaim, I was nervous to disappoint the large crowd that was waiting patiently for me to confirm all they had told me of the famous soup. Not a fan of peanut or soup, I slowly raised a spoonful of the liquid gold to my mouth. Absolutely delicious!

I expected the peanuts to be hard and jarring but they had softened in the warm liquid just enough to have the consistency of a potato. All the flavour of the corn was now swimming in the mustard coloured liquid, and created a symphony of flavour with the nut. It was an unexpected pairing, but no part of me felt unsatisfied with this soup.

Powell stood by and watched expectantly as I confirmed all he had known to be true about his meal.