Ikea faces backlash and accusations of 'cultural appropriation' gone wrong after adding jerk chicken with rice and peas to the menu in certain stores

Kate Taylor

September 16, 2019 6:40 PM

Ikea is facing backlash after debuting jerk chicken with rice and peas that failed to fit the qualifications for the Caribbean dish.

jerk chicken jamaica

Typically, the rice and peas part of the dish includes kidney beans or gungo peas. Ikea's menu item, served in some UK stores, featured green peas.
Ikea apologized, with a representative telling media outlets that the company is now reexamining the dish.
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Ikea is facing backlash after debuting a jerk chicken dish with rice and peas that failed to fit the basic qualifications for the Caribbean dish.

Last week, Ikea announced it was adding jerk chicken with rice and peas to the menu at stores in the UK.

It didn't take long for people to point out that the rice and peas in question looked very little like any traditional Caribbean rice and peas. Most recipes for rice and peas call for kidney beans or gungo peas not green peas.

"Ikea seem to have a new dish of jerk chicken with rice and GREEN PEAS," comedian Dane Baptiste tweeted.

Baptiste continued: "Big Mama in soul food did not die for this. Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima didn't suffer for this culinary appropriation. Why IKEA? Why?"

Others found it predictable that Ikea would fail to produce a proper dish.

Ikea did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Representatives for the company have apologized to other media outlets.

"We're aware that our new jerk chicken, served with rice and peas has created some conversation and in some cases offence," Lorena Lourido, country food manager for Ikea UK and Ireland, told Metro.co.uk.

"Our intention was to create a dish for many people to enjoy but we appreciate that we may have got it wrong. We apologise and we are now re-looking at the dish."

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