The South Florida Miramar restaurant takes top honors by fusing Indian culinary traditions with Jamaican jerk in Grace Foods USA’s cross-cultural National Jamaican Jerk Day cooking competition.

MIRAMAR, FL —  Indian spices met Jamaican heat in a winning culinary combination as Cloves Indian Kitchen claimed the title of the 2026 National Jamaican Jerk Day (NJJD) Sizzle & Spice: Catch a Fiyah with Grace Champion, emerging victorious in a competition that challenged South Florida restaurants to push culinary boundaries and showcase the versatility of Jamaican jerk.

Sponsored by Grace Foods USA in celebration of National Jamaican Jerk Day, this year’s competition brought together three restaurants to demonstrate how Jamaican jerk could transcend traditional boundaries and inspire exciting new flavor combinations across cultures.

Cloves Indian Kitchen rose to the challenge with a creative three-course menu that married the bold, aromatic spices of Indian cuisine with the unmistakable kick of Jamaican jerk. From a jerk-infused appetizer to a reimagined lamb entrée and an inventive dessert, the restaurant delivered a menu that impressed the judges and demonstrated that when cultures collide in the kitchen, extraordinary things can happen.

Three Courses. Bold Flavors. One Champion.

Cloves Indian Kitchen’s winning menu showcased the restaurant’s creativity and its willingness to experiment with Grace Foods products.

The culinary journey began with Jamaican jerk chicken lollipops, seasoned with Grace Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, Grace Mild Jerk Seasoning, and Grace Green Seasoning, then finished with a glossy Grace Pineapple Barbecue Glaze.

For the entrée, Cloves elevated its black pepper lamb with Jamaican jerk seasoning, creating a rich, aromatic fusion that brought Indian spices and Caribbean heat together in one memorable dish.

The restaurant saved a creative surprise for dessert: coconut chai panna cotta topped with pineapple ginger pearls, made using Grace Tropical Rhythms and finished with caramel sauce. The imaginative use of the beverage added a tropical twist to the final course and helped round out the restaurant’s standout menu.

A Winning First Taste of Jerk

Andrea Reynolds, Global Marketing Manager of Grace Foods USA, presents a check to Cloves Owner Deepak Karamchandani and his daughter Rashi Karamchandami at the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival on November 8.

For Cloves Indian Kitchen, the victory was especially meaningful because the team was exploring Grace Foods products and Jamaican jerk in this way for the first time.

“I’m delighted that we won the competition. This was our first time working with Grace Foods products and really our first time exploring jerk in this way. We were surprised by how beautifully the jerk flavors paired with the Indian spices and flavors we use every day. It was a great experience and showed us just how versatile jerk can be,” said Deepak Karamchandani, owner of Cloves Indian Kitchen.

Deepak Karamchandani leads the family-run business Cloves Indian Kitchen alongside his wife, Shweta Karamchandani, and daughter, Rashi Karamchandani, who joined him as part of the winning team.

Competition Heats Up Across Cultures

The competition also featured People’s Choice Restaurant, the 2025 champion, which returned to defend its title and secured second place. Eden Restaurant brought an African-inspired interpretation of Jamaican jerk, adding another cultural perspective to the culinary challenge.

Judges evaluated the restaurants on flavor and taste, creativity, presentation, use of Grace products, authenticity and cultural representation, and overall impression.

Cloves Indian Kitchen earned a cash prize, trophy, and, of course, the bragging rights that come with being crowned the 2026 Sizzle & Spice champion.

Celebrating the Global Reach of Jamaican Jerk

Sizzle & Spice: Catch a Fiyah with Grace continues to demonstrate that Jamaican jerk is more than a seasoning tradition; it is a versatile culinary inspiration that can cross borders, complement diverse cuisines, and spark new interpretations of familiar dishes.

By inviting restaurants to experiment with jerk through their own cultural and culinary lenses, the competition celebrates the creativity that emerges when different food traditions meet. This year’s winning menu from Cloves Indian Kitchen offered a delicious example of how Jamaican jerk can find fresh expression in Indian cuisine.

2026 Sizzle & Spice Competition Results

First Place: Cloves Indian Kitchen — 2026 Champion –

Second Place: People’s Choice Restaurant — 2025 Champion

Competitor: Eden Restaurant

Title Sponsor: Grace Foods USA

The official announcement and presentation took place at the 2026 staging of the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, Sunday, November 8th at Miramar Regional Park. For more information about Grace Foods USA and its products, visit GraceKennedy Foods.