It's that time of year again, when South Florida's finest Jerk aficionados face off for the coveted Jerk Pan Trophy, at this year's Jerk Cook-Off Competition at the Palm Beach Jerk and Caribbean Culture Festival.

For this year's culinary battle, proud Caribbean brand Jamaican Country Style (JCS) will host this year's spicy cook-off, where local chefs, restaurateurs and family cooks offer their take on the classic Jamaican flavor to win a prize and true bragging rights for the best jerk in town.

The Jamaican Country Style brand, owned by local Jamaican-American company, Kingston-Miami Trading Co., also promises to enter the fray in this special competition. Owner of Jamaican Country Style brand, Patrick Cha-Fong, will serve as the head judge for the competition, along with legendary broadcaster Marie Garth and local business expert Godfrey Comrie.

The collaboration is a natural fit for the family-owned business steeped in generations of Jamaican food know-how. The family patriarch is Patrick's father, Leslie Cha-Fong, the former Jamaican culinary educator who trained generations of Jamaican professional chefs. Patrick Cha-Fong also prides himself on his own jerk cooking skills, which served as the inspiration for the popular JCS Boston Jerk seasonings.

Cha-Fong is particularly proud to support the 2012 Palm Beach Jerk and Caribbean Culture Festival in honor of the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence.

"The anniversary means an awful lot to everybody," says Cha-Fong. "It's a milestone for both Jamaica and the Diaspora here in the U.S."

Cha-Fong also praises the festival for stretching "across the board to both Jamaican and American people, promoting diversity and culture."

"We're excited and happy to be a part of the jerk cook-off competition," says daughter and manger of Kingston-Miami Trading Co., Priscilla Cha-Fong. "When you think about Jamaican food, most people identify jerk as the Jamaican dish. It's something that chefs are proud of – making jerk spice mixes that's their own. It's a proud part of Jamaican culture."

So what will cook-off judge Cha-Fong be looking for in a winning jerk dish?

"Authenticity," says Cha-Fong. "I love jerk from when I was a small person, so I'm looking for real jerk. Real Boston style jerk."

Are you up for this culinary challenge? There is still time to enter for this year's Palm Beach Festival Jerk Cook-Off competition. For more information about the event and about how to sign up for this unique competition, contact Full-A-Vybez at [email protected]

To find out more about JCS Boston Jerk seasonings and other Caribbean products, visit www.jcskitchen.com. You can also "like" JCS on Facebook and follow on Twitter.