I enjoy reading the phrases that people type into search engines to reach TriniGourmet.com, they really give me insight into what people are looking for, and occasionally I also get a good giggle (like the time someone typed in “summon me steaming hot pastelle“ 
! )
Not too long ago the phrase “Trinidad Fruit Drink Recipes” popped up and really got me thinking. You see, everytime I shop at the supermarket I get more and more disheartened as I see women’s shopping carts piled high with kid packs of artificial fruit drinks and processed snacks and goods. We haven’t reached the levels of childhood obesity and diabetes as say the U.S. but I fear that without some form of educational intervention we may very well be on the way.
Growing up there was a strict control on sugared products in my home. At the time I didn’t understand it, but I do appreciate it now, and even though the restrictions were dropped long ago I still don’t go overboard (probably cos I don’t have emotional associations of happiness or comfort with sugar). When it came to drinks my mother usually made homemade lemonade. At the time we had several lime trees (as well as mango and a few others) and fresh fruit juices were the order of the day. Over by my aunt, fresh mauby was always on tap, but for fruit juices she relied on that old favorite, the tinned ‘Trinidad Fruit Juice’ co-op line.
As local schools are out on holiday, and these are the hottest months of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought that now is as good a time as any to shine a spotlight on simple, natural, fruit drink recipes. So that’s what I’ll be doing between now and September 
Some will be traditionally Trini, others will be from my recipe files, and others will be my own flights of fancy. Either way they’ll be sure to cool you down and bring a smile or two, while hopefully keeping the high fructose corn syrups away!
As I roll out these new concoctions feel free to browse the TriniGourmet beverage archives, they include such traditional favourites as mauby, punch de creme and ginger beer, as well as my most recent creation, a Coco-Mango smoothie
Last month I was invited to participate in the blogging collective “Kwanzaa Culinarians“. Linking writers throughout the African diaspora it includes such heavyweights as Chef Bryant Terry, as well as known foodies like Sanura of “My Life Runs On Food“, ...
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I fear I’m being rude by saying this, but I hate those Trinidad Fruit Juice drinks. They sell them in rum shops here (as a cheap mixer, or something? I don’t know) and I bought a tin once when I’d run out of juice late one evening. It was yucky. Anyway, looking forward to the fruit drink recipes; I presume that every one of them will include at least one dash of Angostura!
I agree with you on those artificial drinks. Growing up my mother had us strictly on fresh squeezed juices, “sweet drinks” was for special occasions only. In Laos I got the recipes for all manner of fresh fruit crushes-simple-fresh fruit chunks, honey, ice cubes, and water if needed, all blended. We had varieties like pineapple with a banana, cantaloupe, sapodilla (!) sapodilla with fresh coconut cream (yum!), mixed fruit etc.
I agree with you on those artificial drinks. Growing up my mother had us strictly on fresh squeezed juices, “sweet drinks” was for special occasions only. In Laos I got the recipes for all manner of fresh fruit crushes-simple-fresh fruit chunks, honey, ice cubes, and water if needed, all blended. We had varieties like pineapple with a banana, cantaloupe, sapodilla (!) sapodilla with fresh coconut cream (yum!), mixed fruit etc.
nicole – i’m so glad you can relate. time to get back to the old time days, not just for nostalgia, but for health too!
titlayo – oh gorm, how yuh could hate de trinidad fruit juices
yuh fix on pinehill or what? 
nicole – i’m so glad you can relate. time to get back to the old time days, not just for nostalgia, but for health too!
titlayo – oh gorm, how yuh could hate de trinidad fruit juices
yuh fix on pinehill or what? 
I think the issue here is people probably don’t appreciate how much the citrus fruits bred in the US differ from the old Trinidad citrus plantations and trees from which the Trinidad fruit juice is made. You only need 3 oranges or grapefruits from Trinidad to make a whole jug of juice, whereas if you buy the US citrus you need about a dozen-because they were bred to be mild ad watery, with slight taste and low “sourness”, plus the soil in the US is not as rich, so the fruit doesn’t develop the the kick and flavours. I love the Trinidad unsweetened grapefruit juice-you can make a whole jug of juice one can, its full of the real grapefruit flavour.
People who were brought up on the American style fruits and juices would find the “real” original citrus juice sour and heavy in taste.
I think the issue here is people probably don’t appreciate how much the citrus fruits bred in the US differ from the old Trinidad citrus plantations and trees from which the Trinidad fruit juice is made. You only need 3 oranges or grapefruits from Trinidad to make a whole jug of juice, whereas if you buy the US citrus you need about a dozen-because they were bred to be mild ad watery, with slight taste and low “sourness”, plus the soil in the US is not as rich, so the fruit doesn’t develop the the kick and flavours. I love the Trinidad unsweetened grapefruit juice-you can make a whole jug of juice one can, its full of the real grapefruit flavour.
People who were brought up on the American style fruits and juices would find the “real” original citrus juice sour and heavy in taste.
Nicole – really good points there
checked out your blog, loving the photos 
added you to my rss reader 
Nicole – really good points there
checked out your blog, loving the photos 
added you to my rss reader 
I don’t really like Pine Hill juices either, tell the truth. I’m not a big fan of canned juice in general. Lately in the supermarkets here we’ve been getting some brands of boxed juice from South Africa, no added sugar, sweetened with pear and apple juice. Those things are delicious, they’re the best thing to fresh juice that I’ve come across.
I don’t really like Pine Hill juices either, tell the truth. I’m not a big fan of canned juice in general. Lately in the supermarkets here we’ve been getting some brands of boxed juice from South Africa, no added sugar, sweetened with pear and apple juice. Those things are delicious, they’re the best thing to fresh juice that I’ve come across.
Titlayo – what’s the brand name? i think i know what you’re talking about…
Titlayo – what’s the brand name? i think i know what you’re talking about…
Titlayo – what’s the brand name? i think i know what you’re talking about…
There’s one called Ceres and, more recently, another called Dewsomething. Dewfresh, I think. Pine Hill makes good boxed juice drinks too, but they have added sugar and colour, so I avoid them.
There’s one called Ceres and, more recently, another called Dewsomething. Dewfresh, I think. Pine Hill makes good boxed juice drinks too, but they have added sugar and colour, so I avoid them.
It just occurred to me to ask, is there a popular Trinidadian brand of boxed juices/juice drinks? I realise that our supermarkets sell Trini products of almost every other kind, but I haven’t seen a lot of Trini-made juices on the shelves.
It just occurred to me to ask, is there a popular Trinidadian brand of boxed juices/juice drinks? I realise that our supermarkets sell Trini products of almost every other kind, but I haven’t seen a lot of Trini-made juices on the shelves.
I fear I’m being rude by saying this, but I hate those Trinidad Fruit Juice drinks.
I fear I’m being rude by saying this, but I hate those Trinidad Fruit Juice drinks.
My first visit to this wonderful website.Where can I find a good Trini grocery store in Southern California. I wonder if you have recipes for sou-a-sop, morby bark drink and how to make your own ginger beer.
Jeffrey’s last blog post..Chicken Cacciatore (recipe)
My first visit to this wonderful website.Where can I find a good Trini grocery store in Southern California. I wonder if you have recipes for sou-a-sop, morby bark drink and how to make your own ginger beer.
Jeffrey’s last blog post..Chicken Cacciatore (recipe)
titilayo, you may be talking about Dewlands? My mother loves the Ceres and Dewlands juices. Buys them all the time!
titilayo, you may be talking about Dewlands? My mother loves the Ceres and Dewlands juices. Buys them all the time!
titilayo, you may be talking about Dewlands? My mother loves the Ceres and Dewlands juices. Buys them all the time!