What is Parang? Well Parang is the soundtrack to Christmas here in Trinidad. More than that however Parang is also a culture, a way of life that sweeps through my island after the lights of Eid and Divali have been put away.

The What is Parang? webpage has a wonderful overview of the history and features of Trinidad Parang.

‘Parang’ is the present Trinidadian interpretation of the Spanish word, parranda . Parranda is the action of merrymaking and also refers to the group of carousers who serenade their friends throughout the year. The word parranda in general Spanish is used mainly in the expression andar de parranda, which in the modern Trinidadian vernacular is ‘to go paranging,’ akin to the Venezuelan parrandear, meaning not only merrymaking in the original sense, but also ‘liming’ or enjoying oneself, with or without music, moving from place to place with no time limit in mind. (Moodie-Kublalsingh 1994, 65-66).

Growing up parang meant two women in particular, Daisy Voisin and Sharlene Flores. Daisy Voisin was the Grande Dame of Parang and no one will ever touch or claim her crown, I think all would agree. Her voice and passion for the music have not been matched and it really is a shame that more has not been done to document her life, her performances, and her artistic legacy. I am really glad to be in possession of one of the last CDs she made before her death in 1991. Fortunately through the magic of YouTube we never have to be without her voice or image

For more on Daisy Voisin:
• Alexandra “Daisy” Voisin – de Queen of Parang (TnT Island)
• Daisy Voisin (Wikipedia)

Unlike Daisy, Sharlene Flores was the ambassadress of a new musical hybrid ‘parang soca’. Distinguished by English lyrics and a more secular message she put a fresh young face onto the art form. I haven’t really heard her much from her since the 80′s, and those songs from my childhood still remain her most popular, becoming local standards.

For more on Sharlene Flores:
• Sharlene Flores (Wikipedia)

In the past 2 decades the lines between carnival soca and parang soca have become increasingly blurred. The parang soca of Sharlene Flores’ day seems downright languid compared to the faster rhythms of today’s fete joints. first by melding calypso rhythms to become parang soca, and most recently by incorporating classical Indian rhythms and tonalties to form ‘chutney parang soca’. Much like our cuisine, the possibilities for musical fusion seem endless!

The current Queen of Parang Soca for the past decade or more has definitely been Marcia Miranda! This song brings to mind the roving bands of parang singers (parangderos) that used to be very popular criss-crossing the country. You’d welcome them into your home and they would sing in exchange for food and drink. Pretty similar to Christmas carollers I suppose. I haven’t seen them as much in recent years, but I know that they are still going strong in many communities around the country. Unfortunately however, as the below video demonstrates, it seems Marcia’s vistors left with a whole lot more!

So far I have been focusing on the ladies of parang and you would be forgiven if you thought there were no men. The fact is that the men in recent years have not been as prominent, however for many decades the Lara Brothers ruled as Parang’s Kings (alongside Daisy’s Queen).

The men of parang today are much more likely to be found in its more lucrative hybrids. Parang soca is pretty much owned by Scrunter.

And for chutney parang you need look no further than Neeshan Prabhoo

Wikipedia has a pretty exhaustive entry on the parang genre as does the National Library and Information Service of Trinidad and Toabgo

So, there we have it. Christmas as Parang. It could only happen in Trinidad!

Over the following days I will be sharing the following with you (links will automatically update as each post goes live ) …

TriniGourmet’s Official Christmas Recipe Round-Up!

• Trinidad Black Cake
• Sorrel
• Sorrel Rum Punch
• Ginger Beer
• Ginger Beer (quick)
• Pastelles
• Paime
• Punch de Creme/Punch a Creme/Ponch de Crema

This post was originally published December 7th, 2006. It has been updated once since then.

When I originally posted the above (in May 2007) my Mother and I had started regularly making our own bread in bulk. In the years since my Mom was diagnosed with celiac disease and I myself cut back immensely on my own flour intake. As a result, my breadmaking is now much less frequent but it’s something that I still do enjoy. Unfortunately the cost of living still continues to rise, making the intent and purpose of my ‘Breadifesto’ possibly even more relevant today than it was then. I am also heartened that over the last year gluten-free flours have become more prevalent locally, and as a result more affordable (they’re still pretty expensive though).

TG readers, what do you do to cut corners on your own food expenses? Are you making more items at home perhaps? Growing your own ingredients? Paying more attention to sales? Creative menu planning? I’d love to know!

Want more bread recipes? Check out our Bread recipes archive or visit the Bread, Baking & Desserts section of Veni Mangé, Trinigourmet’s Amazon Bookstore!

This post was originally published May 16, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

Several years ago, the UK based Trini food blogger Can Cook Must Cook posted on “Those Disappearing Pleasures”, the snacks of her childhood which no longer appear on Trini shop shelves. Out of the names she called I could only recognize ‘rock cake’. Bellyful? Shaddock Candy? Kaser Balls? Wha dat?

This made me more than a little sad. Apparently many of these items fell out of favour as Trinidad grew into the heady rush of prosperity that was the oil boom of the 1970s and early 80s. Our tastes turned outward and American advertising influences and shopping sprees took their toll on the local cornershop.

It was at this time that a local lady by the name of Sylvia Hunt hosted an immensely popular and long-running cooking television show and published several cookbooks. For lack of a better analogy Sylvia Hunt was the Julia Child of Trinidad. I only have vague memories of watching her cooking show “At Home with Sylvia Hunt” and wanting to contact her P.O.Box for recipes, except I had no clue what a P.O. box was so I used to dial (remember those?) the P.O. box numbers onto the phone instead LOL! Even as a young child I was attracted to her warm, charismatic persona and soothing voice. She had a way of making every dish seem undaunting, approachable, and effortless. Unfortunately no reruns of her shows appear, nor do any substantial photos or citations exist online. A shameful gap in our indigenous media and culinary heritage.

Although to the untrained eye local snacks may still appear plentiful aloo pies, tamarind balls, chip-chip to name a few, it also seems that there have been many casualties of industrialization and foreign influence. As thebookmann blogged in his entry “Green Paw Paw Balls and Paradise Plum”, even those things we currently take for granted are continuing to die in the face of commercial apathy. As American-styled fast food continues to establish itself as a permanent food group and women (and men) are less able to spend as much time in the kitchen learning and passing on the tastes of their own childhood, the gap between our past and future grows ever wider.

Unfortunately Sylvia Hunt’s own cookbooks disappeared from the shelves almost as quickly as they appeared, amidst a royalty battle between her surviving relatives after her death. This dealt a severe blow to those of us who came of age much later on and want to learn about and prepare these dishes, having never tasted or seen them first-hand. The Naparima Girls Cookbook has been a great stop-gap measure, however the relatively contemporary nature of its debut is reflected in its table of contents.

Now that our economic boom has receded, double digit inflation is nipping at our pockets and we are all looking for more economical ways to prepare food I think more than ever we need to revisit the ghosts of our culinary past to restore some balance to our lives and national identities. Upon starting this site in 2006 I made it my mission to one day own a copy of Sylvia Hunt’s “Proud Legacy of Our People”. I wanted to give her recipes a shot, the way she knew them, and to share those experiences with Trinis and the world alike. The search was much harder than I expected though. Not only were library copies unavailable the only two people who I were aware had copies were both unreceptive to my requests for assistance (sigh). The past 5 years only brought up 2 ‘hits’ where online auctions and second-hand book sales were concerned as well. One auction had closed before I got to it and well that second hand book went for almost $200 USD! (eep). Still, I felt calmly confident that someday I would have a copy in my hands.

That ‘someday’ arrived last month when my father handed me a package that had arrived from St. Vincent! Last year a reader on that island had offered to copy her edition for me and I had shared my contact information with her. I am always touched when someone reaches out to me and I don’t hold a grudge or ‘remind’ them if I don’t hear back. I know lives are busy and circumstances/priorities change so the gesture alone is appreciated. So, I was quite shocked when I opened the package and saw in my hands my own copy of Sylvia Hunt’s “Proud Legacy of Our People”! You’ll forgive me I’m sure if I also add that the enormity of the moment and effort also brought tears to my eyes. Thanks so much ‘C’, you have no idea what this means to me! *bighugs*

I think it’s quite significant that Hunt named one of her books “Proud Legacy Of Our People”, she championed our culinary traditions for much of her life and it is a true loss that several generations have now grown up without any ability to access her works or knowledge of her life. Flipping through the pages I am struck by titles such as Topi Tambu Pie’, ‘Breadfruit Spaghetti’, ‘Granadilla Ice Cream’, ‘Calypso Marmalade’ (made from cucumbers) and ‘Covity Pocham’.

From the Back Cover:

The name SYLVIA HUNT is synonymous with good cooking. As teacher, caterer, television personality she has for many decades been compiling, creating and collecting recipes that represent the cultural heritage of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

Her great love for the culinary traditions of our country has been manifest from an early age when an only child, she joined her mother, Mrs. Miriam Dryce in the family kitchen and learned to make her first sugar cake.

She also had the good fortune to grow up close to an aunt, Mrs. Lydia Gittens who specialised in old fashioned or traditional Home Economics, thus Sylvia Hunt was brought up with an appreciation of handiwork, from needlepoint to homemade wines.

This collection of recipes is a small part of the thousands of recipes she has created and collected in a lifetime dedicated to her country’s cooking heritage.

Where are those ‘thousands of recipes’ now?

As a graduate of Julia Child’s alma mater Smith College, I have in recent years keenly noted how Child’s legacy has been upheld and revered not just by the institution through it’s now annual Julia Child Day, but also the high regard with which the US mainstream and government treated her work. Not only are her programs still in rotation (on PBS and the Cooking Channel), but PBS also has a wonderfully exhaustive portal dedicated to her programs and works. Furthermore, the Smithsonian Institute painstakingly deconstructed and recreated her kitchen for permanent display at Washington DC’s National Museum of American History.

In sharp contrast, not only can I not tell you where Sylvia Hunt may have gone to school, not even a single clip of her shows can be found online (video recorders were not very prevalent in her heyday). Her programs have never replayed since their initial runs, and I have little reason to believe that they ever will. To rub salt in the wound, successive years of Taste Trinidad & Tobago have taken place without any acknowledgement of her name, face, or works and I would be shocked if she is mentioned in Home Economic classes today, as she wasn’t even when I was in High School. It’s a damn shame. It really is. Still I’d like to believe that she is in a way the grand dame of Trini food bloggers such as myself, Chennette, Trinifood and Caribbean Pot. We have all made nods and mention of her in one way or another, as has Trini beauty blogger Afrobella. Where institutional praise is non-existent I can only hope that what she inspired in each of us will be enough to keep her name and face around just a little bit longer.

Sylvia Hunt Bibliography:

HUNT, Sylvia – Menus for Festivals. (Port-of-Spain: Bank of Commerce Trust) 1989. Food. Nutrition. Festivals. Trinidad. A cookbook

HUNT, Sylvia – Sylvia Hunt’s Cooking: Proud Legacy of our People. (Cascade, Port-of-Spain: Superservice Printing Co) viii,58 pages pb, 1985. Food. Nutrition. Trinidad. A cookbook. LOC

HUNT, Sylvia – Sylvia Hunt’s Sweets: Proud Legacy of our People. (Port-of-Spain: Published by the Author) vi,37 pages, [ca 1985]. Food. Nutrition. Trinidad. A cookbook. LOC

This post was originally published on December 14, 2006. It has been updated twice since then.

When I was studying in the USA it seemed that every bar had Angostura bitters on its shelves. I realized that to Americans this tiny bottle was seen as a cocktail ingredient. How so very different from here in Trinidad where Angostura bitters is a staple in every kitchen, and is used to flavour everything from soups, to roasts, to ice cream! Growing up a few drops of Angostura in a glass of warm water was used to rectify everything from nausea to upset stomachs. Was there anything that this little brown bottle couldn’t do?

Today the ‘House of Angostura’ is a local culinary landmark and has branched out to make rum, sodas, soy sauce and more. At the National Museum you can see how the original bitters bottle and labels (and health claims) changed through the years, and the Angostura factory complex is open to tours. But what exactly is Angostura bitters?

According to the official Angostura bitters website:

“Distilled in Trinidad, using the secret recipe from 1824, and the same natural blend of herbs and spices, Angostura aromatic bitters is versatile beyond belief. It has retained its original formulation, one of the few remaining true trade secrets, an international brand that over the centuries has continued to flavour the world. Read the label, which is itself perfect.It will give you an insight to the product, with suggestions from savoury sauces to cakes,through crispy vegetables, meats and cocktails.”

Sounds good to me! So next time you are in a supermarket and you see this little bottle realize that there is much more to it than cocktails. Try some, you won’t regret it!
Random Factoid: Nelsen’s Hall on Washington Island, Wisconsin, USA is the largest purveyor of Angostura Bitters in the world!

This post was originally published November 19, 2006. It has been updated once since then.

No Carnival writeup would be complete, especially this year without mention of the ever-popular yet ever-controversial Machel Montano.

From an earlier incarnation of his MySpace page:

Machel Montano began his career in 1982 at age seven. As early as 1984, he formed his band Panasonic Express now called XTATIK. Machels debut album TOO YOUNG TO SOCA, released in 1985, was an instant hit which earned him many rave reviews and standing ovations wherever he performed.

In 1986, he appeared on Star Search in Hollywood bringing Soca Music to the screens of US National Television. He was described as a Stevie Wonder of Soca. Machel and XTATIK have performed with many popular international entertainment personalities including: Freddie Jackson, TLC, Third World , Shaggy, El Debarge, Destinys Child, The Boyz, Kris Kross, Buju Banton, Ziggy Marley, Garnet Silk, Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killa and many others.
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In 1987, at the age of twelve, Machel became the first Trinidadian and youngest Entertainer to win the Caribbean Song Festival. In 1991 at sixteen, he won the Young Kings Competition. XTATIK won best playing music band on the road for CARIBANA 94 and MIAMI CARNIVAL 94. In 1995 Machel won Party Vocalist of the year and in 1996 XTATIK won Party band of the Year. In 1995 and 1997 Machel & Xtatik journeyed to London and mesmerized the sold out crowds.
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In 1997 Machel became the youngest ROAD MARCH KING of Trinidad & Tobago and XTATIKS album HEAVY DUTY has been described as one of the best selling SOCA Albums ever.

SIGHTS:

In 2007 I watched him play an almost 90 minute non-stop set at the Zen nightclub… that was pure musical brilliance. The first 1/2 he performed his popular tunes (new and old) in a stripped down acoustic styling (think MTV Unplugged). Many of the uptempo numbers were retooled as ballads crossing several genres and the air was crackling with a feeling of spiritual release and oneness.

Tears came to my eyes several times. I won’t lie! For the second half many of the tunes were re-performed in all their uptempo Carnival frenzy. It was like 2 albums/concerts in one!

SOUNDS:

Today is Carnival Tuesday and many are wondering if, after a brief hiatus, Machel will once again be crowned Road March King (he won it in 1997,1998 and 2007). He’s already nabbed this year’s Power Soca Monarch Crown (a fact that is still being hotly debated). Will he take even more Advantage?

Advantage (Official Video)

To learn more about Machel Montao check out:

• Machel Montano (official site) – www.machelmontano.com
• Machel Montano on Wikipedia – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machel_Montano
• Machel Montano on Twitter – twitter.com/machelmontanohd

TASTES:

As I’ve previously mentioned where there’s a fete or nightclub street food is not far away. That Friday night in 2007 was no exception. Outside of the nightclub I spotted a corn soup vendor.

There were also two food stands.

One well lit one attracted many patrons

The other’s dubious choice of neon green lighting made it stand out from the crowd, but not in a good way. Does anyone really think yummy and hearty when they see a neon green glow?

Guess who my friend and I ate from?

The sign reads “Bake & Shark, Burgers (Beef/Chicken), Fries, Soft Drinks, Hops & Cheese)” and at the bottom “Real Trini Style”. Now that’s more like it! We both ordered beef burgers. They come standard on a bed of coleslaw with ketchup. Dont’ be fooled by the plain appearance, my friend and I both agreed that was one of the best burgers we’d ever hard. The patty was redolent with garlic and herbs to a degree that I had never had. And straight off the grill, so so good! It was the perfect end to an awesome evening

I have done my best to recreate that flavour and taste in this post for Trini-Style Hamburgers.

This post was originally published February 20, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

Over at SupermarketGuru.com you can find answers to frequently asked questions about storing wine.

Questions include:

• Should I be storing the wine I drink everyday in a special way or place?
• Where should I store wine I don’t plan to drink immediately?
• Where should I store wine after it is opened?
• How long will an open bottle of wine keep?

Thanks to their answers I have decided that I should not delay getting a proper wine rack any longer. My collection may not be very large but I had no idea that upright storage could actually deterioriate the quality! Because space is an issue I am currently leaning towards the following…

• The Metrokane Houdini Expandable Wine Rack
• Wrought Iron Swirl Wine Rack

My favorite out of the pack however is this stackable 12-Bottle Wine Rack.

Stackable 12-Bottle Wine Rack
• Securely holds 12-bottles
• Extra sets are available for additional space
• Adjustable shelves
• Each rack is stackable so you can add as many or as few as you need

I’ve chosen it because my collection is stored in a cabinet (remember wines like to be in a cool, dark environment), however if I wanted something that would be on display for short periods I’d probably go for the Wrought Iron Swirl Wine Rack

This post was originally published September 6, 2006. It has been updated once since then.

Have you tried splashing Angostura bitters on your ice cream? Because Angostura has a light uplifting flavour with some citrusy undertones I find it works better with pale colored icecreams like vanilla and citrus-flavored icecreams like orange and lemon.

This post was originally published November 23, 2006. It has been updated once since.

Ask any Trinidadian to complete the following phrase. A beer is a … and you’ll instantly hear a loud uproarious ‘Carib’.

For over 50 years the Carib Brewery has been producing Carib beer to the delight of Trinis both at home and abroad. I know that for myself seeing a Carib sign in a pub or a bar abroad was enough to make me scream, grab a camera and patronise the establishment

Carib doesn’t only produce beer however, they also are behind the popular Shandy Carib line, as well as Malta and Smalta.

From CaribBeer.com:

The brewing of beer in Trinidad and Tobago was inherited from the British. The first commercial brewery was founded just after World War 1 although there had been legislation as early as August 1899 concerning the regulation of brewing.

It is known that a Mr. Walters began the brewing of beer on a commercial scale just after World War 1 with a capacity around 3000-5000 hectoliters a year, which is extremely small by today’s comparisons. Walters’ Trinidad Brewing Company produced Royal Lion Ale, Royal Extra Stout and Black Velvet Stout during the depression years.

After the war, Sir Gerald Wight, then Chairman of Alstons and Company Limited (now McEnearney Alstons Limited), saw the need and opportunity to expand local industry from the traditional sugar and oil-based economy. He pushed for the establishment of a new brewery and a Glassworks factory and in July of 1947, the Caribbean Development Company Limited (CDC) was formed with Sir Gerald Wight as its Chairman. The Brewery started with an initial payroll of seven (7) persons.

In September 1950, the Brewery launched its own beer, Carib Lager beer, before which foreign imported beers were available to the population. However, with the advent of Carib, the imported beers began to disappear from the market, as Carib’s popularity increased. In 1957, CDC acquired the brewing plant and interests of Walters’ Brewery. By 1957, therefore, CDC was the sole brewer and bottler of beer and stout in Trinidad.

In 1972, the Brewery acquired more land and brewhouse equipment, increasing its capacity to over 250,000hl per year. It expanded its product range into the dark malt drink market launching Malta Carib in 1973. This was the first non-alcoholic drink to be produced by the Brewery, directed to health conscious individuals. Next, followed Shandy Carib in 1985, which was an effort to capitalize on the popular indigenous custom of mixing beer and other flavoured drinks.

As early as 1983 the brewery facilities were expanded to facilitate the increasing demand locally, as well as exports to international destinations. New brands and flavours, (including Stag Lager beer, Smalta and Shandy Lime), were developed and launched over time, moving the company from one pinnacle of success to another.

The Brewery has over time, formed partnerships with International Companies such as Guinness, Interbrew, Carlsberg, Ginseng-Up Corp and Diageo, and as a result several international brands are produced under license for local and export consumption. These include Guinness stout, Mackeson stout, Ginseng-Up, Carlsberg beer and Smirnoff Ice.

This post was originally published on September 4th, 2007. It has been updated twice since then.

Tomorrow, Monday 24th, we Trinbagonians return to the polls to determine who our country’s next Prime Minister will be. I’m not going to tell you who you should align yourself with, I’m not even going to tell you what criteria you should use when picking a candidate. We all have our reasons that matter to us and are entitled to be as public (or private) about them as we choose to be. However I do hope that we all exercise our right to participate in our democratic process. It’s a right (and in some parts of the world a ‘privilege’) that too many are still fighting to have access towards.

The Elections & Boundaries Commission has done a good job this time around of allowing citizens to access their polling station information and registration status. If you haven’t already looked yourself up you can do so by clicking here.

Take care T&T and whatever the result I hope we will approach it with grace come Tuesday morning.

This post was originally published December 13, 2006. It has been updated once since then

Roti. Four little letters that have the power to put any Trini into a smile-infused stupor Along with pelau I consider it one of Trinidad’s national dishes. East Indian in origin Trinidad roti has now become its own entity with several variants offered to the sidewalk or fast food consumer.

So, what exactly is roti?

Wikipedia to the rescue! Never mind that they spell tawa with a ‘v’??? Then again we spell Divali with a v and I see it everywhere else with a ‘w’ …. lol

Roti… features prominently in the diet of many West Indian countries, especially Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. West Indian roti are primarily made from wheat flour, salt, and water. They are cooked on a tava. Certain rotis are also made with butter. There are several types of roti made in the West Indies:

* Sada Roti: Similar to naan. It is cooked on a tava, therefore the bottom is not crisp like that of a naan. Because it is the easiest one to make, it is the most commonly consumed roti in Trinidad. It is a popular breakfast option in Trinidad, in combination with tomato choka, baigan choka (aubergine/eggplant/melongene), and other vegetable dishes.

* Paratha Roti: A roti made with butter, usually ghee. It is cooked on a tava. Oil is rubbed on both sides, then it is fried. This gives the roti a crisp outside. When it almost finished cooking, the cook begins to beat the roti while it is on the tava, causing it to crumble. It is also called ‘Buss-Up-Shut’ because it resembles a ‘burst up shirt’.

* Dosti Roti: A roti where two layers are rolled out together and cooked on the tava. It is also rubbed with oil while cooking. It is called dosti roti because the word dosti means friendship in Hindi. This type of roti is not made in Guyana.

* Dhalpuri: A roti with a stuffing of ground yellow split peas, cumin (geera), garlic, and pepper. The split peas are boiled until they are al dente and then ground in a mill. The cumin is toasted until black and also ground. The stuffing is pushed into the roti dough, and sealed. When rolled flat, the filling is distributed within the roti. It is cooked on the tava and rubbed with oil for ease of cooking. This is the most popular roti. Another version of this is aloopuri, which is made from potatoes.

Oh dear, just cutting and pasting that has my stomach grumbling! But let me soldier on Here in Trinidad roti is the ultimate hearty fastfood. In local parlance it doesn’t just refer to the breads listed above though. In essence when you say you’re going to ‘buy roti’ you mean you are going to buy a dish of curried vegetables/meats wrapped up burrito style in one of the above breads (except for buss-up-shot which is served on the side). Roti breads by themselves are referred to as ‘roti skins’. Everyone has their favorite roti shops and is on the lookout for the next ‘rising star’ of roti establishments. I remember when everything ’round town’ (the capital) was ‘Hot Shoppe’, then it was ‘Patraj’ that was the rage. Me I’m most indiscriminate, I love them all Growing up I used to see people making roti skins at sidewalk stands, especially in St. James. This does not seem as prevalent these days though. I loved watching it being made!