The Cuisine of Trinidad & Tobago, The Caribbean & Beyond!
Pictures and videos taken of everyday life around my island :)
What is Emancipation Day? August 1st is Emancipation Day in Trinidad and Tobago, a public holiday. In 1985 Trinidad and Tobago became the first country in the world to commemorate the abolition of slavery with a national observance, and since that time several other countries …
Photo: Sookdeo Baney Today, March 30 is Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day in Trinidad & Tobago. From Wikipedia: Spiritual/Shouter Baptist Liberation Day is an annual public holiday celebrated in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, on March 30. The holiday commemorates the repeal on March 30, …
After the frenzied crescendo of Carnival Tuesday all merriment and debauchery ends (or is supposed to end) with the ushering in of Ash Wednesday and the start of the Roman Catholic observance of Lent. My father tells me that ‘back in the day’ all sound …
I was talking to a Brazilian friend a few years ago and she was surprised at some of the differences between our Carnival and theirs. You see it was a few weeks prior when she decided to look and see what costume/band she should …
J’ouvert (joo-VAY) is the start to the Carnival celebrations. It begins in the pre-dawn hours of Carnival Monday and lasts until daybreak. J’ouvert (which is a Creole corruption of the French Jour Ouvert – day opening) is also known as ‘dirty mas’. It seems …
Dimanche Gras takes place on the Sunday night before Ash Wednesday. Here the Calypso Monarch is chosen (after competition) and prize money and a vehicle bestowed. Also the King and Queen of the bands are crowned, where each band to parade costumes for the next …
If you are getting the sense that Carnival is one big long party you are right! So it only makes sense that one big long party would be made of many many big long parties as well. These parties in Trinidad are called fetes and …
It seems that every time a North American program wants to denote the ‘tropics’ you will hear the sound of a steelpan. It doesn’t even to seem to matter if the ‘tropics’ are in the Caribbean on a cruise ship or in Hawaii! If you …
It is hard to imagine Carnival without music. And the definitive music of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is soca. So what is Soca Music? Well, why not let Soca Superstar Machel Montano say it in his own words? From Caribbean Music 101 (the original link …
Caption: President of the Santa Rosa Carib Community, Ricardo Bharath-Hernandez singes a banana leaf over a fireside, as he prepares to make pastelles at the Carib Community Centre in Arima yesterday. The community prepares dozens of pastelles annually for sale. PHOTO BY AZLAN MOHAMMED This …
Malta Carib has been a staple in my home since I was a child. Growing up I felt like quite a ‘big woman’ drinking it from the bottle (I had no idea it was non-alcoholic 😆 ). During the 80’s it was promoted not just …
As previously mentioned, Malta Carib was actually posited as an integral ‘educational aid’ 😉 I don’t know if it ever helped me in my exams, but I certainly loved (and still love) the taste. Yum! Please visit my earlier post for more information on Malta …
(image: Stand at Port of Spain Market) Transcription: The marketplace is the best source of local gossip, news and camaraderie. Also available is a magnificent display of the fruits and vegetables which add flavor and distinction to the Caribbean table. Fresh greens, creamy ripe avocados, …
Carib Brewery, Eastern Main Road, Champs Fleurs 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 …
Call it nostalgia but it’s hard to convince me that the local commercials of the 80’s and 90’s didn’t have a certain ‘something’ that the current set lacks. There was something very magnetic about the hooks and taglines back then. Lion’s Baking Powder had a …
Image Credit: NIGO If, like me, you were a TTT baby (i.e. you grew up only knowing one channel that signed off at noon, and signed back at 2:30 p.m. with the call of “Caribbean Vibration”) then you probably also remember government promos touting the …
With our stomachs full we decided to explore the right hand side of the Fair before leaving. This area was designated to traders and vendors of handiwork, clothing, and health items. Everything looked wonderful and I wished I had walked with more money. Some even …
After passing through the entrance it was time to head straight to the food court. Food was served in 2 main areas, one officially designated “Food Court” where most of the vendors were still absent or trying to keep dry beneath white tarpaulin, and the …
August 1st was Emancipation Day here in Trinidad & Tobago. A public holiday since 1985 its definition has recently been expanded as a recognition of the struggles of all the ethnic groups who came here in servitude. At its heart though it remains essentially a …
A Jamaican Patty from Rituals Trinidad is a weekly ‘ritual’ of my own 🙂 It’s the start of another month, and with that comes the posting of my monthly roundup of those items that you all have been clicking (and purchasing) this month. Ramin Ganeshram’s …
For the past few days I’ve been reviewing the recently held Sauté Trinbago food event. If you’ve been following along I hope you have enjoyed the photos and videos that I’ve shared. If you’ve missed any of the posts to date you can quickly catch …
Last to the stage was soca artiste Shurwayne Winchester. I was blown away by his set, which felt more like a mixtape on steroids. Seamless and flawless, he and his band (Y.O.U) combined elements of hiphop, his own soca hits (and those of others), and …
The next thing on the evening’s agenda was the launch of a new Carnival band Oasis. From the opening notes of Shakira’s “Ojos Asi” I was drawn in… Oasis Carnival Band Launch 2011 Playlist (6 videos) All in all I think that Oasis did an …
