Ann's Blog
Around Trinidad:
November 23, 2011
Tasting T&T with Jesse James
I’ll start with the list: #1 Saltfish buljol; #2 Smoke herring; #3 Coconut bake; #4 Doubles; #5 Buttered cassava; #6 Pelau; #7 Pommerac; #8 Portugals; #9 Chiquitos; #10 Saheena; #11 Aloo pie; #12 Baiganee; #13 Kachourie; #14 Dhal puri roti; #15 Sada roti; #16 Buss-up-shut (a.k.a. paratha roti); #17 Curry chicken; #18 Curry gizzard; #19 Curry goat; #20 Stew beef; #21 Curry mango; #22 Curry pumpkin. That’s just the first half of the tally of Trinidadian specialties we tasted on Jesse James’ “Taste T&T” tour this week, in the order (more or less) we tasted them.
tour guide (and food lover) extraordinaire
And, for the record, the count doesn’t include the condiments that accompanied these dishes – the tamarind and mango chutneys, the pepper sauces – or the items that were purchased or picked and not consumed on the spot. (In the “purchased” category: for me, kuchela and pepper sauce; in the “picked” category, anise bay leaves, roucou – a.k.a. annatto – and sorrel. And it also doesn’t include the drinks that were consumed by individuals but not part of a group tasting: Portugal juice, Stag, Carib, rum.
It’s not like our merry band of 12 (including Jesse) was out to break the record of a previous tour (32 items tasted). Us, competitive?? Nahhhhhh. And it’s not like we were insufferable gluttons. We really did have just a taste (or two) of each dish. With the exception of doubles: Really, you can’t share a doubles; you have to have your own.
Perhaps my favourite Trini
street-food snack
But let me backtrack for a minute: This season, Jesse James, owner of Members Only Maxi Taxi Service, added a new tour to his repertoire: a day-long tasting adventure with stops at roadside food stands and tiny establishments that dish up local specialities – the sorts of places visitors to the island are unlikely to find without inside help. Even dedicated foodies (no names mentioned) are introduced to new “tastes” on this tour. (Note to self: Need to figure out how to make buttered cassava like that little spot in Valencia.)
It’s also a chance to see parts of the island that are off the beaten tourist path, accompanied by Jesse’s lively, informative commentary. (He touches on all things Trini, avoiding only “politics and religion,” he says.) Steve and I had never been to Manzanilla, on the east coast, where he acquired the makings of a roti and curry lunch (items #14 through #24 on the above list) to be eaten at the beach (though we were driven indoors by a massive squall) and then pointed out birds (like a black hawk) as we continued south on the coast road that’s bordered by the Nariva Swamp. From there, we took winding backroads through lush countryside across (more or less) the middle of the island.
batter made from split-pea flour, rolled, sliced,
and deep fried till golden and crunchy.
More about the tour in my next post, including the recipe for the pineapple chow (#25) Jesse whipped up as a post-lunch snack, why the baigan chokha (roasted eggplant, #24) tasted so good, and why I won’t be making saheena (#10) on Receta.
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Thanks.
Oh, Ann…*drool*.