Santiwah

Ginger Beer | TriniBago's traditional Christmas Drink!

I love ginger so much that I will drink or eat anything that has ginger in it. Ginger drinks are a special delight and should be enjoyed by everyone.Now not all ginger drinks are created equal and one must be careful not to confuse them. I am not talking about ginger ale but good ole traditional West Indian Ginger beer!

In the islands of the caribbean we make a an aromatic ginger drink that we like to call ginger beer. No, it is not beer in the traditional sense of the word but when in the islands don't ask for it by any other name but ginger beer. This really good drinks are spicy and burn like fire on the way down your palette. That is the very traditional ginger beer found in Trinidad - a really fermented brew that not only burns on the way down but also lights up your stomach briefly.

Ah, now that was refreshing, spicy yes and a drink that can really hit the spot is made right. One has to be careful because not everyone can make this drink that that would want to coming back for more. Ginger beer on the rocks is so good when sweetened just right and is even better when brewed correctly with that ginger smack at the back of your throat. One has to be careful with the ingredients because if you add too much clove the drink can end up with a sour taste instead of the wanted gingery flavor. Another item that can ruin a good ginger beer is the container used to ferment the ginger beer. Using plastic is a bad idea. The ideal container is one made of glass.

Ginger beer is the traditional drink of Christmas in Trinidad along with red and even sweeter Sorrell drink. However, my favorite is Ginger beer simply because of the burn that accompanys it. I remember the manufactures of Solo beverages used to bottle a ginger soda that came close to the local brew but it was not really the same but very good on a very hot day. There is a bottled drink that is made in Jamaica that I have purchased and tasted in the United States that comes close to the local brew. However, there is nothing better than the home brewed ginger drink known as ginger beer.

So what are the ingredients used to make a traditional Ginger beer drink? Well the first and obvious ingredient is the ginger root. However, one must get this first step right because the right ginger makes the most potent drink! It is best to get the ginger as fresh as possible. It must be firm and smooth and have a light shine to it. If you notice that the ginger root looks dull in color or is cracked then don't select these - they are not as potent as fresh ginger root. The rest of the ingredients include some lime or lemon juice or another citrus, try grapefruit. Some people prefer to put the lime or lemon peel instead of the juce in their brew. It is good to experiment you may come up with something that is different and delicious. Of course add sugar to taste, cloves (be careful not to add too much since this will spoil the drink and make it sour to the taste) and a cinamon stick. Others have added vanilla bean and mint. Of course over a period of time you would come up with your very own special recipe. This is my Tip of the day: Just add a dash of Angostura Aromatic Bitters!

The fermentation process is special. Some people put the ingredients in a glass jar and put it out in Sunlight for a period of time. Others put everything in the jar and place it in the refrigerator while some like to put it in a cool corner in the kitchen. The fermentation process is does not take long from a few hours to a few days. You will determine what is best after a few tries. After the fermentation process is done the contents are then strained to removed the solid particles. The contents are then refrigerated and served cold or with ice in a glass. West Indians love ice in their cold drinks. The straining process also has its do's and don'ts. However, it does not matter how you do it as long as you are satisfied with the finished product. Some people use a strainer with some solids left behind; others use paper towel in a sieve to get out most of the solid particles while other use a piece of white cotton cloth to get the clearest drink.

Ginger beer is really a Christmas drink in Trinidad but some of the food bars selling Roti and other traditional local cuisine may have ginger beer year round. This is a mouth watering drink and a must try if you are visiting the islands for the first time. If you live in North America or Europe or wheresoever then you need to give the recipe a try. If you do please remember to come back here and tell us what you did that made your drink so special and yes... Delicious!

Image from Trinidad Express: Image Source link

From Babash to 10 Cane Rum | Down Memory Lane

Many moons ago (please don’t ask, smile) I was employed with the Ministry of Works in Arima. The main office was located in a small building opposite the Arima Municipal stadium (“The Velodrome”). My first assignment was on the Blanchieusse road where one of the bridges collapsed. Not long after that assignment I was sent to work on the construction of the Bridge across the Arima River located on the Arima Old Road. This Bridge leads to the Arima Senior Comprehensive School and was an important link for the buses to get to the school. OK, so I was the “Checker” who kept the records at the site and our foreman’s name was Mr. Julian Reid – a wonderful man. This is where I learned the ins and outs of Babash.

Harrilal Singh, a resident of Central Trinidad would bring the “coffee” as we called it because the guys working in the river area needed “something to warm up the insides”. We had this triangular piece of half inch steel that Clyde, our in-house steel bender, designed that would act as our cow bell to call the guys in. The sound of the bell did not indicate that it was break time, it was a call to the senses that something special had arrived. The sounding bell was not like that of the primary schools where one would cringe because it was time to get to classes - this was different. It was used to let the guys know that it was time to leave the the rive and come up for some “coffee”. The only thing is that this “coffee”, if poured on a piece of lumbar and lighted would easily behave like gasoline – and it felt like fire rushing down your throat, not because it was hot like a traditional coffee drink, but because of the alcohol content. To be honest and in retrospect, that was literally fire-water. The concoction also had a unique scent that is typical of this home brew. Yes it was an illegal brew but those were the good ole days – say whatever you want but that is how I feel about that period of my life.

These memories and the need for a new name for one of my earlier blogs led me to select Babash as the new name for the previously named site Trini2DMarrow.vox.com. Vox was a free site owned by Six Apart - the Typepad people. Babash the blog does not exist anymore but the brew that lit up our senses back then now has a regal name to it. A refined and remix of the original recipe has been given the midas touch by Moët Hennessy and is being sold to the International community under the name 10 Cane Rum. 

This legal brew is only available for purchase,in Trinidad, at the duty free section at Piarco Airport but is easily available in the United States and other major cities around the World. The procuct is produced in St. Madeline in South Trinidad and is made from the first press of the sugar cane and not brewed from molasses. The first press of the sugar cane is then sent to Angostura limited where it is now blended with aged Angostura rum to produce the latest iteration of the brew. "Hey,what a t'ing indeed." Bush Rum that is; Babash has grown up and it took a French Company to see the light.

Indeed, the drink has a kick and lit up many lives back in the day. Now it has a regal price of US $31.00 a bottle. However, the changes to the brew have kept the original babash drink unique and can still stand alone as the original fire-water. Some have likened the 10 Cane Rum drink to the Brazilian Cachaça rum. The Hennessey site states that it takes 10 stalks of sugar cane to produce one bottle of the rum, hense the name 10 Cane Rum. So when you think of Babash the drink, think about the regal nature of 10 Cane rum, a product of Trinidad recreated and reblended by Moët Hennessy and all the stars will be aligned just right.

Sugar Revival|Foreign interest in 'Sugar Assets'

It was a stupid idea to dismantle Caroni Sugar limited... It was a stupid idea to accept the European lure to dismantle the sugar industry with a Euro subsidy while beet sugar production was boosted. It was a mistake of the PNM government to dismantle Caroni 1975 limited and misappropriate the lands for housing etc.  Yes, indeed I said stupid, and inappropriate and let's add scandalous.

Now we learn that foreign company's, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (Trinidad Express Article), are showing interest in buying the physical assets of the Sugar Manufacturing Company Ltd (SMCL). Why? It is simple my friends, there is a demand for sugar and now Cola companies are using and bragging about the taste of good ole cane sugar in their drinks. Everyone is going green and want to get back to the original natural ingredients to encourage "organic sales".

The PNM government claimed that Caroni 1975 limited was a drain on the treasury to the tune of about $200 million dollars per year while spending billions on office structures that make no money and no sense whatever. Instead they chose to close the industry and make us dependant of other countries for sugar. So instead of being a producer and exporter of sugar we became an importer of a product that we produced.

No one thought about the down stream industries that suffered because of the closure of the industry and the loss of jobs and income for many families.

Rum production depends of molasses so now we have to import that too. Indeed there is still sugarcane in production for 10Cane rum that is produced in St. Madeline but we should not depend on anyone for sugar - sugarcane is a renewable asset - that is a no brainer. We should have found new ways to cut cost and boost production by implimentation of new techniques including the use of new technologies for production and use of the entire product - nothing should be wasted!

So what has happened that there is now interest in Trinidad's Sugarcane industry and assets? Well the price of sugar has gone up tremendously and this started just after the PNM government closed down the industry. We can still benefit from this natural renewable asset. However, this should all be done by way of private enterprise. The government should not be involved in the production of sugar. The government should continue to encourage people to diversify the industry to benefit the country.  It would create employment and people who used to cultivate sugarcane could still benefit from the production of sugarcane. It should not be difficult for those who planted sugarcane on private lands to do so again. Encourage the foreigners and local entrepreneurship to invest in the production of Sugarcane for sugar production and other downstream industries. We can do it; we can reinvent this industry but do it through private investments.

We can produce Sugar and many food products for consumption and not spend valuable foreign revenue for sugar and sugar byproducts. Then there is the demand for bio fuels. Bio-ethanol is in demand and we should seek to produce this fuel. Oil and gas are not renewable assets however sugarcane is a renewable asset. We need to think about the future and diversify now to deal with the chaos that would come when we run out of our petroleum assets.

Bring back the production of sugarcane now! Private money wants to invest ... Let it happen and watch growth take hold in many downstream industries.

Mango, Mango!

Did you know that the succulent Julie mango really comes from Trinidad even though the world’s mango family was really born in India? At first blush, it sounds like the story of indentured labour, but in truth, when you think about the varieties of mango that have sprung up wherever there is warm, dry weather in the world, it is really the tale of globalization—everything is everywhere, just bearing the stamp of its immediate environment.

Although nearly half of the world’s mangos are cultivated in India, there are innumerable varieties from region to region. In the Caribbean alone several types can be found and everyone has their favourite (and their favourite way to eat them!). In Trinidad, the most popular ones are the Julie and the Starch, which now fetch high prices at the market.

But how many can recall names like Long mango, Rose, Hog, Calabash, Manzanilla Douxdoux, La Brea Gyul, Turpentine, Mangotine, Graham, Ten-pound, Bastapool, Belly-bef, Cedar, Cutlass, Peter, Vert, Zabrico; or traditional Tobago fare like Ice-cream, Mango Mossy and John Buck Mangoes in Moriah and Suppie Mango in Bon Accord, or Button Mangoes in Charlotteville?

Source article: Mango Festival

Here is a list of Mango names found in Trinidad. You can add to the list by leaving a comment with your additions.

• Long mango (two varieties one is 'stringy' and a little sour while the other is 'just right'
• Rose
• Hog 
• Calabash
• Manzanilla 
• Douxdoux
• La Brea Gyul 
• Turpentine
• Mangotine 
• Graham, 
• Ten-pound 
• Bastapool 
• Belly-bef
• Cedar 
• Cutlass 
• Peter
• Vert, 
• Zabrico
• Julie
• Sous Sous Malin
• Turpentine
• Manzanilla
• Starch
• Blackman
• Mango Mossy  &
• John Buck Mangoes in Moriah  
• Suppie Mango in Bon Accord 
• Button Mangoes in Charlotteville

Culantro|Shadon Beni or Ban-Dhania in Trinidad and Tobago

Today I was in the WACK Radio Shout box chatting with some of my friends. The conversation shifted to mango chow and with that we started chatting about our secret ingredient used to make the chow taste really good. Sharon aka ST mentioned Shandon Beni and for those who don't know it is indeed a magic herb and the ingredient that makes the mango chow 'light up the place' in other words the simple mango chow now takes on a wicked taste.

Sharon teased me and asked me to tell the shout box people the name that Shadon Beni is know as in the United States - I was stumped, yorked, it was a wicked googley that had me meismerised. I quickly googled it to save face but had to admit to Sharon that I really did not know the name - Culantro. However, I bet she did not know that the term Shadow Bennie is derived from the French Patois term Chadon Bene and that it literally means "blessed Herb".

Now don't get confused with the name and I don't mean cilantro. Culantro is a relative of cilantro but culantro has a stronger impact when it comes to taste and smell. OK so let's get down to the facts now. This versatile herb is known as Eryngium Foetidum and goes by many different names around the World. In Some of the names include Chicoria, Escorzonera, False Coriander, Fit Bush, Fit Weed, Herbe a Fer, Herbe Puante, Jia Yuan Quian, Jintenan another special name that the Indian community in Trinidad like to use and that is Ban-Dhania (Wild Coriander), long coriander, false coriander, culantro or recao (Spanish), langer koriander (German), ngo gai (Vietnamese), pak chi farang (Thai),Chadron benee (Dominica), Alcapate (El Salvador), Cilantro habanero, Cilantro extranjero (Mexico) and bhandhanya (Hindi).

Now don't get confused because Culantro and Coriander are two different plants in the same family. Trust the Indians in Trinidad to incorrectly name the plant. Now Shadon Benni is used to flavor just about any seasoning and is also used to make salsa. Some people make a Shadon Benni Pepper sauce to flavor foods and to use as a garnish in many dishes.

Shadon Benni is loved and used generously in Trinidad and Tobago. It does not matter what name you call it Shadon Benni, Ban-dhannia or Culantro this relative of cilantro with its pungent aroma brings out the best in foods not only spicing up a tired recipe but also helps improve the digestive process. Indeed it is not only used in foods but also has medicinal properties that stimulate appetite, combat colic and eases stomach pain. Shadow Beni is said to be rich in calcium, iron, carotene, and riboflavin - such a versatile plant!

I also found a Youtube video showing how to make Shadow Beni Seasoning and thought that it would be helpful with this article.

Source: YouTube ;  Indiacurry.com;   Bonnieplants.com;  nalis.gov.tt

Pineapple Chow | Simply Trini Cooking

We Trinidadians love to make chow with all kinds of fruits we can get our hands on. Usually though, the fruits are either half ripe or green and sour like mango and pommecythere. But pineapple has been an exception to the rule. I don't know who came up with the idea but it became popular over time and now it is being sold all over the island. Just last week my sister got some to buy at Maracas Bay for $2.00 a slice and I tell you it was worth the price.

The only disagreement some trinis may have, is me calling this recipe pineapple chow so I will give you the other names this is called. It could be called soaked pineapple because of it marinating or as we say soaking or pepper pineapple also. No matter what the name you want to call it it tastes wonderful just the same. So enjoy your pineapple chow and don't forget the pepper it wouldn't taste the same without it.

via www.simplytrinicooking.com

Simly Trini cooking has come up with a "chow" that has me scratchin "meh head". Now that is the only way that I could express my thoughts because in all my years of eating chow I could not think of using anything but mangoes.
I don't just like pineapple, I love eating a really ripe and sweet pineapple but for chow? Hmm, I "cyar see dat". I just don't see how adding pepper and salt could do any justice to the sweet taste of the pineapple. Mango, on the other hand, is totally different. I love using half riped mangoes for my chow not ripe mangoes.
Marinated Pineapple or Pineapple chow just does not seem right to me. This simply an experiment by some but in no way would I classify this as a "Chow". What do you think about this and have you tried it? Let us know what you think... Your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Trinbago's Bake and Shark|Best Fish Sandwich Ever!

As rhythmic waves crash onto the soft, sandy shore, palm trees sway and emerald mountains hover beneath a peacock-blue sky. Maracas Bay seems like the perfect retreat from the heat and bustle of Port of Spain. But most of the cars braving the drive along narrow, twisty roads seem destined not for the beach, but for the food at Richard's Bake & Shark across from the beach.

Richard's Bake & Shark

While other restaurants selling this traditional Trinidadian specialty look deserted, lines form beneath the umbrellas at Richard's Bake & Shark all day long. On weekends the queue snakes into the parking lot.

Patrons who line up at the counter to order this best-selling sandwich usually meet Gary, whose mother started Richard's over 15 years ago. In the background, a hard-working team of three operates like an assembly line in the open-air kitchen.

Under a large blue tarp, one man dips the shark meat in in a light coating of flour and spices and then cooks it in a cauldron of vegetable oil. One woman makes dough balls, and another fries them in a different pot to produce the bake. The resulting puffy and airy bread, or bake, is sliced open and the shark is nestled inside.

Secrets to Richard's Delicious Bake and Shark Sandwich

Gary believes the secret to Richard's success is the dazzling array of condiments on offer. In the centre of the outdoor restaurant, deep metal pans brim with popular garnishes such as tamarind, mango chutney, scotch bonnet hot sauce, pureed garlic, shadon benny (a cilantro-like herb widely used in the Caribbean), mustard, cucumber and tomatoes.

via culinarytravel.suite101.com

Trinidad's bake and shark sandwiches with their rich variety of garnishes to dress these delicious sandwiches are the talk of the town and in many places around the world. This world appeal came after Bizarre Foods did a take on the sandwich. Andrew Zimmerman considered the sandwich the best fish sandwich that he has ever eaten and one of his top ten favorite food ever!

I have featured this video before but will post it here again for this post. One of the things that I have heard is that shark is in short supply and that the fish used today is "King Fish". If you are a Trini based in the homeland and know more about this then please leave a comment. Enjoy the video once again!

Tonka bean|Taste it and love it!

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | Copyright

Tonka bean , black-skinned, aromatic, almondlike single seed from the pod of any tall leguminous tree of the genus Dipteryx in the family Leguminosae ( pulse family) of tropical South America. It contains coumarin, a fermented substance that has a vanillalike aroma and is used as a vanilla substitute and in the manufacture of perfumes, sachets, soaps, tobacco, and food. Natural coumarin has been almost completely replaced by a synthetic product. The name of the bean also appears as tonqua bean and tonquin bean. Plants producing tonka beans are classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Leguminosae.

via www.encyclopedia.com

As a child growing up in Trinidad, I was exposed to many fruits. One of my favorite was the tonka bean. It took me a while to eat this fruit because initially I was told that if I ate the fruit that I would get short breath. As it turned out I was that gullible because my friend who told me this story loved to eat the fruit. However, this story was wide spread so I believed it until I decided one day to try the fruit. Tonka bean has a very unique odor and the taste is unique - I loved eating it. 

There are other uses for the fruit especially the seed. However, the use of the seed in food has been banned in the United States.  Those of you who have not tried the tonka bean should attempt to taste it at least one time.

Today 05/30/10 I was having a conversation with my father-in-law about the tonka fruit (tonka beans) and he reminded me that the bats loved the ripe tonka beans and that solved the question about the tonka bean found in yards with bite - bat food!. The other memory that came to mind was how we ate the tonka fruit - very similar to a very ripe and sweet mango. We sucked everything from the seed leaving the fibrous remains on the seed. Now here is the cool part, we shaped the fibrous remain like a Mohawk and allowed it to dry - childhood days were the best!

Photos: www.enclycopedia.com; www.simplytrinicooking.com

Simply Trini Cooking|Coconut Ice Cream

 

  

Coconut Ice Cream2010-05-14T05:41:00-04:00Felixcoconut ice cream|coconut ice cream recipe|coconut milk ice cream|homemade coconut ice cream|how to make coconut ice cream|trini coconut ice cream|trini cooking|Comments (4)

via www.simplytrinicooking.com

In the United States one can find any variety of ice cream. One of my favorite ice cream here in the US is Peach ice cream. Why do I like peach ice cream this much? Simple, the taste reminds me of Sour Sop (Gunabana) fruit. 

Now even though I like peach ice cream it pales in comparison to a good home made coconut ice cream. Yes West Indians are crazy about coconut - "we like it just so". The recipe provided by Simply Trini Cooking will take your taste buds to a place there have not been before - try it and become a coconut ice cream convert.

Trinidad Toolum - 192464 - Recipezaar

This is a traditional Trinidadian sweet that used to be popular with children. It's still available from select stores but it's now more of a specialty item. Haven't made this in years but now that I have a child it's time to dust off this recipe.

via www.recipezaar.com

If you love coconut and Molasses then it goes without saying that you loved toolum. As children we would say "toolum bumbum" and to this day I can't recall why we said it. Having said that I must say that the best toolum I ever ate was made by my neighbor affectionately known as Miss Maude. In as much as we loved eating her toolum rumor had it that she was the village soucouyant. However, I never saw any fireball leaving her home at nights - trust me I looked. 

Now "Miss Maude" different types of toolum. Some were chewy while others snapped when bitten but the one I loved the most was hard like stone. I would suck on that ball of coconut and molasses - it was heaven. 

Those toolum days are now only relived in my memory and it has been many years since I have eaten a "toolum bumbum". Recipe Zaar has provided a recipe here that you should try. Now if you live in Manhattan and you make some of these childhood treats please don't hesitate to leave me a message - it has been too long and I would gladly sample your labor of love in the kitchen.