Caribbean Flavours

Our hotel in St. Lucia had good food, but, as is typical for these types of resorts, the kitchen catered to the palates less accustomed to extreme flavours. And that’s fair. In order to try something different, exciting, and authentic, one must leave the hotel and walk away from the main street.

Street food is tricky. Some travellers are afraid to try it, as they heard many stories about food poisoning cases. Yes, one must exercise caution and consider the circumstances, the area, the type of food, the look of the food etc. Can you see any locals buying and eating the food you are considering purchasing? And use your common sense.

On a sidewalk in Rodney Bay, there was a little stand where we discovered Trinidadian doubles. After the first bite, we were blown away by the explosion of carefully balanced flavours and textures. The two main ingredients of this dish are “bara” (flat pancake made of white flour and turmeric) and “channa” (curried chick peas); the flavours also come from shredded cucumber, shadon beni (kind of cilantro), tamarind, golden apple, and pepper sauce. Some recipes also add coconut, ginger, and garlic. you choose the level of spiciness.

This most popular street food in Trinidad is significant to its people not only because it is delicious but because it represents the struggles of Indo-Trinidadians and the efforts to overcome them. When Indian immigrants came to Trinidad and Tobago, they were promised a better life. However, instead, they were forced to work under very hard conditions with little financial benefit. They could not afford much, so they invented this nutritious dish made with cheap ingredients. Apparently, this on-the-go dish encapsulates Trinidadian identity. But for someone like me, it was an absolutely delicious snack made by a lovely lady who was delighted when we returned for more on the same day.

A few days later, we attended a food festival. My favourite dish was the salted pigtail with creole souskai (traditional sauce, with some nice chilli peppers). We tried a number of dishes throughout the trip, but the Trinidadian doubles are are the top choice.