A Taste of Trini! …

Thursday 11th August, 0900. We are booked on the “Taste of Trini” bus trip with the famous Jesse James. The tour started right outside the gates of the marina with Jesse hopping off to get us  Fry Bake, Saltfish and Smoked Herring… that was certainly a rude awakening for most of the drowsy cruisers – you have to remember the average age of the 10 guests is well over 55…ahem…perhaps a bit older, but we are 5 hours behind the UK so I think that counts in some strange way.

Jesse roars off in his van. As we leave the confines of the two lane, potholed road that connects Chaguaramas to the suburbs of Port of Spain the road widens and turns into a 4 lane freeway. Suddenly the traffic lights ahead change to flashing red, this is the signal for Jesse to put down his phone for a moment, put on his seat belt and accelerate “to beat the red”. You have to get in to the spirit of driving in the islands!…

The day progresses, and Jesse stops at a variety of roadside stalls, huts, cafes, street vendors … all the time trying to surprise and delight his captive audience.

I counted 32 stops during the day and and even greater number of Trinidadian delicacies. Some were fantastic like “Doubles” – a roti filled with curried chickpeas. Some were not too bad…like “Cow Heel Soup” – take a soup and float some gristle in it. Some were a challenge – BBQ’d pigtails. Yet others were absolutely revolting – “Chickens Feet” – served in a cup neatly manicured. Only one of the party managed to get these anywhere near his mouth – he was an old rugby player so that explains it. Jesse informs us that he will take the feet home, apparently this will impress his wife.

Here is the list of what we ate between 9am and 7pm.

Stop	Description		Link
1	Fry Bake		http://www.cookingwithria.com/2011/05/trini-fried-bake.html
	Saltfish		https://www.google.tt/search?q=fry-bake-and-saltfish&oq=fry-bake-and-saltfish&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i58j69i60j0.1489j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=bake+and+saltfish+recipe
	Smoked Herring		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/fry-bake-and-smoke-herring/
	Chicken liver		http://caribbeanpot.com/caribbean-style-chicken-livers/
2	Cheesy potato pie		http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/tag/trinidad-cheesy-potato-pie/
3	Trini beef pie		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/trinidad-beef-pie-pastry/
4	Sada Roti & Baigan Choka		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/sada-roti-and-baigan-eggplant-choka/
	Bitter Gourd		http://ameliawilliams20.blogspot.com/2012/09/caraille-bitter-gourd-or-bitter-melon.html
5	Cow heel soup		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/cow-heel-soup/
6	Beef pie – pastry		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/trinidad-beef-pie-pastry/
	Chicken pie – pastry		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/trinidad-beef-pie-pastry/
	Fish pie – pastry		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/trinidad-beef-pie-pastry/
	Coconut bake		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/coconut-bake/
7	Chenet		http://www.hgcaribbean.com/outdoors/chenet
8	Doubles		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/doubles/
	Saheena (Sahina)		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/saheena-i/
	Kachori		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/kachourie/
9	Pomerac		http://thehealthnutcorner.blogspot.com/2011/07/tropical-fruit-pomerac-or-rose-apple.html
10	BBQ Pigtails		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/barbecue-pigtail/
	Macaroni Pie		http://www.cookingwithria.com/2013/08/cheesy-and-creamy-trinidad-macaroni-pie.html
11	Goat curry		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/curry-goat/
	Green fig (Green Banana)		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/green-fig-pie/
	Cassava		https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2658630
12	Goolab Jamoon		http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/recipe/goolab-jamoon/
13	Preserved – red mango		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/red-mango/
	Preserved – five fingers (star fruit)		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/preserved-five-finger/
	Preserved – Pommecythere Kuchela		http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/recipe-type/preserves/
14	Drink – Sorrell		http://caribbeanpot.com/traditional-caribbean-sorrel-drink/
	Drink – Mauby		https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauby
15	Roast corn		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/roast-corn/
16	Mango anchar		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/mango-anchar/
17	Barfi		http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/recipe/barfi/
18	Kurma		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/kurma/
19	Coconut finger		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/coconut-turnover/
20	Fruit cake		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/sugarless-fruit-cake/
21	Bread pudding		http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/recipe/bread-pudding/
22	Coconut rock cake		http://caribbeanpot.com/coconut-drops-with-your-tea/
23	Star fruit		http://www.whatocook.com/trini-fruits/
24	Chickytoe (baby) banana		http://wiwords.com/word/chickytoe
25	Soursop		http://wiwords.com/word/soursop
26	Pholourie Balls		http://oliveandruby.com/recipes/pholourie-balls-recipe-trini-style
	Geera chicken		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/geera-chicken/
	Chicken feet souse   OMG !		http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-caribbean-chicken-foot-souse/
27	Pork cutters		http://caribbeanpot.com/tag/trinidad-cutters/
28	BBQ Chicken		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/barbecue-chicken/
29	Cocoa pod seeds		http://sweettntmagazine.com/tasty-cocoa-pod/
30	Tamarind balls		http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/tag/trinidad-tambran-tamarind-ball-recipe/
31	Toolum		http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10610-tooloom-trinidadian-molasses-and-coconut-sweetmeat
32	Fish		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/fried-fish/
	Jerk pork		http://caribbeanpot.com/the-ultimate-jerk-pork-recipe/
	BBQ Pork		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/barbecue-pork/
	Macaroni salad		http://www.simplytrinicooking.com/macaroni-salad/
	Bhaji rice		http://www.simplytrinicooking.org/recipe/trini-bhaji-rice/
	Lentils		http://caribbeanpot.com/stewed-lentils-caribbean-style/
33	Home made ice cream – Soursop; peanut; vanilla; chocolate		http://caribbeanpot.com/tag/caribbean-ice-cream/