Things I'll miss

As my time winds down I find myself clinging to my culture. It still amazes me how much I find myself doing things, going places and eating things I hardly used to pay attention to before. I guess as time goes by I've started to realise how much I will be leaving behind. I mean even the little things like the smell of the sea or local biscuit factory nearby baking all sort of goodies makes me pause and take it all it. Normally I'm always on the go not having time to waste with things I see everyday anyway but now every smell, every taste, every glimpse of things takes me back to my childhood or a fond moment in time and it's amazing and very sad at the same time.




The 10 local things I will miss a lot while I'm away:

10. Coconut water and jelly

Immature coconuts (not like the brown kind you get in the supermarket) are really popular in Barbados. We like them when they are still mostly liquid with a thin lining of jelly on the inside. The most popular place to find them being sold is along the highways with guys cutting the coconuts to order or you could buy a half gallon bottle of the water. I've learned to like the water but it's sweet jelly I absolutely love!!



 9. Tamarind balls

Tamarind balls are a sweet/sour treat made form the crushed tamarinds and mixed with sugar rolled into little balls. Growing up they were practically a food group. I'm surprised I still have teeth lol.






8. Pudding and Souse


It's not friday and saturday without a plate of pudding and souse. This dish is traditionally only served on these 2 days. The Pudding is made of grated sweet potato mixed with butter and other herbs and spice then steamed. The Souse is pickled pig's trotter, ear, nose and tongue  (nose isn't that common anymore). Alternatively you could make it with turkey/chicken breast meat if you don't eat pork. The pickle contains minced hot peppers, diced cucumbers, parsley and salt. (hey man to each his own - but don't knock it till you try it)

7. Cou-cou


Cou cou and flying fish is our national dish. It's made from corn meal and okra (a stiff polenta) and steamed flying fish. My mum makes it with salmon and you don't question her :P.

I'll post a recipe later




6. Shirley Biscuits & Teatimes

If a Bajan grabs any sweet treat to nibble on it's a shirley biscuit. It's just a great little cookie that has a design of a house with loads of flowers on the edges. Any Bajan will tell you there is method to eating a shirley biscuit. YOU EAT AROUND THE EDGES FIRST ... THEN EAT THE HOUSE. You can not disrespect the shirley! It's will cause trouble lol.

Tea Times are kind of the Bajan version of an oreo. But, I grew up dunking them in tea (what most bajans call hot chocolate). Like an oreo you have to eat the cream first. I don't make the rules I just follow them lol.

5. Coconut flavoured snowcones








On a hot day NOTHING BEATS A SNOW CONE. I will hunt down a snowcone vendor (we call them snowcone men/women).

Snowcone woman

4. Pine Hill Diary Yogurt



A local yogurt I grew up on. My comfort food, it can always get me out of a funk. Comes in loads of favours.






3. Mauby

My favourite brand of mauby

This is a tree bark based drink and is super popular in the Caribbean. It can be made directly by boiling and straining mauby bark but most people buy the syrup and you just add water to suit your taste. It's an acquired taste, it's sweet with a slightly bitter after taste but once you start to like it there is no going back.







2. Being at the beach sitting under a coconut tree with the sun kissing my skin

Yes I know it's not a food item but let me tell you, if you want to really enjoy any of these items there is NO PLACE better than the beach. ^_^

1. CHEFETTE!!!

OMG!! If I had to give up all of the other things for one ... it would be chefette!! Why? You can probably get a knock off of any of the above things in other countries but you can only find good old chefette in BIM (Barbados). It's kinda like the Barbadian version of Mcdonalds, if you walk 3 steps in any direction you can find a Chefette. You can get the regular burgers and chicken but they're ROTIS TOO!!! There is a running joke that if your parish doesn't have a chefette it's not civilized lol. Did I mention I LOVE CHEFETTE!
http://www.chefette.com/index.cfm


So people, if there are things from home you love use them like there's no tomorrow. If you can't live without them ship them, I know I am. There is nothing like the little comforts of home to help you persevere.