Roti

A food that is enjoyed by all the races in Trinidad and Tobago, it is a food that can be eaten anytime being morning noon or night. The word roti in hindi actually is used to describe bread, so Roti is basically flat bread. Roti is so popular that it is present as a fare in weddings, prayers parties/fetes. Roti classified as being part of the Indian culture has crosssed all racial and cultural lines to become classified as Trinidadian food. The early morning popular breakfast crowd usually enjoy a sada roti with tomato choka, baigan choka, caraille, ochro, fried potato (aloo), liver, gizzard, stew chicken or with almost any cooked meat or vegetable as breakfast.

Lunch however brings out the variety of roti such as dhal puri or bussup shot, which is usually sold with potato and channa, or goat, or beef, or chicken along with an array of vege's (bhaji, bodi, pumpkin, curried mango, and of course, nothing is eaten without some type of pepper sauce.

It is not normal to eat a roti with anything but your hands and this is done by breaking a piece of roti with your hands and using it as a scoop for the talkari (filling).

Trinidadian style roti has found itself worldwide wherever you find a Trini you will find a roti.

Wrapped Roti

Chow

The Trini Chow whilst not actually food it is a part of T&T culture everyone makes it and everyone makes it. What is it? Well the most  ones sold in Trinidad & Tobago is either the mango chow, pineapple chow, plum chow, or pommecythere  chow. Many others are usually made at home and not sold on the streets such as chennette or pommerac. Basic ingredients? Fruit of your choice, nicely sliced, a little salt, a little garlic, shadon beni, and pepper, mix em all up and we got chow. Sorry to leave you but with all this chow talk , I gotta go have me some.

Hot Dogs & Burgers

Hot dogs and hamburgers are perennial street foods sold from carts nationwide. You can get burgers of all manner from chicken to vege to shrimp and if you don;t want a burger by itself then one can opt for a combo with fries or macaroni salad or even potato salad and since Trinidad has a sizable Muslim population the street sellers also supply with their meats being halal.

Menu board showing burgers available

Hot dogs are the same as anywhere in the world with the sausage wiener being placed in a sliced bun. This is usually dressed with onions, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup and pepper sauce.

HomeMade Ice Cream

Homemade Ice Cream not a brand but an actual product made using a personal family recipe actually made at home using an Ice Cream pail. Some vendors still use an actual manual (hand crank) pail, and sell directly from the pail and not from a tub or container. Some Ice Cream connoisseurs swear that the flavour of an Ice Cream made from a hand crank pail is far superior in taste than one made from a factory or electric pail, and I tend to lean and agree with that also.

Flavours range from coconut, vanilla, cherry to chocolate, good old fashioned classic ice cream flavours and not something concocted in a lab with a name like yummy bubble or some type of monkey.

While going to Toco or Mayaro or even Maracas all popular beach locations you could stop and get a cone, a cup or even a container filled with delicious homemade ice cream. If you're not headed to the beach then head to St. James for some of the best tasting homemade ice cream.

Know of a good place selling homemade ice cream let me know I'm always willing to try a good ice cream.

Hand Crank Pail

Homemade Ice Cream Sign

 

Grill Foods

Grill foods abound in Trinidad & Tobago with roadside vendors and carts located at almost every junction. the variety of foods are frilled on a flat metal tray and while being grilled several condiments or seasonings are usually added such as garlic sauce, tomato sauce, shandon beni sauce, pepper, salt and now gaining popularity is the Jamaican favourite Jerk seasoning.

The variety of grilled foods include chicken, shrimp, lamb, beef and also fish all served with either macaroni salad, cole slaw, french fries, potato salad. Usually the grilled foods are served on a bun sometimes not depending on the order. To this is added by the person is purchasing extra sauces such as garlic sauce, pepper sauce, ketchup, mustard, bar b que sauce or mayonnaise.

Chicken Foot Souse

Chicken foot souse is commonly referred to as liming food and as the name suggests is made from chicken feet. This fare was once available only around carnival time but now has become quite pervasive (as an alternative to pig foot souse) especially in the various bars and watering holes around Trinidad and Tobago.

Whilst the idea of eating chicken feet (denailed of course) does not seem to be all that appealing or appetizing, the actual pickling of it using ingredients such as limes, black pepper, spicy hot peppers, onions, cilantro (shandon beni), black pepper, cucumber, salt and garlic does make one quite curious that with all these ingredients and its popularity there must be something to it. So I would suggest that before you judge you should as the old saying goes "try it you might like it". This food comes mainly from an african culinary background

Local Trying de souse

I may add though this street food is not particularly one of my favourites, you be the judge.

Corn Soup

While the fete/party going on or while at the beach and you need an energy boost just turn to a Corn Soup or after having a good jog around the Queen's Park Savannah nothing settles as nice as a good piping hot Corn Soup.

Corn Soup is a usual fare throughout Trinidad and Tobago and is commonly served in a styrofoam cup or container.

The corn soup is made from shelled corn leaving corn on the cob, which is cut into 1" slices boiled in water to which lentils/yellow split peas, some nice spicy pepper, carrots, potato, herbs and spices, (every cook has their own secret blend) and to which is added flour dumplings (might be white flour, cassava flour or a
 combination).

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm I can just smell the aroma coming off the bubbling pot.

My favourite Corn Soup is from the food court area around the Queen's Park Savannah. What's Yours?

Bake and Shark

Bake and Shark or Shark and Bake same difference still good tasting and eating.

Take one of man's worst fears the shark (conjures up images from the movie JAWS doesn't it), well not a shark that large, add some good ole trini seasoning some flour to create a nice frying batter and fry to a lovely golden brown. That's the shark now the Bake whose ingredients consist of white flour, yeast,baking powder, butter, salt mix it all up and knead to form small round patties which are then rolled out and fried also to a golden brown colour. This bake is then sliced open and into this is the fried shark inserted. Bake and Shark ready but the secret to its mouth watering flavour is in the toppings which varies from vendor to vendor, you can usually find the toppings laid out so that you can add more or less depends on your favourites. Toppings include but are not restricted to sliced tomatoes, cole slaw, shadow beni sauce, garlic sauce, pepper sauce, tamarind sauce, mustard, ketchup, sliced or grated cucumbers, pineapple chunks and lettuce.

Once only found as a favourite of visitors to one of Trinidad's most popular beaches, Maracas this tasty sumptious sandwich then found itself to be a favourite to fete/party goes during carnival time, it continued to gain in popularity and can now be found island wide any day of the week.

Most popular Bake and Shark outlet among locals and international visitors hands down is Richard's Bake and Shark found on Maracas beach.

Don't agree then tell who is your favourite.