The Chinese, and Indigenous Amerindian influence on foods in Trinidad and Tobago.

Chow Mein is by far the most popular dish among the Chinese dishes in Trindad and Tobago. It is made up of stir fried vegetables and noodles and sometimes meat. Chow Farn, which is fried rice, is also popular.
My favourite Chinese dish is fried won tons; which is made up of seasoned shrimps, fried in thin dough. A dip made up of soy sauce, tomato ketchup, honey, garlic, herbs and peppers normally accompanies this dish.
There is also won ton soup, spring rolls, lo mien soup, war mien soup, and other dishes. Trinidadians get their dishes from any of the several hundreds Chinese restaurants in Trinidad.

Although the are no living indiginous people in Trinidad today; cassava bread, cassava pone, and cassava farine are among the most popular dishes that originated from among their tribes, and is still available today. Other tribal foods that are available, include corn meals like "payme"; which is made up of corn meal, grated coconut, sugar and spices, steamed or boiled wrapped in a banana leaf, and "pastelle"; which is seasoned ground meat wrapped in a corn meal dough, and then wrapped in banana leaf and steamed or boiled are very popular.


.

The Indian Influence in Trinidad & Tobago

People of Indian descent make up about 40% of the population of Trinidad & Tobago. And thus, their foods are popular all over the island. It is loved and consumed by all Trinidadians.

For breakfast, there are long lines of people awaiting their turn to buy the hot and tasty "doubles" at road intersections and carparks all over the island. This is basically made up of a pair of deep fried dough sandwich, with slightly curried chickpeas enclosed within the dough. There are a variety of additives which you may add to your doubles to your taste and fancy. Some of these are the coconut chutney, the mango chutney, the cucumber chutney, kuchela, the tamarind sauce, hot sauce and so on. Once you've tasted the doubles, you will long for another one, and another one and another. When you've eaten your full of doubles, you can then drink an ice-cold coconut, direct from the shell.

For lunch and dinner, you may consider the delicious "roti and curry chicken with potato," or the 'roti and curry goat with potato", or the "roti and curry duck with potato", or the "roti and curry beef with potato", or if you are a vegetarian you may want to try the "roti and curry potato" with some other of the various freshly cooked tasty vegetables. Of course there are other tasty dishes for you to enjoy in Trinidad, these include  tomato choka, baigan choka, aloo-pies, sahina, pholouri, buss-up-shot, and sada roti.

Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad

Of the African Heritage in Trinidad and Tobago, culture and food play an important role. The African influence is tasted in foods such as "Crab and Callalloo",which is crabs and spinach, cooked in coconut milk . The taste is spectacular. This is normal a weekend dish, which family members enjoy at home.
Then there is the Bake and Shark, which is eaten whenever Trinidadians go to the beaches. In this meal, deep fried shark is enclosed in a fried dough sandwich, and this is topped up with condiments of your choice. These include, tamarind, garlic and other hot sauces, cucumbers, pineapples, tomatoes,onions, all to your taste and choice. You wash this down with a cold "Solo", a local soft drink.
The  pelau, is another such dish of African Heritage. It is a cook up of meat that may be chicken or beef preseasoned and marinated  overnight, and browned under heat with sugar from the cane, and then, cooked  with pigeon peas and rice in coconut milk. Best when eaten hot, and the taste is unimaginable. It is a  very popular weekend dish in Trinidad, when all the family members are at home.

Places to visit, and things to do when you visit Trinidad & Tobag.o

Hello again, I would like to advise you of exciting places to go, and things to do, when you visit beautiful Trinidad and Tobago. First of all there are the beaches. Maracas Bay is the most popular of the beaches in Trinidad. Getting to Maracas, you will have to drive over the Northern Range, which has quite spectacular views. There are special lookout areas for viewing its beauty. A stop at these venues will avail you of the  opportunity to listen to a talented local artiste singing a calypso or soca, as well as sample our local candies. At Maracas, you will enjoy the crystal clear waters, and the clean sandy beaches. Your visit will not be complete without eating one or two of our delicious "bake & shark", which you will find at one of the several stalls at the beach. You can enjoy it with a local soda like "Solo".
If you continue along the Northern Range, you will meet another beautiful, yet secluded beach known as Blanchisseuse. It's setting is ideal for those who like quietness and privacy, and it's great for surfing.
Along the entire east coast of Trinidad lie the Manzanilla and Mayaro beaches. The miles of coconut trees adds seclusion and privacy to beachgoers.
Tobago  is also known for its clean, sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Beaches, such as Pigeon Point, Store Bay, and  Englishman's Bay, all make a good selection. At Store Bay you can take a glass bottom boat to visit the Buccoo Reef , where you can swim or snorkel in the reef or in the Nylon Pool. A perfect setting for romance and relaxation.
Matelot in the north east of Trinidad is known for the coming ashore of the large Leather Back Turtles. These are protected species, and viewing them at nights, in certain months, when they come ashore to lay their eggs, is controlled by who guards who protect them from abuse.
A visit to the Asa Wright Nature Centre is a must for visitors to Trinidad. Set in the Notherrn Range, this nature centre offers nature trails and viewing of all types of birds and other animals. It's great for the family day out. Then there is the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, where you board a small boat and visit the mangroves, There you see different types of birds and other animals. The main attraction here is the Scarlet Ibis, which is one of our national birds.
Trinidad's Pitch Lake,  is the world's largest natural asphalt lake. It quite interesting walking on miles of asphalt growing out of the ground. At the Devil's Woodyard, mud volcanoes are strewn all over the place. These make visiting south Trinidad quite interesting.
In case you are wondering what do you eat while in Trinidad? Being cosmopolitan, there is a wide variety of foods to choose from. For breakfast you can have the ever so popular and tasty "Doubles", which is basically a sandwich (not bread) of chick peas and local hot sauces. You can wash that down with a cool coconut water. For lunch or dinner, you may sample the roti and currygoat, or curry chicken, or curry duck, or if you prefer, the "pelau" or "crab callalloo".
Whatever your taste, there is always something special for you to eat.
So when next you plan your vacation, visit Trinidad & Tobago.

The object that had the greatest impact in my life.

I can think of many objects that I was attached to, over the years. But the one thing  that  had the greatest impact in my life, and is responsible for the career path that I took many moons ago, was the television. I grew up in the village of Cunupia, in the island of Trinidad. In my childhood days; in the 1960's,  my grandfather would gather all his grandchildren on evenings, and would narate to us folklore tales. That was great, but when my uncle bought a television, my grandfather lost his audience.
We were fascinated by the television. Folklore tales was now replaced by  Batman, Superman, I Dream of Genie, Get Smart, Bonanza, Voyage to the bottom of the Sea, Tom & Jerry, Flintstones, and other such shows.
I had a particular fascination about how  these scenes from such distant places reproduced in our living room for us to be entertained by them. My enthusiam was enhanced by my uncle who was himself an Electronic Technician, and explained to me how the television worked. It was at  that moment  I believe that I chose my career path. After highschool, I attended technical college and pursued a diploma course in electronics. After graduating, I was employed at the University of the West Indies as a Electronic  Technician, where I worked for 28 years before resigning, and migrating to the United States. Three years ago, I got my first job as a Process Operator at Anadigics, an electronic manufacturing plant, which manufactures power amplifiers for most popular cells on the market. Recently, I was promoted to the position of Process Technician. I enjoy my work and my chosen career. I intend to grow in this field, and towards this end,  I am pursuing  a degree in Electronic Engineering at Devry.  After graduating, I intend to continue with my education towards my Masters Degree. My ultimate goal is to become an Electronic Engineer.

Trinidad & Tobago

Hi, this is a map of my country, Trinidad & Tobago. It is located between 10 & 11.5 degrees North Latitude, and between 60 & 62 degrees West Longitude. The land area is 5,128 square kilometers.
The population of Trinidad is 1,362,000, and Tobago 75000. The capital city of Trinidad is Port-of-Spain, and of Tobago, Scarborough. The official language is English. The official currency is the Trinidad & Tobago Dollar. Six TT Dollars is equivalent to one US Dollar. People of various religions and races  live together in harmony in Trinidad & Tobago. The three major religions are Christians, Hindus, & Muslims. The two major races are decendants of India and Africa.
Trinidad & Tobago is one of the prosperous island nations in the Carribean, primarily due to oil & natural gas production.
Trinidad  & Tobago is also a favourite tourist destination, with it's beautiful sandy beaches and annual Carnival celebrations.Visitors also enjoy our wide variety of delicious food. So for your next vacation, visit Trinidad
& Tobago. You would not want to leave!