Let's talk a bit about Trinidad and Tobago, where my adventure begins.
I'm sure you can wikipedia T&T (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinidad_and_tobago) as effectively as I can, but let me give you a little summary:
The two islands have a population of around 1.3 million and have an area of 1,980 sq miles. They are the southern-most of the Caribbean islands, and are very close to Venezuela. T&T was a Spanish colony and finally a British colony, so the national language is English.
What fascinates me most about the country (which got its independence in 1962) is its fabulous mix of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Indo-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are the largest ethnic group (40%), which are descendants of indentured laborers who came from India to replace freed African slaves. Many Indo-Trinidadians continue to practice Indian and Hindu cultural traditions. Divali, for example, is a national holiday.
Afro-Trinidadians and Tobagonians are the second largest ethnic group (37.5%). There are also descendants of European immigrants from Spain, Portugal, France, China, Syria, and Lebanon, among others.
The result of this fantastic melting pot of people is darn good food.
Typical street food includes roti, doubles, pilau rice, etc., etc., etc. More of this to come...
For now, I'll leave you with the view from our apartment. We often see rainbows hugging the emerald mountains that surround us. Not a bad spot to write a blog, eh?
I'm first!
ReplyDeleteNow that we have established that, I would like to request a rundown on what makes a good roti? What would Trinidadians think is the Form of the ideal roti? Do you think the same? Are there regional differences? Do cows sing?
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