Bago Eats

As mentioned in the previous article, Blue Food,  I outlined the variety of dishes using the dasheen root. Well here is one variation to the dasheen plant. Usually the process involves the incorporation of dasheen leaves, rice, pumpkin, coconut milk and spices. Some usually incorporate saltfish or for the swine diners - pigtail, to add a unique Caribbean element to the dish. For those who like it as a side dish, it is often paired with stewed chicken or curried meat, particularly chicken, with a side of fried  plantain. My personal favourite...dasheen rice with curried chicken with a side of  fried plantain! YES! With the different ethnic culinary influences in the Caribbean all in one dish, the mixture of flavours will surely appease your palate and will have you asking for more. How do you prefer to eat dasheen rice? DASHEEN LEAVES

Pelau! Otherwise known as pilaf, it is a savoury one-in-all dish that incorporates rice, browning or burnt sugar, some type of beans or peas, meat such as chicken, pigtail, beef etc and liquid as in stock, water or coconut juice. Left to simmer to perfection, pelau is a delicous dish practically made by every household in Tobago. Usually accompanied with 'cole slaw' - a delicious salad comprised of thinly shredded cabbage, carrots and mayonnaise dressing - you will certainly be satisfied. If you're visiting the island or simply have no time to cook, however, there's a good chance any local restaurant would be offering this fare. Try Chef's & BBQ restaurant located at Scarborough and Crown Point. Facebook Link ; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chefs-BBQ-Tobago/397566750326629

Tobago is known for its rich cocoa estates which produce world class quality cocoa and chocolate products. Tobago Chocolate Delights manufactures chocolate bars, truffles, confectioneries, chocolate tea balls, liqueurs and all products chocolate inspired, using cocoa beans from the Louis D'or Estate in Tobago. This is Tobago's only chocolate produced entirely from scratch in Tobago. It is not an exaggeration to say this is one of the finest chocolates in the world. Cocoa from Louis D'or was awarded Cocoa of Excellence by the International Cocoa Awards in Paris 2011. The dark chocolate is decadent by itself, but one will be pleasantly surprised to be offered chocolates with a myriad number of fillings that use local seasonal fruits e.g guava, mango, sorrel, passion fruit, tamarind and sorell pepper. Yes you heard right! Sorell pepper! Other fillings include coconut, hazelnut, amaretto, irish creme, creme de menthe and orange brandy. Jean Claude Petit, the owner, has h...

There is nothing like a good soup! It will be hard to find anyone who does not boast on their mom's or granny's soup as the best soup they ever had. It is easy to conjure images of  split peas or dasheen bush soup with pieces of provisions like green banana, cassava , yam, sweet potato, dasheen and vegetables like pumpkin and carrots, simmered to a perfection with your favourite meat, fresh herbs and coconut juice. Yum! Well if you can't have your mom's or granny's soup at your fingertips, Annie's Soup is here to the rescue! Every Saturday at the Scarborough Esplanade, Annie's customers religiously line up for her mouth watering fare. Beef soup, cowheel soup, pigtail soup, fish soup and vegetarian soup await hungry customers. Beware! Get there by 11 o'clock for the latest! Her soup is usually sold out by 1.30 p.m! That stands to reason since Annie's opened in 2011, won the Iron Chef Competition in the same year and was the 2012 top local resta...

Nestled in the sleepy village of Charlotteville, one will find the latest "talk of the town" - Suckhole Restaurant. Wondering what all the buzz is about? A trifecta of  perfection awaits when you grace this delightful eatery. From the music of waves crashing upon the shore near the restaurant, to the warm and cordial staff that welcomes you with true tobagonian hospitality, to the absolutely delectable food creations that has won rave reviews, Suckhole restaurant is a genuine treasure. Whether dining for brunch or lunch, it is guaranteed that your meal will be fresh and tasty! After all, Charlotteville is literally a fishing village! Whether it's lobster, shrimp, snapper or the seafood catch of the day, or even ribs, the servings are huge, always fresh and absolutely delicious! Onion rings, rice dishes or fries are the perfect accompaniments. When you come to Tobago, make sure to visit Suckhole restaurant. Don't be a sucker!

JnJ's Homemade Ice cream has transformed the Ice cream industry in Tobago. Not only does it contain quality ingredients to provide a rich, creamy consistency in every spoonful but in my personal opinion, it is on par with international brands like Haagen Daaz or Ben and Jerry's. What's so unique about this Ice cream is the emphasis on Caribbean flavours. JnJ's offers popular mainstream flavours like vanilla, pistachio, and chocolate but the highlight for most customers are the guinness, rum and raisin, soursop, coconut, sorrel coconut, passion-mango nectar, and cherry coconut flavours. Though JnJ's flagship icecream store is set in Bon Accord, its popularity ensured that a JnJ's franchise was opened in St. James, Trinidad, in 2016! The company intends to open many more stores all over Trinidad and Tobago in the future. With several exciting flavours to explore, JnJ's Ice cream is definitely here to stay! For more information, check out https://www...

Souse - a way of pickling meat - is a common appetizer served on the island. The method usually entails the pickling of meat trimmings with the compliments of sliced cucumbers, scotch bennet peppers, garlic, onions, chadon beni, lime juice and other fresh herbs. Although many meat trimmings can be used, the most common are chicken feet, cow's heel and cow's skin. There are even options for those who 'dine with the swine' like pig's feet, pig's snout and pig's tail. The presentation is usually in a styrofoam cup, sealed in a transparent plastic bag and can be sourced in different sizes. The cup is usually ideal for persons on-the-go wishing for easy transportation, the plastic bag provides the perfect compliment to dispose of the remnants of the trimmings and usually one finishes his experience by drinking the savoury liquid. I'm not an avid lover of the liquid but to each his own. The delicious meat trimmings are enough for me!