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Congratulations to Ms. Doolarie Ramdath, cocoa farmer of Rio Claro! She is one of three local cocoa farmers who have achieved international recognition for their beans this year.
At the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Awards, Trinidad and Tobago proudly claimed 3 Silver Awards in the category of Central America and the Caribbean. Ms. Doolarie Ramdath was one of these recipients. The ceremony took place at the historic Beurs Van Berlage in the heart of the Amsterdam at the Chocoa Trade Fair, during the Amsterdam Cocoa and Chocolate week, on February 8th, 2024. Ms. Mala Partap of the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited accepted the award on her behalf. Cacao of Excellence recognizes quality, flavour and diversity of cocoa beans from origins around the world, to improve farmers’ livelihoods and drive sustainability of the cocoa supply chain, since 2009. Here is the Cacao of Excellence’s flavour profile description for the chocolate made by Doolarie’s beans- “This smooth chocolate opens with moderate acidity over a solid cacao base, hints of fresh grapefruit, tropical, and yellow fruits. It transitions to deeper raisins and dried apricots, mild wood, and vegetal notes. Subtle hints of tobacco emerge, and astringency builds up in the finish supporting the lingering cacao aftertaste.” We wish her more cocoa successes in the future! (Source: Cocoa Development Company TT, March 13, 2024) ABVMTT extends heartiest congratulations to the three Trinidadians, Doolarie Ramdath, Shankar Teelucksingh and Stephanie Omardeen who have been awarded silver in the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Awards for the Central America and Caribbean region. This recognition highlights the exceptional quality and flavour diversity of cocoa produced in T&T and solidifies its position as one of the leading cocoa-producing regions in the world.
The history of Cocoa in Trinidad dates back to the early days when the Spaniards were the first to commercially cultivate it. The Spaniards first planted the Criollo variety in Trinidad in 1525. Today, we travel back in time to the distant past to find out about the legend associated with the first cacao plant and how it arrived in Trinidad. Ancient legend tells us about the Feathered Serpent God, Quetzalcoatl who gifted the Meso-American peoples with miraculous cocoa seeds. He wanted his people to be able to live healthily and be well fed so that they could become the best version of themselves: being generous, talented, hard-working & knowledgeable. The Ancient Mesoamericans considered that the cacao tree was sacred, which is why chocolate became known as the food of the gods.They would make a drink from cacao beans that were believed to have spiritual powers and mood-enhancing capabilities. This drink was consumed during sacred ceremonies of birth, death, and marriage by nobles, priests, rulers, and warriors. Montezuma II, the Aztec ruler of Mexico, is traditionally believed to play a major role in spreading cocoa to other countries. History reveals that Montezuma supposedly consumed gallons of chocolate daily as an aphrodisiac and energy drink. He was also known to share his cacao beans with his warriors. Christopher Columbus encountered the beans in 1502, as did Hernan Cortes, who dominated the Aztecs in the Yucatan. Cortes and his conquistadores were served a bitter, hot beverage spiced with pepper and little resembling the stuff we call chocolate today. According to the legend, Cortés brought the first cocoa seeds to Spain from one of his expeditions to America. When he and his troops were looking for gold and riches, the last Aztec emperor Cuahutémoc, shared a cup of cocoa with him. According to historical records cocoa seems to have been introduced in Trinidad in the 17th century, since it was one of the few cash crops cultivated for export by the Spanish settlers. It was also grown by subjugated Amerindians on the missions established by Capuchin monks from 1687-90. At its peak in1830, Trinidad and Tobago was the world’s third highest producer of cocoa, after Venezuela and Ecuador, producing 20% of the world’s cocoa. Though cocoa is no longer the cash crop it used to be, we the citizens of T&T can still boast that some of the finest cocoa beans come from here. So, next time you enjoy a cup of hot cocoa tea , make sure to remember all of its beautiful histories and share it with our young children. (Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh's Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, March 10, 2024) Credit to artist Rudolph Bissessarsingh Rice is a staple food in Trinidad and Tobago as in other countries of the world. At the end of the Indentureship period when immigrants from India were allowed to buy lands instead of a return passage to India (post 1860) many of them bought plots in swampy areas like Cunupia where they grew rice as the staple product. Rice, harvested from the rice fields also known as "Dhan " was spread out to dry in front of the dwelling houses of the rice farmers and then stored, being husked and cleaned as the need of the household demanded. An acre of land could produce enough rice to feed a family of 7 for a year or more. (Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, Feb 5, 2024) inister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein toured a rice project which is intended to revitalise the local rice industry, with the help of disease-resistant seeds from Guyana.
In an update, the Ministry shared photos of Agriculture Minister Kazim Hosein on a tour of the project today. The Ministry said in 2023 it procured and distributed 91 tonnes of high-yielding, disease-resistant rice seeds from the government of Guyana—an essential step towards enhancing the quality and quantity of the country's rice production. The Ministry said the project has not only met but exceeded acreage cultivation targets set by MALF's technical team. The Ministry said other notable achievements of the project include contracts issued to individual rice farmers by National Flour Mills, repairs and servicing of MALF's Rice Harvester and other equipment, and ongoing training sessions introducing modern production techniques. Currently, Minister Hosein is actively spearheading the identification of new lands for rice production—a strategic initiative aligned with the Ministry's growth objectives. In 2022 regional leaders attended the Agri Investment Forum and Expo II to discuss food security and creating the easier movement of goods and services within the region. CARICOM has committed to a 25 per cent reduction in its regional food import bill by 2025. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the combined food import bill (FIB) for the 14 Caribbean Community member states sky-rocketed from US$2.08 billion in 2000 to US$4 billion in 2008, and surpassed the US$4.25 billion mark in 2011. (Source: The Loop, Jan 22, 2024) ROUCOU/ ANNATO: A TRINIBAGONIAN SECRET INGREDIENT TO MAKING A GOOD STEW OR PASTELLE.
This plant is native to South America and was traditionally used by indigenous peoples as dye , body paint , food and even as medicine. The first peoples used the paste made from the red seeds to cover their skin as a repellent from insects and the sun. Traditional healers also used Roucou as an anti serum for snake bites. The young leaves were brewed and used to treat colic in children. Leaves were also used in baths against boils and rashes on the skin. The fruits of the roucou plant are small soft prickly brownish pods which grow in bunches with red seeds inside the pods. In T&T the paste made using the roucou seeds is popularly used in making pastelles around Christmas Time . Some Trinbagonians also still use Roucou paste to flavour their soups and to give their stews a rich colour with added flavour. It is quite rare today to see roucou plants around homestead like long ago.One of our members Elizabeth Mohammed is in process of propagating these plants and some of photos of the propagated plants from her cocoa estate. (Source: Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, Dec 3, 2023) The Fascinating History Behind Milo , the Energy Food of Champions
This Blog is a collaborative effort by Patricia Bissessar & Douglas De Verteuil MILO, the Energy Food Drink of Champions, is one of the most popular Nestlé brands. In T& T Milo story starts when the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company of Switzerland establish a trading agency in Trinidad and Tobago in Marine Square (now known as Independence Square), Port of Spain, to distribute Nestlé- manufactured products for which there was growing demand. Among the earliest products supplied were Nestlé Sweetened Condensed Milk and Nestlé chocolates, which become a great favourite with children and adults alike! Later on, Nestlé Lactogen and MILO were introduced. But the story of MILO the drink of Champions and its origin is quite a fascinating one The drink MILO was named after “MILON of Croton, a Greek wrestler who lived in the 6th Century BC and possessed legendary strength . Legend has it that Greek athlete Milon of Croton, who won six Olympic events during the 6th century BC, was so strong could lift a young bull up onto your shoulders . In 1934 Nestlé Australia food scientist and chemical engineer Thomas Mayne developed a powdered chocolate malt drink that people could mix with water or milk, and drink hot or cold. Milo was launched during the Great Depression and was designed to help provide undernourished children with both the calories and the vitamins and minerals missing from their diets. The chocolate malt flavour was a way to make the drink palatable to children and was first marketed as Nestlé’s Tonic Food. According to the Nestle Website it was originally meant to dissolve completely in milk, but when Mayne saw his own children scooping the crunchy bits off the top of their milk he realized that it gave MILO a unique feature. As Richie Benaud said in his 1960 television ad, "It's marvelous what a difference Milo makes to keep you in top form". It is claimed that Thomas Mayne, the person credited with the invention of the drink MILO drank a cup every day until he died aged 93. Although it was invented in Australia, it is now sold around the world, including Trinidad and Tobago . A ready-to-drink version was introduced in 2015. According to Nestles’ website “ whether it's paired with a balanced breakfast, enjoyed after sports practice, or served as a yummy lunchbox treat, MILO® goes great with warm or cold milk as a delicious nutritional boost any time of day” I vividly remembered cold MILO being served at School Sports at the Erin Road Presbyterian School where I began my career as a teacher in small disposable cups for all students and teachers. This was the highlight of our school sports each year. Today Nestlé Milo remains committed to continue to engage the youth in its Sports Development programmes to deliver the nutritious energy they need to help them be their best. Credit to following sources https://www.goodnes.com/milo/about-us/ https://www.milo.com.my/nourishing-goodness/the-milo-story Credit for vintage ads : Adrian Coulling Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh's Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago, Dec 5, 2023) Remember the days of crown corks ?
The crown cork was a very simple bottle cap we that were part of our daily lives. But how many of us "Ever wonder who thought of this idea of using cork inside a bottle cap and why? The crown cork was in fact the first form of bottle cap and was the brain child of William Painter in 1892 in Baltimore. It's design was quite simple and it was composed of normal metal with a knurled end in the form of an inverted crown, hence the name of crown cap. To effectively prevent leakage of liquid, the cap was covered with a thin cork disc, itself covered with a film sealing the contents of the bottle. This precaution avoided the direct contact between the liquid and the metal, which could have badly affected the taste of the beverage. The crown cap was widely used for many alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.This design remained relatively unchanged until the 1960s, when plastic discs – less prone to deterioration or contamination — superseded the old cork seals. Another fascinating historical fact is that the single-use crimped crown corks became one of the world’s first successful disposable products. When I began my teaching career the infant teachers collected these crown corks , drilled holes in the middle with a hammer and nails and then placed sets of ten on a thick piece of soft wire. This was used to teach infants counting from one to ten and to add numbers. For craft older students used corks to make zwills. (Source: Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago, Jan 8, 2024) IIIIa satisfying, sweet and savoury, one-pot meal that leaves everyone happy and makes clean up a breeze. Plus, it's ready in under an hour! Check out the recipe from Easy Chicken Recipes below. Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 23 mins Ready in 38 mins Ingredients 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs 2 tablespoons oil divided ⅓ cup flour 1 medium red onion cut in chunks 1 red pepper cut in chunks 1 can pineapple chunks juice reserved ¾ cup brown sugar packed 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch ⅓ cup soy sauce 3 garlic cloves minced 2 teaspoons ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 green onions thinly sliced 1 tablespoon sesame seeds Directions 1. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. In a large bowl, toss chicken thighs with flour to coat. Brown chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove to plate. 2. Add ½ tablespoon oil to the same skillet and add red onion and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the juice from the canned pineapple, minced garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. 4. Add the sauce to the skillet and heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. 5. Return chicken to the skillet and stir to coat with sauce. Cover skillet and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. 6. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve with rice. (Source: the Loop, July 23, 2023) |
T&T news blogThe intent of this blog is to bring some news from home and other fun items. If you enjoy what you read, please leave us a comment.. Archives
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