I think I must be hungry because chadon beni has been on my mind today… It is making me remember my trip to to Maracas Bay in Trinidad. On the way there, we made a stop for “Trini-Treats”, a roadside kiosk with a neat array of munchies, some familiar to me having grown up in another Caribbean island, but most quite unique to Trinidad & Tobago and, therefore, new to me. At first, I was not sure these treats were for me. Definitely not anything with coconut; coconut is just not for me. Mango slices immersed in some pickled liquid, Patsy’s channa, and other stuff I did not recognize made me wonder if anything here would be for me.
Thankfully, our local host ignored our initial hesitation and got some samples of the different items. I was very pleasantly surprised. My favorite was the pears immersed in chow which is some sort of pickled liquid infused with chadon beni (culantro in other parts of the Caribbean, a strong flavored herb; with some garlic and black pepper, depends on the particular jar) – a great flavor combination!
After that, we decided to get a few more of these delicious treats before continuing to Maracas Bay where bake ‘n shark awaited… Famous “Richard’s” was closed for renovations so we just headed next door. I loved the self-serve on the toppings and had a most delicious lunch.
This “beach” food sampler is just one example of many of the great food to be experienced in the lovely islands of Trinidad & Tobago. Can’t wait to return!
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