Today we had a really enlightening day meeting with farmers who are not just talking about agriculture but those who practice and make a living from it.
What was particularly pleasing to me is to meet young people among the farmers. If they are supported and encouraged, agriculture has quite a future in Tobago.
Tobago is fortunate in that it has some of the best soils. The Tobago farmer can support not just the population in Tobago, but can make a considerable contribution to the 1.2 million in Trinidad.
We are expecting that some Tobago farmers, existing ones and new ones, will benefit from the provisions that we have made in the budget and that with the assistance they get it will result in an increased food production.
Source:  FB page of the Hon. Dr. Keith Rowley, October 2020

The black and white photos are of women of East Indian descent preparing food for some special occasion in the 1950s
There is no immigrant story that comes without some painful recollections. It is a testimony however to the spirit of ALL Trinbagonians, that we have managed to grow beyond recriminations and become a more unified people despite the will of divisive elements such as politicians and pseudo-religious leaders.
It seems odd now in a society that counts doubles as a staple food, and where roti has almost epicurean status in some places, that the derision of the Indo-Trinidadians and their food was once commonplace. One of the first articles I wrote for this newspaper back in 2012, was on the roots of Indo-Trinidadian gastronomy which is anchored firmly in the rations which the labourers received during their contracted residences on the sugar plantations of the island. Though the provisions were sometimes augmented or differed according to the estate, the general issue was as Charles Kingsley described it in 1870:
“Till the last two years the new comers received their wages entirely in money. But it was found better to give them for the first year (and now for the two first years) part payment in daily rations : a pound of rice, 4 oz. of dholl, a kind of pea, an oz. of coco-nut oil, or ghee, and 2 oz. of sugar to each adult ; and half the same to each child between five and ten years old.”
The variations would usually be the addition of a small quantity of saltfish, dried pepper or potatoes. Eked out by provision gardens, often planted with crops brought from India as seeds in the ‘jahaji’ bundles of the labourers, it laid the foundation of a spicy food culture which is as different from anything produced in India today. Those who have dined on authentic Indian dishes will attest to the immense difference from the deliciously creolized creations of Trinidad. Diversification of the Indo-Trinidadian palate came about in the 1880s when many shopkeepers realized what was necessary to attract a clientele from this ethnic group. Wholesalers began to import a variety of spices and curry ground with a ‘sil and loorha’ became more commonplace. Large quantities of ghee, channa (chickpeas). Essentials like mustard oil began to make their appearance at both rural and urban grocers.
Nevertheless, Indo-Trinidadian cooking remained an ‘underground’ scene, unknown to most other ethnic groups and rarely tasted outside of the mud huts where it was prepared unless one was invited as a guest. Tempting talkarees, rotis and meetai (sweets) churned out in the aromatic smoke of an earthen chulha (fireplace) were a well-kept secret, not by dint of cultural isolation alone, but also because of a growing sense of shame and self-loathing. Indo-Trinidadian children who attended government schools or schools operated by denominations other than the Canadian Presbyterian Mission to the Indians (CMI) were ridiculed for the lunches they carried, usually sada roti and some sort of bhagi or talkaree. It inculcated a massive inferiority complex which many carried into adulthood. This is well-remembered by persons today and finds its way into Caribbean literature such as the works of Sir V.S Naipaul and Ismith Khan. Well through the 1930s, Indo-Trinidadian concoctions was looked down upon as ‘hog food’ or fit only for the poorest classes. In a calypso sung by the Roaring Lion, he noted the cheapness of the diet by the chorus:
“Though depression is in Trinidad, maintaining a wife isn’t very hard, Well you need no ham nor biscuit or bread for there are ways they can be easily fed, like the coolies on bargee, pelauri dhal-bat and dhal-pouri , channa, paratha and the aloo-ke-talkaree”
Even doubles at its genesis in the hands of Enamool Deen in Princes Town was viewed as lowly stuff, unfit for consumption by all but rumshop drunks and hungry schoolchildren. In a memoir written by his son, Badru Deen, the struggle to introduce doubles to the urban consumer in San Juan and Port of Spain is well documented. It would be many decades before Trinidad’s most celebrated street food found a place in the national palate. As a fast food, roti was almost non-existent in the towns like Port-of-Spain where it only began to appear in the 1940s during World War II. Roadside roti-stalls were set up with all the necessary utensils, including several coal-pots, churning out dhalpouri with fillings of curried beef (ironic and at once immensely popular), goat, and curried aloo. Chicken a more expensive option. Some rumshops owned by Indians served roti as well.
It is a long and stony road that Indo-Trinidadian cuisine has travelled to gain the universal acceptance it enjoys today.
Source: Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago, Nov. 13, 2020.

If you want to try this click here for the link to the recipe.
Or copy and paste this URL into your browser
​https://www.nashifood.com/plantain-lasagna/?fbclid=IwAR1n19AP3xTr4W98X0DPFYeLHGmCc-r4urdlpnvsNSWLJY1ulO1VB3pq1hk

The House of Angostura, home of the world famous Angostura aromatic bitters and orange bitters, today launched its newest flavour - cocoa bitters.
The new bitters combines Angostura’s blend with the flavourful Trinitario cocoa created in Trinidad and Tobago, giving it top notes of rich, floral and nutty cocoa combined with an infusion of aromatic botanicals.
The cocoa bitters is said to be perfect for desserts and pairs perfectly with sweet vermouth or aged spirits such as whiskey, rum, cognac and tequila.
Speaking at the launch at the House of Angostura, Terrence Bharath, Chairman of Angostura Holdings Limited, said the new product will be shipped all over the world to the 150 countries where Angostura already has a presence. The new Cocoa Bitters will also be available at 1200 Walmart stores in the United States.
It will also be available on certain websites. Source: The Loop, July 2020

From Chris at CaribbeanPot.com.  Check out his videos on YouTube.

he Tobago Cocoa Estate has once again made an international name for itself, having won a silver award at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards for its Laura dark milk chocolate bar.
Owner Duane Dove shared the great news via social media.
“LAURA WORLD SILVER 2019! We are elated our LAURA 45% bar has again brought home yet another prestigious award at the 2019 International Chocolate Awards WORLD finals in Guatemala on 18th November 2019. We would like to thank the judges at the ICA for recognizing us!” Dove said.
The estate, located in Roxborough, Tobago, won gold for its Laura bar in the milk bar category in 2017 and silver in 2018. 
The company also won gold at the 2019 Northwest Chocolate Awards for its Laura Dark Milk chocolate bar. 
The company exports chocolates to the Portland/Oregon area in the US as well as Sweden, Denmark and Germany.
​The company also conducts tours of the estate; for more information on the Tobago Cocoa Estate and the Rose Hill Estate, check them out on Facebook: https://bit.ly/2rCXapj or at www.tobagococoa.com

Tobagonians were encouraged to change their eating habits so that the island’s agriculture sector can develop and a healthier lifestyle in young people can be promoted.
The advice was given by Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles at the opening of Tobago’s two-day World Food 2019 celebrations in Bacolet on Wednesday. Following this year's theme – Our action is our future – Charles reminded citizens of their role in determining whether, in years to come, “we face abundance or whether we face lack of abundance.”He said even though it’s not unknown that most of the imported goods coming into TT is processed and linked to an increased risk of several non-communicable diseases, “it remains more of a lamentation that is yet to be transformed into real action.” He added that “input directly affects output” and Tobagonians must “start connecting present decisions with future outcomes, regarding both our personal wellbeing as well as our island’s development.”Stressing that actions have consequences, Charles said, "This wisdom has been handed down from our ancestors and has also been taught to our children. This is why I am led to believe that type of thinking still exists in some measure in the collective thinking of our people.” 
e encouraged Tobagonians to continue to enforce proper eating habits in their children which will be “one that can yield a very promising harvest.”He said the change Tobago hopes to see from its agriculture sector will only materialise from what “we plant and rear mentally.”"Now is the time for us to tweak our mindset which may be harmful and which may prevent us from realising our fullest potential.”He said Tobagonians must move away from the growing dependency on imported processed foods. The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) has already began to promote local and healthy eating.According to Charles, these efforts will continue to reverse the heavy dependency of imported food through the Eat Local programme.
Charles said he was most pleased when he saw younger Tobagonians showing interest in agriculture, through THA skill training programmes, earlier this year.
“There are some who do not view those involved in the industry with the dignity and the respect that they so rightly deserved.” He reminded Tobagonians, “Our food production and food security constitute a large part of the future we enjoy dreaming about and this is the issue that shouldn’t escape us, as food will always be one of man's most basic needs.
"Time is crucial and the gift of the present must be utilised to make pressing concerns known and to conceptualise and employ suitable solutions.”
He called on farmers to remember their part in the management of Tobago’s natural resources. Charles also urged them to be open to the procurement and use of new technology to boost the sector. “Indeed, our ambitions are great and we want to increase our agriculture output and being to export as an island. However, it beseeches us to take care of that we already possess.”

Several years shy of his 40th birthday, Marc Farrell has already lived multiple lives. Born in Trinidad, he left his tropical home for the stately halls of MIT, where he began studying chemical engineering–at the age of 16. By 26 he would also hold a masters in philosophy from the University of Cambridge as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School. By 36 he had gone on to become the youngest Vice President in Starbucks history, heading up eCommerce and then global retail and beverage innovation.
What might he have in store for 46? If Farrell has his way, rum will have a lot to do with it. The business impresario has traded in coffee for coladas with his latest venture: Ten To One. The nascent brand launched earlier this year with two expressions, a Caribbean White (priced at $29) and a Caribbean Dark ($43). Both represent a blend of liquids from esteemed producers across the islands.
And as you can expect with someone as singularly focused as Farrell–there’s more to come. Here he talks about his journey from the boardroom to the bottle shop in an exclusive interview for Forbes.
How did you come up with the idea for Ten To One? What were your inspirations?
I’m always quick to tell enquiring minds that the story of Ten To One begins in Trinidad & Tobago. Not only because it’s the place of my birth, and the axis of my own introduction to rum, but because it was there, during a visit by my friend (now co-founder) Zac Waksal six years ago, that the early seeds for Ten To One were planted. It was on that trip, as Zac spent time with my family and I over New Years, that we often discussed how surprised he was at the differences between rum as he knew it in the US, and the way that he saw it brought to life during that trip to Trinidad – a diverse and elevated spirit, that played a pivotal role in many of the special moments of celebration we enjoy in Trinidad, and in the broader Caribbean. 
Over the course of the next few years, we would continue to talk about how big a gap there was between the experience of that trip, and the way that rum was typically positioned in the US, until we started working on the concept in early 2018, once the call to begin developing the brand became virtually impossible to ignore.

I knew very early in my career that I loved the consumer space, and specifically the idea of creating brands; And I’ve always loved storytelling and been inspired by those who can bring a product to life in the hearts and minds of consumers. Ten To One allows me to fulfill that passion and ambition in a very unique and personal way, as the brand is derived genuinely and directly from the way that I see the world – whether my long-held passion for the spirit, my love of all things brand, the deep pride that I take in my Caribbean roots and culture, or the inspired community of folks that we hope to share the brand with. 
How did growing up in Trinidad influence your experience of rum?
Through the lens of Trinidadian culture, I understood rum to be an extremely versatile spirit with a number of premium expressions, that played a pivotal role in many of the moments of celebration – both big and small - that we enjoyed as a people. 
What gaps in the market does Ten To One Hope to fill?
While seemingly every other spirit – vodka, tequila, mezcal, gin – has been disrupted, and elevated in the US and beyond, rum has seemingly stood alone, too often relegated to a very narrow, preconceived set of drinking occasions and marketing plotlines, and under-appreciated for the breadth and quality that the category has to offer. 
As someone who is born and raised in the Caribbean, I really believe we have an enormous opportunity to further elevate the conversation around rum – not only by introducing a high quality spirit to market, but by broadening both the current narrative around rum, and the occasions for which it might be considered the spirit of choice for today’s consumer. 
Beyond the rums themselves, what do you see as Ten To One’s overall mission?
As a company, we frequently discuss our objective to.. “create a contemporary and elevated blend, designed to challenge expectations and reinvigorate the way people taste, experience and talk about rum”
But beyond the rum itself, we’re inspired everyday to provide consumers with a window into a more contemporary view of Caribbean culture, through the lens of Ten To One. For far too long, I think the category has suffered from an overly narrow and somewhat caricaturized and uninspired positioning. Coming from Trinidad, my experience with rum has been very different, and the more I looked into the space, the more convinced I was that we could offer something truly different and invite the modern consumer to join us on that journey.
How will you measure success with this latest chapter of your life?
Like anyone else creating a spirits (or consumer) brand, I think the ultimate reward comes from being able to share what you’ve created with others, see them develop resonance with your product and its reason for being, and ultimately having it contribute to moments of celebration and community in their own lives. Finding an opportunity to bring some of that same passion to life in the US market, is at the heart of what we aspire to achieve with Ten To One. 
New Yorkers can already find the brand behind the bar at some of the city’s hippest watering holes and restaurants, including The Aviary, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Cote/Undercote, Gramercy Tavern, Up & Up. Look for it on liquor shelves nationwide in the months to come.
​Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradjaphe/2019/10/16/the-life-and-times-of-marc-farrell-from-starbucks-youngest-ever-vp-to-craft-rum-impresario/?fbclid=IwAR1MICtobViTQLx07g335rMM4ZuWlaSyVr3WK40A-l78xDcYZOW_BMhzfw8#67e4fed54eea