Taste Like Home
Hi Everyone,
Long before the Prime Minister of Barbados announced in Parliament, a week and a half ago, the six-month amnesty for undocumented Caricom Nationals to have themselves regularized, there has been tension. The tension has not just been between Barbadians and Caricom nationals but tension particularly about the presence of Guyanese in Barbados. When I heard the news, I looked down at the plate of Bajan rice and peas and Guyanese fish cakes I was eating. I marvelled at how well they complimented each other; they were at home on my plate. It reminded me of a comment a Bajan friend of mine made, when on another occasion there was a lot of Guyanese-bashing taking place. She said, “Barbados and Guyana, can we meet on a plate?”
The answer today as it was then, is a resounding YES!
Bajan Rice & Peas (Photo by Cynthia Nelson)
When I first moved to Barbados more than a decade ago, there were many ingredients with which I was very familiar that were not available here. Eating became challenging because the food here was different, the style of eating was different. Unlike Guyana where I could have weekday and weekend food, none of that existed here. Weekend food is everyday food here.
Adapting is one of the things I do well and so I adapted and used the ingredients available to me here in Barbados along with my cooking skills, techniques and methods to bring some sort of balance to my eating. Pumpkin, which I never liked while in Guyana, became a regular on my plate. Salt fish that I could not stand before would put in an appearance. Broccoli, which I figured I’d hate, became a constant friend and string beans, I’d cook and imagine to be bora.
While adapting I also learned the foods of my new home – cou cou and flying fish, the specialness of a Bajan macaroni pie. I fell in love with Bajan fish cakes. I perfected the making of sweet bread and rice and peas and discovered fire-roasted breadfruit. Like most migrants, home was now a merged space for me – Guyana and Barbados.
Guyanese Fried Bangamary (Photo by Cynthia Nelson)
Over the years, I’ve observed the changing food scene here. Now I can buy and cook many ingredients that used to be difficult to find in Barbados – hassar, gilbaka, bangamary, butterfish, katahar, saijan, karaila, saim, squash, and white-belly shrimp and I can even choose from a variety of eggplants! Yes indeed, the food landscape in Barbados has changed and continues to emerge. Today one can find Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Greek and French restaurants among the already existing Italian, Seafood, Mexican, Indian, Irish and other eateries. Not to be outdone are the other establishments where you can readily purchase Jamaican and Trinbagodian food.
So these days, I find myself feeling right at home particularly where my food is concerned. I only have to think it and 85 per cent of the times, I am able to have it. In many ways, I’ve often felt protected, sheltered, comforted and cocooned from the sometimes harshness of the outside as I sit in my home here in Barbados and eat my Guyanese food and my Bajan food, at home.
Some of my favourites that meet on a plate are: Bajan fish cakes with Guyanese sour; Bajan sweet bread and Guyanese home-brewed mauby; Bajan macaroni pie and Guyanese baked chicken; Bajan rice and peas and Guyanese fried bangamary. And here’s some Bajan things that if I ever leave this rock to settle elsewhere will always be a taste of home for me – a ham cutter with Nichol’s salt bread and a Ju-C red drink, Chicken Barn’s super snack box, conkies and golden-apple drink to name a few.
So as the war of words continue, I find myself being hurt by some of the things being said about Guyanese and I take solace in the comfort of my home. I smile with my friendly Barbadian neighbour as I share with him the Trini Doubles I made today. The radio is turned off, no more call-in programmes today. Local news on television is over. The press is getting ready for tomorrow’s publication. For now there’s quiet and all I can do is pray that tomorrow I will be a little less hurt than I was today. I’ll try and think of something to cook tomorrow where Barbados and Guyana can meet on a plate.
Cynthia
tasteslikehome@gmail.com
www.tasteslikehome.org
WOW Cynthia, I can say that i feel your pain. All the bashing in the media or anywhere outside the comfort of my ‘home’ can sometimes be tooooooo much.
But nothing like food to ease the pain, but I am afraid only on the plate will the twain meet
Good article, I just want to say that they are many Bajans who are not xenophobic. But there is a small, vocal, xenophobic group, making a lot of noise and giving the impression that Bajans are not an inclusive people. The fact that we do have so many non-nationals who reside here is testament to that. Those xenophobes are the ones calling the call-in radio programs. I do agree, however, that there is a need for some level of management as it relates to immigration issues, but certainly the region as a whole continues to mess around with Caribbean unity, and the process of unification has been incredibly slow. And remember, Barbados has always been a vocal supporter of Caribbean unity, from the federation days, when Jamaica and then Trinidad decided to reject unity. In addition Barbados has been most vocal about the Caribbean Court of Justice, and along with Guyana, are the only members. Barbados has also been most vocal and has taken the lead on the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.
The problem is that Barbados has also been most impacted by the immigration issue, only The Bahamas has been impacted to a greater degree, as it relates to Haitian immigration to that nation. It has been estimated that there are anywhere from 30,000, to 50,000 Guyanese here, of which only 10,000 are here legally. This in a population of 250,000. And to make matters worse, these mostly indo-Guyanese, do not make enough of an effort to become part of the Bajan community/society, they stick to themselves, they do not try enough to connnect with Bajans, and I think that is a big part of the problem, that it seems there is this very large community of people, in your country, who are simply here to take advantage, do not care about Barbados and Bajans, and are not interested in being friendly. Some are, I have some Guyanese friends, but many are not…
It’s a myth Cynthia so continue dreaming. Caribbean integration is stillborn. Time to throw out the baby and bath water.
As to the fusion of West Indian food, well that’s all over in the diaspora, not only in the region
Bajans have a right to expect entrants into their country to conform to immigration laws.
Wow!From food to Politics .
This situation is just so sad,as a young man growing up in Guyana,there were many caribbean nationals living in guyana,many from Barbados. What has happened?