Words by Tishanna Williams
Photos by TriniChow
Hitting up Carnival in Trinidad should be on everyone’s to-do list, but if you don’t include “eat Trini street food” on your itinerary, well, we’re just not sure how sound your plans are. Trinidadian cuisine is one thing every visitor raves about when they come to our island, and the vendors are always out in force for Carnival. We made sure to get you some of the best options for the season by teaming with TriniChow, the best Trinbagonian food blog we know. TriniChow has been all over IG teasing us with pics that make us hungry and island-sick, so sit back and LargeUp yourself with some Trini street food.
At most any public hub on the island you will notice scores of people lining up around a tiny stand, and requesting “doubles with slight.” One of the most popular street foods in the country —okay, the most popular — doubles is comprised of curried channa (aka chickpeas) on top of an extremely thin bake/roti hybrid known as barra. So popular is this delicacy that it’s even offered in the most expensive, all-inclusive Carnival parties, and mentioned in Trinidadian songs, such as Mark Hardy and Yung Rudd’s “Iz A Trini.” The best part of the experience is the condiments: savory mango and tamarind sauces, chadon beni, cucumber chutney or, if you’re real lucky, some roasted coconut chutney.
Tip: When ordering doubles, refer to the amount of pepper you want. Most times, the pepper is HOTTTT so careful what you request. Slight = a little, please. Heavy = slather it on. That, however, is not for the faint of heart…
Trinis love pholourie—Chickpeas flour flavored with spices, battered and deep fried into fluffy balls of heaven served with a tamarind or mango dip that will overload your taste buds. And for Carnival, it may be one of the best selling savory road snacks.
Our Pick: Again, if you have time to take a break from the non-stop partying, check out Sabrina’s Pholourie at Santa Cruz Green Market on Saturday (She’s also occasionally open on Sundays). Her pholourie has a little something extra!
Soup Saturday is a Trini standard since before we were born, and with good reason. The soups are filling, generally filled with provisions (yam, cassava, etc) as well as meat and veggies. Corn Soup has always been at the head of this class. and for Carnival you will definitely see street vendors with large soup pots offering this favorite.
Our pick: Michele’s Corn Soup from the Savannah in the evenings.
4.Roast Corn
Roasted on open flames and put back into their jackets, the sweet, slightly burnt flavor of a good road corn will have you staring at a finished cob distraught. Vendors selling corn generally also have a boiled option — which is also good — but the roast corn is where it’s at.
5. Homemade Ice Cream
Tip: The far-flung regions of the islands still retain the best authentic flavors. If you’re on the island with enough time make a road trip, Naomi’s Homemade Ice Cream in Toco (Anse Noir to be exact) should be on your list.
With all of the fruit trees in Trinidad, it was only a matter of time before this delicacy was born. Though chow is probably one of the longest-standing treats in Trinidad and a rite of passage for childhood, these sweet and savory fruit snacks are a major part of your Carnival experience.
Tip: Want to sample what chow is like, at home? Add a little water, salt, black pepper, piment, garlic and a few pieces of bandaña leaves (chadon beni) to your favorite fruit, and let set for a few hours. Enjoy!
7. Souse
Photo Courtesy: Chris de la Rosa/Caribbean Pot
Souse is similar to chow in that the process is very close to American pickling. Parts of the animal you wouldn’t put into an actual meal — chicken foot, cow heel, pig tail — get served up in a lime base, with cucumbers and truly flavorful Trini seasonings.
8. Black Pudding
An acquired taste for many, usually found where souse is being sold, black or ‘blood’ pudding is A long-standing Trini tradition still found and enjoyed on the island. The best way to describe this is a mix of breadcrumbs seasoned to perfection, mixed with pigs blood, stuffed sausage-style into a length of cleaned and prepared intestine, and cooked. You’ll find it served with hops, or alone. This will definitely be one of the street foods featured on the road.
No, this isn’t Europe but gyros are huge in Trinidad. And on the road at Carnival, anything you can eat with one hand while holding on to a bumper and wining is a good look. The mint sauce found in other countries is replaced with one closer in taste to garlic sauce and ketchup is also thrown into the mix. Some stalls also do burgers and fries as well so it’s a good one-stop shop on the road.
Our Pick: Yousef’s on the Avenue is a popular spot that stays open late into the night. Lawrence of Arabia is considered one of the first restaurants to introduce gyros as a staple in Trini cuisine. They even have an outlet on Frederick Street Port of Spain, which is one of the main streets in town so head over and give it a try.
10. Oyster Cocktail
If you see a man sitting at a little table with a lit flambeau (open-flame bottle light) around Queen’s Park Savannah, you have just met Blackie the Oyster Man, who serves his signature shellfish in a glass with a spicy sauce that’s to die for. Said to assist with male virility (it is Carnival, after all…) oysters serve more than one purpose for the hungry Carnivalgoer!
No introduction necessary for this one! Hair and skincare companies may now be incorporating coconut water into their products but the hydrating properties of coconut water have been powering us Trinis up for as long as anyone can remember. Around Queens Park Savannah, you will see decorative carts with little old men selling the drink. Some are actually second-generation vendors who took over the trade from their fathers and, if you take a minute, you could get some serious history about the Savannah and town life from long ago.
Tip: After you’ve drunk the water, don’t throw away the nut! Have the vendor cut it, so you can get at the jelly.
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