Earlier this month, my Chinese friends ushered in the Year of the Rat. It’s supposed to be a time of hard work, activity, and renewal.
In terms of hard work and activity, it makes this year no different from any, but I’m eager to see where the renewal will come, as change is the only certainty in life.
The Chinese community in the Caribbean is small, but their achievements are quite significant and certainly, the region’s culture would be poorer without them.
In food terms, Chinese food in the Caribbean - particularly in Trinidad and Cuba - has become ‘creolised’ and I can safely say that chow har lok in Port of Spain tastes totally different (or better) from chow har lok in London, even though the same basic ingredients are used.
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Do we buy enough from each other in the Caribbean? Sometimes I wonder.
There’s no reason why fruit and veg from Chiquita and Dole should be flooding our supermarkets when we should be engaging in Fairtrade to give the farmers in places like St Lucia and Dominica a chance to get a fair price for their products.
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One of my friends has as his instant messaging tag: Sometimes, simple is the most difficult.
It’s a sentiment that I totally agree with right now.
I had a look at a recipe for salt crackers and thought it would be easy, but unfortunately, it’s one of the trickiest things I’ve ever made.
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