Hi Everyone,
While Phagwah is all about savoury snacking, Diwali is about sweet meats – sweet snacks and desserts. This sweet-laden festival brings out the sugar lovers in full force with offerings of Gulab Jamoon, Burfi/Barfi, Sweet Rice (Kheer), Peera and a host of other snacks including Laddoo.
Laddoo/Laddu is a ball-shaped sweet that is very popular in India. Given the influence on our cuisine, Laddoo is also made in the Caribbean. It is one of those sweets that is especially associated with celebrations – birth, weddings, religious festivals and other special occasions. It also forms part of the prasad offerings at temples. Laddoo can be made with a variety of ingredients but the most popular are those made with chickpea flour, wheat semolina and coconut. You can even make Laddoo with sago – toast the sago and then grind it into a powder. Of course these days it is easy to get already ground sago.
I’ve said this on more than one occasion in this space. One of the things I greatly miss about living in Guyana is the community and societal celebrations of the religious feasts and festivals we have. Regardless of what is happening in the country, and even if it is at the last minute, everyone gets involved in some way, even as a spectator. I have Hindus, Muslims, Catholics and Mormons in my family, immediate and extended. Therefore, when these occasions came around every-man-jack was on board and set to work preparing for the feast. What I especially liked is how much I got to learn on those occasions. The older folks talked about how things were