In a couple of days it will be Valentine’s. As I thought of what to write about this week, I recalled my Love Letter to Guyanese Cuisine that I wrote last year. This year, it had me thinking of some favourite Guyanese food pairings that go so well together, they are a taste of home. Here they are in no particular order.
Pumpkin & Roti – Sweet, ripe, thick, deep-coloured pumpkin cooked until soft and mashed with the back of a potspoon, whether by itself or with white-belly shrimp, this is a crowd pleaser. A popular and favourite accompaniment is soft, hot, leafy, hand-clapped paratha roti. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this combo works. Every time.
Tennis Roll & Cheese – Do we still make 3 sizes of Tennis Rolls in Guyana? Remember there used to be the small one, the regular sized roll and then a large roll? The smaller ones could be made into sliders, and when we were very young, Mom would give us those because we could never finish the regular sized rolls, so we ate the baby Tennis Rolls (lol). Anyway, getting a bit off topic here. Fresh from the bakery, the bread van or corner shop and smelling delightful, halved though still clinging together and stuffed with some sharp cheddar cheese, Tennis Roll & Cheese is almost a favourite of everyone, and it is good at any time of the day or night, chased down with a preferred hot or cold beverage.
Cream Soda & Milk – It only seemed fitting that this must follow the Tennis Roll and Cheese. Ice cold, this pairing is of an Icee Cream Soda and Carnation evaporated milk swirled together with cubes of ice in a tumbler-like glass or an enamel cup. The ice hits the sides of the cup as you stir with your index finger (smile). Side note – there was a grocery store here in Barbados that I used to get my Banks Shandy and Icee Cream Soda from, now I don’t see them at all. Not for the past 18 months. If any of you reading this know someone at Banks DIH, find out when Banks beverages are coming to Barbados’ shelves.
Puri & Sour – Hot, thin, round, and filled with spiced ground split peas, this stuffed roti is good on its own when it is well made. However, with lashings of sour, folded and rolled, it easily becomes a handheld food with a favourite cold drink in the other hand. When I was in 5th Form at secondary school, my friend Evelyn and I bought Dhal Puri with sour every day for lunch. We liked to have it with a red Icee drink.
Dhal & Rice – Since we are talking dhal puri, it makes sense that dhal and rice should be next on the list. Whenever my friend Priya cooks dhal and rice, she refers to it as her dhal plate because there are like 6 other things that adorn the plate – from coconut choka to fried salt fish. Together, by themselves, dhal and rice are a sumptuous, nutritious, and tasty plate of food. Okay, if you want, have a lil achar. Imagine – soft fluffy white rice mixed with dhal flavoured with a garlic and jeera spiced infused oil; it is one of life’s pleasures.
Plantain & Eggs – It matters not which stage of the plantain you like – green, turning, half ripe or ripe – cooked, and served with eggs on the side, this is a belly-full combo that is comforting. A real taste of home.
Cook-up Rice & Fried Ripe Plantains – One of the most pleasurable things about eating Cook-up rice is the side things like fried ripe plantains, fried fish, especially Bangamary, and the little salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. However, if there is one of those things that truly makes the dish, it is the fried, sweet ripe plantains that complement the savouriness of the dish so well. There never seems to be enough fried ripe plantains when eating Cook-up.
Buns & Mauby – Weekend baking and sunny afternoons come to mind when I think of these two things. The buns of choice: coconut. The mauby, sweet, ripe, and rich with the natural flavour of the bark mingled with the spices, a little froth from the pouring sits on the surface. Ice cold or with ice, the mauby in one hand and a coconut bun in the other. Bite, chew, sip, swallow, and repeat. So darn good.
Metemgee &/or Fried Fish, &/or Salt fish, &/or boiled eggs – Take your pick of your preferred combination. Whichever you choose, they complete a plate of Metem.
Bakes & Salt Fish – You’d be hard pressed to find anyone that will dispute the gastronomic delight of these two things, together. Soft puffed bakes with pockets to fill fried salt fish with sweet onions, fresh herbs, lots of hot pepper and if you like, tomatoes. This right here is a meal in itself.
Taking things a little wider, we have some food couplings that people across the Caribbean like – white rice and corn beef, bakes/johnny cakes and salt fish, rice and peas (in various preparations), baked chicken and macaroni pie.
What are some of your favourite food and beverage pairings?
Enjoy the dedicated love day on Tuesday but remember that love is not just for a day.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
