BEFORE RIHANNA "put Barbados on the map",as Bajans are won't to say, there were two "ambassadors" silently introducing the world to Barbados.

Exhibited under the title: Aloe Barbadensis, Barbados Aloe; these plants are located at the San Diego Zoo, California. Zoo officials were unable to provide any information about their origin, but it is known that they are grown in other parts of the world.

Also known as "the royalty of aloes", Aloe Barbadensis can be found listed as an ingredient in many high-end cosmetics. Some circles argue that Philip Miller, who classified the plant, mistakenly believed that it was indigenous to Barbados. It is a misnomer that Bajans can exploit.

Inferior in taste

For example, canned sugar cane with cane juice and canned soursop juice from Thailand are inferior in taste and quality to the raw products grown in Barbados. Bay leaves bottled in New York lack the aroma and intensity of the variety cultivated on the island.

Now that we have the lovely and famous Rihanna as a spokesperson for foreign products, we should not hesitate in hiring her to introduce the world to a whole new line of home-grown "Barbadensis" products.

– VALENCE R. NICHOLS