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Bajan dishes on the menu
Published on: 11/25/2009.
STEAMED FLYING FISH and cou cou, conkies, fish cakes, sugar cakes and local juices.
All the items on that mouth-watering menu made up the day's special at Welches Primary School, St Thomas, yesterday, where the smells of the local dishes replaced that of chalk, rubbers, markers, paint and crayons.
Principal D'Orsus Barker, teachers and a number of volunteers donned aprons and had a fun time teaching the students how to make the traditional treats.
Barker said they felt it was important to pass on the local recipes to the young ones in order to preserve Barbados' heritage.
"We're teaching them how to cook some of the Bajan dishes, which young people nowadays don't know how to cook. We're losing it [our heritage]. We have such young grandparents now that they don't know it to teach it," she said.
Class Four student Sharise Hoyte was a quick study. She rattled off the ingredients and method for preparing fish cakes to the MIDWEEK NATION and gave the assurance that she would be making them from scratch for her mother sometime next week.
The conkie makers got an idea of the sweat, and sometimes tears, that go into the process. They were actively involved in grating the pumpkin and sweet potato and preparing the banana leaves.
The golden apple juice-making turned out to be a lesson in problem-solving as well. The small food processor got off to a hard start, and class teacher Marva Morris had to try a couple of methods to get it working.
Developing healthy habits was the main focus when it came to sweetening the beverage. The Class One students knew that diabetes was a serious concern in the country and were cautioned against using too much sugar.
Barker said the practical cooking activity was part of the school's annual Independence celebrations. Activities got under way on Monday with a flag raising ceremony; the school goes on tour to places of interest today; the National Sports Council's Michael Jules will be the guest speaker tomorrow, followed by an inter-house quiz in the afternoon.
The week concludes on Friday with local and other fun games. (YB)
25 comment found!
God Bless You Barbados : 11/25/2009
My mouth is watering for some steamed flying fish and cou cou, conkies, fish cakes, sugar cakes and local juices. I am wishing for some of those dishes rightnow. Well done, Principal D'Orsus Barker, teachers, volunteers and students of the Welches Primary School, St Thomas: I spoke to my returnee brother, in Bim today, and he was telling me about all the goodies he is enjoying down there. Make a girl wants to take the next flight to Bim. God Bless.
Bajan dishes on the menu : 11/25/2009
We need to pass on this godly heritage to our children.We're raising children who think macaroni pie and chicken is our national dish.
To R.V.Sealy one of the guys you asked about Sackee Gregoir has passed on. Maybe someone else can give you some information about the others.
Bajan Recipes : 11/25/2009
I would be great to see the nation news paper post some bajan recipes on the web site.
Bajan Living in
Tampa, Florida
R.V. SEALY : 11/25/2009
YOu think after 43 years, Jammy Griffith, Big Head Hilbourn Watson, Ivan Hunte, etc., want to hear from you? What kind of friend are you to distance yourself from them for such a long, long, long, time?
Man cheupse, you dont hear me shouting out for Nook Rudder, Gilmour Stuart, Nut Headley, Margaret Charles, Cynthia Watson, Cecil Walton, Vere Rock and dem dere guys. 43 years is a long, long time. ha ha ha ah
Domestic Science : 11/25/2009
It is wonderful to have a special time to make those traditional dishes. I remember Miss Clarke and Miss Haynes at Princess Margaret Comprehensive Secondary School in the Domestic Science room teaching us how to wash, cook, and be decent young women.
God bless Miss Clarke and Miss Haynes.
Bajan Dishes : 11/25/2009
It is sad to see that because of parents working as hard as they are in Barbados to keep the roof over their heads and the autos on the roads, they have no time to teach their children the art of Bajan cuisine. I very happy that my mother taught me these skills which I have taught my own children. Added to that, the Fast-food industry and the availability of food from the many vendors on the street and corner shops has also done a disservice to these young people,guess that is the price of progress. Whenever I visit I long for a roast breadfruit,LOL LOL LOL, but who in Barbados roast breadfruit these days. That was my first introduction into cooking as a kid. Next was roasting potatoes and corns under the coal pot hearth when clothes were being ironed on Fridays.
Later it was beating eggs and making batter for "pudding/pound cake". Now everybody high up and better off with modern conveniences and small appliances. Personally I think the hands did a better job. I don't think young men understand that a woman loves a man who can cook her a meal. Am I writing from experience? sure. It is also healthier because you know the ingredients you are using, however the amount of preservatives in processed foods is causing all sorts of health problems.
To you folks in PA, take a ride to Plainfield or the Oranges in the New Jersey check out a Korean store and buy all the West Indian produce you need for cooking like you are in Barbados.
nuff said!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL
Bajan dishes : 11/25/2009
only last night i was lookingthrough a book of bajan recipes that i had bought while on holiday in Barbados,znd i don't reconize half of these recipes or some of the names that contributed to the book. Whatever happened to the recipes from people like Carmeta Fraiser. Iwas trying to find arecipe for okra slosh***YUMMY***Bajan in New Jersey
Bajan dishes : 11/25/2009
only last night i was lookingthrough a book of bajan recipes that i had bought while on holiday in Barbados,znd i don't reconize half of these recipes or some of the names that contributed to the book. Whatever happened to the recipes from people like Carmeta
fraiser. i was trying to find a recipe for okra slosh---Yummy**** New Jersey Bajan
Bajan food : 11/25/2009
Apart from Cou-Cou, I really don't see what is so great about Bajan food. Pepper-pot, or Roti now that is so "delish"
Bajan Food : 11/25/2009
I am in Atlanta but bajan food is on the menu; from fish caked, coconut bread, pone, cou cou and conkies to name a few. I learned well from my grand mother Aunt May and my mother. It is refreshing to read that Principal Barker and his staff are teaching the youth about bajan foods and the art of preparing them. Is the minister of education taking note? Hmmmm!
: 11/25/2009
It is Thanksgiving in the USA on Thursday so we can celebrate with bajan foods. I just googled Coconut bread and I got several choices of good recipies. All the stuff is here in the USA for cooking the bajan dishes, even the bananas leaves for making the conkies washed and pre-packed. The the meal comes fine or course but it is available. One this for sure in America you have to buy everything. Last week I paid $2.50 for a coconut. Of course the food does not taste as fresh as the bajan stuff because of the preservatives but if you can cook, you would not even know if the food was cook in bim or the USA.
A GOOD COOK IN NEW JERSEY WHO LEARNED TO COOK IN BIM
: 11/25/2009
It is Thanksgiving here so we can celebrate with bajan foods. I just googled Coconut bread and I got several choices of good recipies. All the stuff is here in the USA for cooking the bajan dishes, even the bananas leaves for making the conkies washed and pre-packed. The the meal comes fine or course but it is available. One this for sure in America you have to buy everything. Last week I paid $2.50 for a coconut. Of course the food does not taste as fresh as the bajan stuff because of the preservatives but if you can cook, you would not even know if the food was cook in bim or the USA.
A GOOD COOK IN NEW JERSEY WHO LEARNED TO COOK IN BIM
bon apetit! : 11/25/2009
i love golden apples, when i am home i buy them by the bagful!
sounds like a treat, wish i were there.
schoolmates : 11/25/2009
Where are Hilbourne Watson, Jammi Griffith, Sackee Gregoire, Ivan Hunte, Andy Lashley, Erskine Harewood and all my old school buddies from High School??? Man I miss you guys. Talk to me somebody. I have not had sea eggs and conkies since I left 43+ years ago. R.V.Sealy in PHILA.
conkies : 11/25/2009
Could somebody send me a couple conkies? I've been away to Phila, PA for 43+ years and I miss the conkies, sea egg, guinea gonga roots that my schoolmate Hilbourne Watson from Hillaby used to tell me about at Modern H.S. Does anyone know where Hilbourne, Jammi Griffith or Sacki are. "Lord" Ralph V. Sealy
bajan dishes : 11/25/2009
to get any recipe for Barbadian dishes just Google Barbados recipes and you get everything. --------DIVA
Send some for me : 11/25/2009
Please send me some of this to Philly... Lord I miss Barbados, can't wait to XMAS.
Annette Downey : 11/25/2009
these might help:
http://cawhite.tripod.com/
http://www.infocarib.com/barbadianrecipes.html
http://giovannisrock.blogspot.com/2008/07/coconut-turnovers.html
Bajan Dishes : 11/25/2009
Great job done by Principal Barker and her staff. How about this team getting a bit more creative and putting all those recipes into a cookbook? I am sure that Barbadians abroad would purchase for themselves and also to give as gifts. Just a suggestion!!!
Barbadian living in Canada
bajan dishes : 11/25/2009
I am a bajan living in Canada, could u possible\ send me the receipes here,or any receipes. would luv them.tks Annette Downey
email acdowney@rogers.com TKs so much
I think this great that the young people
are learning to cook,they'll never regret it.
home economics in secondary school : 11/25/2009
It is good to introduce the primary school students to our national dishes by getting them involved in the preparations. When i was in secondary school they taught us how to cook but i really don't remember them teaching us how to make any bajan dishes at all. I learned to cook cou-cou for myself after my grandmother died and I had no other way of getting it because my mother doesnt eat it, and she is not interested in cooking it, and my only other alternative is my auntie and she's in barbados so i had to learn because i dont want to buy it.
Bajan Dishes are our tradition!!!!! : 11/25/2009
That is GREAT for the young children to learn our dishes. This we can have them pass on to future generations. Thank God for Ms. Baker for making this happen!!!!!!!!!!!
Local Dishes : 11/25/2009
I think that is a very wonderfull thing to do. Making sure that our youth knows how to cook the true BAJAN DISHES.
: 11/25/2009
Ms. Barker, a lot of those Bajan dishes are left over from the slave era and becase they were made mainly from scraps and whatever was left over they took an inordinate amount of labour to produce. These days people don't have that fortitude or time and can probably get something much faster, like a greasy burger or horrible fried chicken from the fast food people, which, even though fast is not healthy. The young people don't want to take the time for that.
great : 11/25/2009
man i wishwe did that when i was in school because i dont know how to make conkies, pudding n souse
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