East Indian Supplies

Curry is a well-loved spice in Trinidad.

As is the case with Creole stews, just about any meat can be curried but the preferences are chicken, goat and duck. Curried duck is part of a larger social experience for Trinis, especially those of East Indian descent. It is key to the popular "river lime," where food is cooked on a riverbank in iron pots over an open flame.

Although south Trinidad is considered the home of East Indian food, there are two hallmarks of this cuisine that can be found anywhere on the island – roti and doubles. Roti (a stovetop roasted flatbread served with curried meat and vegetables such as potato, pumpkin and bodi) is an East Indian staple. There are many Trini varieties such as paratha, dosti, dhalpourie (made with yellow lentils) and aloopourie (made with potato. Doubles is the unofficial national breakfast, with many Trinidadians starting their day with two or three of these palm-size flour and split peas (yellow lentils) patties filled with spicy channa (chickpeas) and topped with different relishes.