Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Things Caribbean
For most people outside the region the Caribbean is seen as a place of endless sea and sand.Those of us who live here know it is much more than a tourism brochure with many real problems like crime and the rate of HIV infection on the rise.Whilst we share a common culture there is something that distinguishes each island from the other.Take the simple matter of accents that serve to identify where each person is from.One may be forgiven for being unable to readily identify the Leeward Islands accents but there is no way you can miss the Barbadian,Trinidadian or Jamaican accents.
Apart from the accents,has anybody ever noticed that certain names originate from a particular island ?For example Callender is a Bajan surname as is Headley,Gayle is Jamaican,Liburd is Kittian or Nevisian etc.In St Vincent there is the situation where certain surnames are linked to races or even a geographical area.Names like Lavia,Ballantyne,Baptiste and Nanton to name a few are associated with those of Carib descent.Stapletons and Ferdinands originate from the village of Rose Hall,while Hoopers live mainly in Petit Bordel on the Leeward end of the island.
Then there are the various types of food that are served around the region.Windward Islanders have a taste for wild meat viz iguana,manicou and mountain chicken.Am not supposed to say this but some Grenadians eat monkey. Shhhh,don't say you heard it here.One thing though,Cbean food is noted for its spiciness,highly seasoned foods and the use of stuff like coconut milk.Jamaicans speciality is jerk,the Guyanese pepperpot and of course doubles is Trinidadian.Added to that there are countless sweets like sugar cakes,fudge and tamarind balls to satisfy any sweet tooth.Did I mention all the exotic fruits like sugar apples,my personal favorite golden apples, mangoes, sapodillas,plums,plumroses,guavas and others too numerous to mention? I think I'd better stop before I make myself too hungry.
Any mention of the Caribbean is incomplete without mention of the music.From reggae/dancehall originating in Jamaica to the soca sounds born in Trinidad the beat is enough to keep us moving in a way that only Caribbean people can.Oops,I almost forgot the chutney (sorry Devin) and the zouk of the French Islands.The festivals of the Caribbean is a whole other blog so am not even going to mention them.Let's just say Caribbean people love a lime(party/hang out for my non Cbean readers).Let's hear your observations.
Pic of the plumrose(could not get it posted below)
Apart from the accents,has anybody ever noticed that certain names originate from a particular island ?For example Callender is a Bajan surname as is Headley,Gayle is Jamaican,Liburd is Kittian or Nevisian etc.In St Vincent there is the situation where certain surnames are linked to races or even a geographical area.Names like Lavia,Ballantyne,Baptiste and Nanton to name a few are associated with those of Carib descent.Stapletons and Ferdinands originate from the village of Rose Hall,while Hoopers live mainly in Petit Bordel on the Leeward end of the island.
Then there are the various types of food that are served around the region.Windward Islanders have a taste for wild meat viz iguana,manicou and mountain chicken.Am not supposed to say this but some Grenadians eat monkey. Shhhh,don't say you heard it here.One thing though,Cbean food is noted for its spiciness,highly seasoned foods and the use of stuff like coconut milk.Jamaicans speciality is jerk,the Guyanese pepperpot and of course doubles is Trinidadian.Added to that there are countless sweets like sugar cakes,fudge and tamarind balls to satisfy any sweet tooth.Did I mention all the exotic fruits like sugar apples,my personal favorite golden apples, mangoes, sapodillas,plums,plumroses,guavas and others too numerous to mention? I think I'd better stop before I make myself too hungry.
Any mention of the Caribbean is incomplete without mention of the music.From reggae/dancehall originating in Jamaica to the soca sounds born in Trinidad the beat is enough to keep us moving in a way that only Caribbean people can.Oops,I almost forgot the chutney (sorry Devin) and the zouk of the French Islands.The festivals of the Caribbean is a whole other blog so am not even going to mention them.Let's just say Caribbean people love a lime(party/hang out for my non Cbean readers).Let's hear your observations.
Pic of the plumrose(could not get it posted below)
# posted by Abeni @ 8:00 AM 
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ya workin fa de tourist board now or what? :-)
Know what you mean about the names though. Met a fella one time up here, looked bajan and his last name was Greenidge. Swore he was bajan and I was partially right. Family originated in barbados but he was raised in St Kitts. Dont forget Brathwaite thats gt to be like the number one bajan name right there.
whats plumrose by the way?
Know what you mean about the names though. Met a fella one time up here, looked bajan and his last name was Greenidge. Swore he was bajan and I was partially right. Family originated in barbados but he was raised in St Kitts. Dont forget Brathwaite thats gt to be like the number one bajan name right there.
whats plumrose by the way?
No Tourist board nutten.I have some weird friends who ever so often does come up with what they think should be my topics.Plumrose is this pinkish or maroon colored fruit with a white flesh.Trinis call it pommerac if that helps.Don't think I have ever seen any growing in Bdos though.
Why r u not supposed to say that? The cultures have certain uniquenesss to them and there are things that happen in other islands that don't happen at home. Iguanas are a delicacy on some islands while others turn up their noses at the thought. conch is a Bahamian national dish but is a slimey sea snail in other countries. What I marvel at is the different names the various islands have for the same item. Where does your name originate Kami?
Jdid,nah not fat pork.No comparison between fat pork/sea side grapes and plumrose.I have to go find a pic now so you can see.
Scratchie,Spanish origin.We eat conchs here too especially in the Grenadines.
Scratchie,Spanish origin.We eat conchs here too especially in the Grenadines.
Girl, you sure can come up with some good topics. We islanders are a treasure in ourselves. The various names, accents and of course food do set us apart.
Jdid we don't have Plumrose in Barbados. If I have it right, it's a fruit with a fresh taste and the Trinis use it to make drink, but not really to eat. It also grows here in Venezuela but they don't use them. You also realize that one of those names you mentioned is mine.
Kami in the music area yuh fuget spooge originating outof Barbados...wait wunna old enuff tuh know wha Spooge is doh.
Jdid we don't have Plumrose in Barbados. If I have it right, it's a fruit with a fresh taste and the Trinis use it to make drink, but not really to eat. It also grows here in Venezuela but they don't use them. You also realize that one of those names you mentioned is mine.
Kami in the music area yuh fuget spooge originating outof Barbados...wait wunna old enuff tuh know wha Spooge is doh.
ok i neva see no plumrose then. as fa spouge i gine leave my thoughts on that quiet for now cause I still need to travel wid a bajan passport
yes Kami we call it a otahiti apple. The very dark red ones are the sweetest and the juiciest. Watch out for added protein (of the wormasaurus wrigglius kind).
Well yes it all depends on which colonial master stayed around the most I suppose.
Shillingford is a distinctively Dominican name. And though we share many French names with other french influenced islands some are found only in D/ca.
Music: D/ca originated two genre if I could say that. Cadance which is very similar to Martinique/Guadeloupe-Zouk, Haitian-Compaq but different. And Bouyon which a more recent invention; a mixture of local jing-ping, cadance, soca, jam band etc. The exponents of Bouyon is local band WCK.
Shillingford is a distinctively Dominican name. And though we share many French names with other french influenced islands some are found only in D/ca.
Music: D/ca originated two genre if I could say that. Cadance which is very similar to Martinique/Guadeloupe-Zouk, Haitian-Compaq but different. And Bouyon which a more recent invention; a mixture of local jing-ping, cadance, soca, jam band etc. The exponents of Bouyon is local band WCK.
Yeah, Kami, what you have pictured there is the otahiti apple and it is well well irie! I used to have a monster tree in my backyard when I was between 9 and 18 and I tell you, I spent many happy hours up in that tree, picking apples and eating them, throwing the seed away and stretching out my are to pick another and begin the cycle all over again. Thats the tree that I jumped out of, incidentally, when one time, when I stretched out to pick an apple, my eyes made four with a very large, saw backed green lizard. :-o
Anywayz, those apples are good stuff.
As for lastnames, I am not sure that I would select any last names that are "jamaican" in the sense of how you are talking about names. Jamaica is full of all kinds of names, so its hard to single any out as "originating" from Jamaica...
Cayman, however is another matter.
Caymanian names include Bush, Bodden, Ebanks, McLaughlin, with Bodden and Ebanks being the most prolific and with Ebanks being perhaps number one
Anywayz, those apples are good stuff.
As for lastnames, I am not sure that I would select any last names that are "jamaican" in the sense of how you are talking about names. Jamaica is full of all kinds of names, so its hard to single any out as "originating" from Jamaica...
Cayman, however is another matter.
Caymanian names include Bush, Bodden, Ebanks, McLaughlin, with Bodden and Ebanks being the most prolific and with Ebanks being perhaps number one
MB
Yeah they real good.I sorry for Jdid them who doh know what they missing.All the people I know with the surname Gayle originate from JA.So I assumed it has its "roots" there.
Yeah they real good.I sorry for Jdid them who doh know what they missing.All the people I know with the surname Gayle originate from JA.So I assumed it has its "roots" there.
Kami, Jamaicans make juice from 'plumrose' as well, It is a nice fruit...have a tree myself. JDid, it grow easy from the seed. 'Import' a few into Bim and you coulda mek a money! Dr. D.
# posted by 
: 9:01 PM
: 9:01 PM
Hi, my surname by marriage is jno-baptiste. Not too surprised to hear that Baptiste is associated with Carib descent - my father-in-law always said he was Arawak! Do you know where the link with caribs comes from?
# posted by : 3:07 PM
: 3:07 PM
Plumrose does grow in Barbados. You just have to learn to look for the trees. They are not many of them though. I am Barbadian but my Dad is Vincy so when he came from one his trips he brought back some for me. I loved it. The drink from it is really good.
# posted by : 6:36 AM
: 6:36 AM
What i miss about the Caribbean Islands
climate,water sports,
the comfort,the food,the quietness,landscape,sunbathing,the
distractions,meeting different people,voodoo sessions, sailing, rafting e.t.c
climate,water sports,
the comfort,the food,the quietness,landscape,sunbathing,the
distractions,meeting different people,voodoo sessions, sailing, rafting e.t.c
# posted by : 9:54 AM
: 9:54 AM
i am half Caribbean, but i have never been there before.Who can tell me more about their experiences there.
# posted by : 10:21 AM
: 10:21 AM
In St Lucia Fat Porks and Sea grapes are not the same. They both are found near the sea at Vigie Beach. I am trying to remember the other words that went along with Quik Quak-my spelling because that was what we said at the end of each story we told. Finding that Trinidadians said "Crick Crack" has been helpful: same custom different place. This is how I came across the knowledge of a fruit called Pommerac. I can not place that fruit in memory from description I would like to say Fat Pork. I would like to see a picture of the fruit. Sea grapes--the fruits are in clusters like regular grapes with not much flesh to it. The flesh is definitely not white whereas Fat Pork has the white flesh, thin rose colored skin and big seed. Language is marvelous we could be using the same name for different fruits. The ackee in St lucia is not the same as the ackee in Jamaica.
# posted by : 10:30 AM
: 10:30 AM
I’m a Bajan and who tasted a plumrose for the first time (to my knowledge) today. My goddaughter’s mom who’s Vincentian told me that the fruit on the tree in my church’s yard, unbeknownst to most of the church members, were called plumroses and quite edible.
It had a familiar flavor but the one I had was immature and I was told they tasted much better when ripe.
It had a familiar flavor but the one I had was immature and I was told they tasted much better when ripe.
I'm a Vincy now living in the states. I've been looking for plumrose for years now and can't seem to find them here. I was told I have to go to Florida to get them but people I know in Florida have no idea what i'm talking about. I later realize that there are different names but some of the names are for different fruits and not plumrose. Anyway when I find some I ain't letting it outta my sight again. Can't wait to go back to Colonarie to see my old house if it's still there.
# posted by : 2:11 PM
: 2:11 PM
In Guyana, the fruit pictured is called cashew (i.e. pink or red cashew) depending on the color. Other cultures call it mountain apple. Whatever its called, its deelish!
# posted by : 4:46 PM
: 4:46 PM
Hi I live on Nevis and we call them Plumrose. They are delicious.
I used to live on Montserrat and it is also called a Plumrose there too. They are the most beautiful tree and the Hummingbirds love them.
I am trying to find a photo of a mature one on line. Mine in the garden are very young and only about 4 ft. high. They are growing fast though.
I hope that you do not mind my butting in but I found your site when trying to find photos of the tree.
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I used to live on Montserrat and it is also called a Plumrose there too. They are the most beautiful tree and the Hummingbirds love them.
I am trying to find a photo of a mature one on line. Mine in the garden are very young and only about 4 ft. high. They are growing fast though.
I hope that you do not mind my butting in but I found your site when trying to find photos of the tree.
# posted by : 3:47 PM
: 3:47 PM << Home
