Society influences
what people eat and to this extent, our menus and recipes reflect that
influence. On the platforms where we operate, almost all personnel are
Trinidadian, so quite naturally our menus are very Caribbean and more
so very Trinidadian.
For
example, we have to cater for:
Christians who generally
eat almost anything, though some may be vegetarians and some will refrain
from eating meat on Fridays in Lent, but more often than not Christians,
who represent well over 50% of the population in T&T, are meat eaters.
Hindus who eat very
little meat; strict Hindus are vegetarians, and none eat beef, as the cow
is sacred to them.
Moslems who eat no
pork and who only eat meat that has been prepared according to Moslem custom
by a halal butcher; whether it is poultry, lamb or beef, all are subject
to this condition and, as a caterer, we comply.
There is no Jewish population
here to speak of, so Kosher meals are not a requirement.
In addition, we have to look
out for those on special diets, particularly Diabetics. As time goes on,
we are seeing quite a few offshore workers being diagnosed with diabetes.
As a result, our company is addressing this situation by having all our
cooks participate in a special culinary course being organized by the John
S. Donald Technical Institute, designed to educate them in cooking for
a healthier life style, preparing menus for Diabetics and an introduction
to 'Nouveau Cuisine'.
This
tomato grew in the shape of "Tomato Ducky "
FAVOURITE
MENUS
Curries, traditionally fundamental
to the Indian population both Hindu and Moslem, have, over the course of
years, become just as popular with the larger Trinidadian population. In
particular, Roti (pronounced as if it was spelt 'Roe Tea'), a pita bread
like pastry, served with hot curries and all types of meat (with the exception
of pork) which is recognized as a national dish. A visitor to T&T cannot
leave without sampling a Hot Roti. So naturally, this is a favourite offshore.
Universally, people love
Chinese food. Some form of Chinese food is on the menu at least once a
week. A hot meal is served every 6 hours, beginning with Breakfast. Two
entrées are offered with each meal.
Baking is indigenous. Pastry
and fruit are available 24 hours a day, so a baker's job is challenging.
He has ample opportunity to 'explatiate' (show off).