Trinidad's Indian Sweets: for Divali and Beyond!

This time of year in Trinidad – Divali, Eid-ul-Fitr, Christmas, and New Year's (sometimes Hosay, depending on when it falls) is a boon for foodies, including those who love sweets!

Kurma, Ladoo, Gulab Jamun, Jalebi, Peera and Barfie...these are what have been satiating my sweet tooth since Divali last month. These delicious treats are enjoyed throughout the year but they are a must have around Divali in Trinidad. I have eaten Kurma on many occasions but the other sweets I am not very familiar with. This Divali I decided to sample all of them

 

I visited one shop in Curepe that carries food items, clothes, spices, ribbon, zippers, accessories, household items, books, Puja and cremation materials. The store was busy and I quickly headed over to the sweets rack. I was only able to get Kurma, Gulab Jamun and Peera. Everything else was sold out but I was told that you can order in advance at their on site bakery to ensure you get what you want during this busy time.

Excitedly I tried the Gulab Jamun first. It tastes similar to Kurma but is more grainy and isn’t as crispy. The consistency resembles that of a donut. Next I moved onto the Peera. It looks like fudge but is not as sweet. It has grainy texture and subtle taste of spices including ginger. Lastly I sampled the Kurma, which are thin strips of fried dough that are crispy and sweet. This remains my favorite. Yum!

I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy some Indian sweets during the Divali season. The following are the delicious sweets I sampled.

Kurma

Peera

Gulab Jamun

All images are Copyright 2010 © MEP Publishers / Ariann M Thompson

Ariann is ready to reacquaint herself with and in some cases ‘meet’ Trinidad and Tobago. Follow as she travels to different places and interacts with a multitude of faces while ‘Discovering T&T’.

Related articles

• Divali in Trinidad (meppublishers.blogspot.com)

My first Divali in Trinidad

What an amazing sight! Hundreds of flickering lights twinkling in the streets and in houses, all in honour of a Hindu festival called Divali.

Wikipedia says that the name Divali is itself a contraction of the word "Deepavali", which translates into "row of lamps". It is also known as the festival of lights. Divali is a five day festival culminating in the lighting of small clay lamps (called deyas) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil.

As usual, Trinidadians have put their own stamp on the festival by using coconut oil instead of the traditional ghee (clarified butter). I am told (and have seen photos) that the displays in the villages are a sight to be seen with bamboo split and bent into fantastic shapes all decorated with the lighted deyas.

As a new arrival in Trinidad, I was looking forward to seeing the lights of Divali. With my 6 year old daughter in tow, we "ooh-ed" and "aah-ed" over the amazing light shows even on our little back street in St. James. Though our plans to see the Divali Nagar (City of Lights) site in Chaguanas fell through, the houses that we saw just down our street were enough to get a feel for the festival.

There was a family on the corner setting off fireworks and lighting sparklers so we went to watch. They quickly and graciously shared their sparklers and firecrackers with us and invited us into their home offering us snacks and food. What a nice way to spend an evening and meet our neighbours!

Since Trinidad's population is close to 40% Indo-Trinidadian (primarily the descendants of indentured workers brought to work the sugar plantations), Divali has become one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. The last day of the festival is marked as a public holiday but in the days leading up to it, many people, even government ministers, dress in East Indian attire and attend variety shows featuring aspects of Indian and Hindu culture.
I am certainly looking forward to next year's event – we will definitely be taking a tour to see the more dazzling sights then. In the meantime, I will be soaking in the many multi-cultural events that mark Trinidad's calendar and you can look forward to more blog posts from a newcomer's perspective!

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