The grapefruit is the first citrus fruit to originate in the Americas— on the little island of Barbados in the southeastern Caribbean, known by many as the land of Rihanna.
It is said that grapefruit emerged as a chance seedling— an accidental cross between the Jamaican sweet orange and the Indonesian pomelo fruit which was introduced to the region in 1683 by Captain Philip Chaddock. This would result in pomelo being commonly referred to as shaddock, and the words grapefruit and shaddock being used interchangeably by many Caribbean people.
It is easy to see why grapefruit was named “Forbidden Fruit” by the early English colonists. Having first been spotted in the lush, underground forests of Welchman Hall Gulley in the center of Barbados, it is said that when they discovered the citrus fruit growing there, they wondered if they had ventured into Eden of the bible.
Following its discovery, the novel fruit would grow rapidly in popularity.
There are several academic and cultural accounts of “forbidden fruit” that were recorded in Barbados during the 18th century. The earliest published record is said to have been in the book, “The Natural History of Barbados,” written in 1750 by Reverend Griffith Hughes, a natural historian and rector of the parish of St. Lucy, while another account was recorded by George Washington in the journal that he kept during his visit to Barbados, between 1750 and 1751, in which he described the experience of tasting the fruit at a local dinner party.
The first published record of the word “grapefruit” would appear in the 1837 book, Flora of Jamaica. It is thought that the fruit received this name because it grows in clusters that resemble grapes.
More than three centuries following the birth of the first forbidden fruit in the parish of St. Thomas, grapefruits continue to feature in Barbadian beverages and cocktails and in culinary creations and naturopathic applications.
Bajans are well aware of the positive metabolic effects and immune boosting benefits of the fruit and frequently drink the fresh juice when they are fighting the cold or flu, making sure to retain as much of the rind as possible, given the high concentration of bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents located there.
Tangy, juicy and fragrant— grapefruits are recognized and valued for their culinary applications. In cooking, the citrus fruit pairs well with fish or pork and is frequently used in dressings or marinades. The juice is sometimes used in ice creams and sorbets, while the peel can be candied and used in desserts. The fruit is often juiced for a refreshing fresh juice, or it is used in cocktails.
Trudiann Branker, the first female master blender of Barbados’ Mount Gay Rum— the world’s oldest brand of rum— uses Barbados grapefruit as a key ingredient in cocktails such as the “Forbidden Cooler” and “Speightstown Punch” both of which were featured in British Vogue.
The latter cocktail, which is named after a town in the parish of St. Peter, is made of Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, fresh grapefruit juice, ginger syrup and mint tea, and is garnished with a ginger slice, mint leaves, and a grapefruit slice.
Clayton’s Kola Tonic is a bitter sweet tonic made locally with orange, kola nuts and hops, is widely enjoyed on-island. A variety of cocktails are made using Clayton’s and grapefruit, including Clayton’s Pink Lady Grapefruit Cocktail, which consists of fresh pink grapefruit juice, fresh lemon juice, Claytons Kola Tonic, orange liqueur, gin and a grapefruit wedge to garnish, and Clayton’s Grapefruit Sunrise, which is made of Claytons Kola Tonic, grapefruit juice, grenadine and cinnamon.
Claytons Kola Bitters is also combined with honey in a salad dressing for a zesty and refreshing citrus salad featuring grapefruit.
At restaurants across the island, grapefruits are often used in salads, raw fish dishes or in marinades and dressings. Tapas’ Restaurant’s Tuna Tartare, contains raw tuna with orange zest, grapefruit citronette and tomato salsa, while Cafe Luna’s mixed local organic greens are dressed with a grapefruit vinaigrette.
Chef Dario Callender, CEO of Well Catered, a Barbados-based luxury private chef, catering and culinary consulting company, says that, “Apart from the numerous health benefits, grapefruit is one of the most versatile and bold citrus flavors.”
One of Callendar’s favorite recipes with the fruit is his Grapefruit & Orange ceviche with Avocado and Plantain Chips.
Barbados-based plant based Chef and wellness gastronomy consultant, Manuela Scalini enjoys using grapefruit in both savory dishes, such as her Grapefruit Avocado Tartare, or in simple deserts such as grapefruit ice cream.
Scalini’s grapefruit avocado salad is made with slow roasted beets and grilled fennel and served over a baby mesclun mix and microgreens salad. The salad is then topped with caramelized red onions, toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and drizzled with a creamy tarragon and apple cider dressing (made with zucchini, yellow peppers, olive oil, tarragon, mustard seeds, lemon and ACV).
As a zero-waste chef, Scalini is sure to make use of all parts of the grapefruit. She says that after preparing meals that require grapefruit, she uses the peel as an odor remover throughout her house. She also mixes the juice of grapefruit with vinegar for household cleaning purposes.
In addition to meals, beverages, and household uses, grapefruit can be found in local snacks, condiments and confections, and is used in oils, fragrances, and cosmetics.
In January 2023, local hand crafted ice cream and cake company, Little Bits released its highly acclaimed limited edition grapefruit sorbet. Also well received was boutique artisanal chocolatier, Green Monkey Chocolatiers’ Blushing Grapefruit Bears gummies which it has described as “the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavours of a ripe and juicy grapefruit.”
St. Lucy Botanists, a Barbados-based natural perfumer, has developed a number of products that pay homage to the famous Barbados grapefruit. Founder, Kathryn Walters Grisoni’s Grandiflorum compact solid perfume, made of natural beeswax and jojoba oil features notes of cold pressed pink grapefruit, while her Irie essential oil features grapefruit, bergamot and orange. St. Lucy Botanist’s Rind candles carry the scent of fresh and effervescent grapefruit and orange rind, with grapefruit infused oil which Grisoni says “has mood enhancing properties known to reduce stress and fatigue.”
Grapefruit undoubtedly holds a very special historic and cultural place in the heart of Barbados and its people. But despite its plethora of uses and extensive consumption, the country has not done as much as it could to capitalize on the fact that it is the birthplace of a fruit that is expected to have a market value of close to $12 billion by 2027.
I have always wondered why the Barbados tourism industry hasn’t made grapefruit more central to the country’s local tourism product— creating more grapefruit themed products, events and gastronomic experiences.
Forbidden fruit-themed cottage industries, export products, signature juices and cocktails, cosmetics, natural medicinals, household products, festivals and experiences, cookbooks, treats, specialty dishes, and restaurant experiences will hopefully be a part of Barbados’ not-too-distant future. (Source: Forbes, March 20, 2023)

CARIBBEAN Court of Justice judge Peter Jamadar will receive an honorary doctorate from a Canadian university, in May.
Victoria University, part of the University of Toronto, said its chancellor, Nick Saul, a renowned food and social justice activist, will confer the degree on May 11. The conferral is part of Victoria University Convocation and Emmanuel College Graduation.
Jamadar graduated from Emmanuel College, one of two colleges in Victoria University in the University of Toronto, in 1997.
Commenting on the honour, Jamadar said he was humbled and grateful to receive this honour.
"During my time studying at Emmanuel College, my belief in humanity’s interconnectedness and desire to impact a better world through conscious reflection, learning, adaptation and change really took shape.
“My legal work has always been informed by my theological formation, and I am very pleased to be joining another generation of graduates during convocation as they pursue their professional and spiritual journeys.”
In its announcement, the university said, “Throughout his accomplished career, he has anchored his work in his insights from law and theology, and his desire to build equitable communities and societies.
“He has focused on human rights issues such as gender-sensitive adjudication and human trafficking, as well as strengthening the justice system for historically marginalised groups such as persons with disabilities. He is currently engaged with research on Indigenous and tribal peoples of the Caribbean, and on strengthening their rights and access to justice.”
It also quoted Dr Rhonda N McEwen, president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University, who said, “I had the pleasure to speak to Justice Jamadar for the first time when I delivered the committee’s good news on his selection. I left that call even more impressed with the ways that he has translated his learning at Emmanuel College into his work to transform the criminal justice systems in the Caribbean and in Africa.
“Justice Jamadar is pushing longstanding biases and bringing needed changes to how systems have positioned issues affecting women and LGBT2S+ people. Justice Jamadar exemplifies the values and skills that Emmanuel College graduates contribute to a better world.”
He received his master of divinity from Emmanuel College, which prepared him for his roles as a lay preacher and educator with the Presbyterian Church in TT, his biography says.
He has served as chair of the board of directors at St Andrew’s Theological College, the primary theological institution of the Presbyterian Church, which has had a long partnership with the United Church of Canada.
He was also a faculty member at St Andrew’s, teaching at the undergraduate level.
Jamadar’s theological studies and values led him to join the Foundation for Human Development in 1999, a charitable organisation whose mission is to facilitate authentic personal growth, social development and spiritual transformation. He currently serves as a Vision Circle leader and on its faculty as a course director, his biography says.
Jamadar comes from a family of lawyers stretching back three generations.
A retired Appeal Court judge of the Supreme Court of TT, he graduated from the Faculty of Law Cave Hill, Barbados and the Hugh Wooding Law School.
In 1984, he was admitted to the Bar. In 1997, he was appointed a puisne judge of the High Court, and in 2008, he was elevated to the Court of Appeal. In 2019, he was sworn in as a judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the apex court for several Caribbean states and an international court of original jurisdiction for Caricom treaty rights.
Jamadar is also deeply involved in judicial education and training nationally, regionally and internationally. In 2004, he completed the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute’s (CJEI) intensive study programme for judicial educators and serves as a Fellow and faculty.
He also holds a certificate in training judicial trainers from the University College London Judicial Institute.
As a researcher, he has spearheaded Caribbean-based research in procedural fairness in the courts, exploring the wellbeing of Caribbean judicial officers, and mindfulness as an aid to judicial integrity and performance.
He was also an adviser for Hope Centre, a home for abused and battered children.
He is involved with the UN Global Integrity Network and assisted in the development of a global social media protocol for judicial officers. He works with other international organisations such as Global Affairs Canada and UN Women in Caribbean justice sector reform initiatives.
Jamadar has written two books on democratic reform: The Mechanics of Democracy (1989), and Democracy & Constitution Reform in Trinidad and Tobago (with Dr Kirk Meighoo) (2008).
For the Foundation for Human Development, he has written Glimpses (2016), and “Insights (2023). He has also written extensive articles and various publications relating to law.
Jamadar is a certified transpersonal psychologist and a certified mediator.
He is also a certified PADI open-water diver, qualified reiki practitioner, and a certified swim coach.

Inspired by the rich culture of Trinidad and Tobago, Tremayne Frauenfelder started creating miniature painted clay sculptures to represent the spirit of the islands. He replicates things such as panyards, traditional mas characters, colonial houses, the Queen’s Park Savannah during Carnival and poui trees in full bloom, or as he calls it "A Slice of our Culture."
One piece can take Frauenfelder a few hours, days, weeks or even months, depending on the subject and the amount of detail needed. The 42-year-old doesn’t shy away from making his pieces hyper-realistic and is determined to spend any length of time to achieve the look he is going for.

On his Instagram page frauenfelder_miniatures, he posts some of the sculptures he has done, including the fixtures that bring the pieces to life. On one of his Instagram highlights, he showed off an antique ceiling light which he completed at almost 4 am after working on it for hours.
Frauenfelder said although he didn't really have a love for sculpting and art, his parents and siblings influenced him to get into it. His journey to becoming an artist wasn’t a straightforward one. 
“I grew up in a house that was conducive to creativity: my parents and elder siblings are creatives. I’m the last of six, so everyone else was already making things and doing art, and there wasn’t any shock when I picked up and started doing the same thing.”
His mother is a seamstress and his father is a carpenter, and they both created mas costumes for the primary school he attended, Mt Lambert RC. He would observe his siblings colouring and drawing, and his sisters even making their own dolls' houses. He said, with a laugh, "The influence to be artistic was clearly heavy."
Frauenfelder said he started sculpting in 2005, but had to stop because life got in the way and it became too distracting to continue. But when he resumed in 2010, he vowed then and there that he would never stop sculpting and creating.
Since then his work, produced in his east Port of Spain studio, has been featured in various exhibits and has been sold to people in Canada, the US and even Jerusalem.
“When the Royal Caribbean cruise ship came to Trinidad, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts reached out to me to commission a piece for someone in management. So that piece is probably travelling the world.”
For people interested in buying his pieces, he said the prices of his work vary, and range from $1,800  up.
As for the rate of his sales, he said, “They go quickly. They don’t really stick around and have a nice conversation with me any more. As soon as I’m done, it’s like, ‘Okay, bye-bye.’”
Asked if he would ever offer classes, he said, “I have thought about it, but I decided not to, because I don’t know how serious anybody would be to really want to put the amount of money, patience and time.”
He has offered three workshops before, but has come to the conclusion that in order for someone to properly develop the skill would require a college-course layout that spans a few months.
He said when he first started creating hyper-realistic pieces he was clueless, but during his research he found a favourite artist on YouTube. He advises young artists to do the same.
“If you had said to me as a child that one day I can live off my art and exhibit, and that people from different countries will contact me to do commissions for them, I would have doubted you.”
He tells up-and-coming artists: “Just do it.” (Source: Newsday, March 18, 2023)

RADHICA DE SILVA  radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
A grand celebration is being planned for Naparima Girls' High School's 19 scholarship winners next Monday, as the school has copped the lion's share of national scholarships for 2023.
Speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, school principal Karen Bally said she was delighted that despite the odds, the school has continued to excel not only academically but also in co-curricular activities.
She said the love and support that teachers showed to students during the pandemic bore fruit, as was evidenced in the number of scholarships they won.
All of the students spent the past two years doing online classes.
"Our staff members went above and beyond, answering emails, correcting work and sending back work all hours of the morning and night. They really embraced the technology and ensured that all students attended the online classes," Bally said.
When students failed to attend online classes, Bally said the teachers reached out to parents to find out what was wrong. For those parents who lost their jobs, the school used funds from the Past Students Student Aid Fund to equip students with devices and connectivity. They also helped with groceries and teachers formed online clubs to maintain social interaction with children.
"We took care of their mental, social and emotional well-being. In cases where parents lost jobs and students were struggling, our past students counselled where necessary and ensured that all financial needs were provided for," she added.
Bally said the sisterhood which existed at NGHS was responsible for the continued success of all students.
"We always want what is best for our students. When they come to us, they become ours and we do our best to make sure they succeed not only in academics but in every other way so they become their best self," she said.
She noted that the key to Naparima's success was strong partnerships with all stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Church also congratulated the students.
"We are extremely grateful for the hard work and sacrifice of all our principals, teachers, students and parents of our five Secondary schools who have contributed to this success. Our schools received 39 scholarships out of the 100 awarded with Naparima Girls’ High School receiving nineteen, St. Augustine Girls’ High School receiving nine, Hillview College eight receiving eight and Naparima College receiving three," the PCTT said in a statement.
A total of 100 scholarships were awarded this year, of which 32 were open scholarships and 68 were national scholarships. (Source:  T&T Guardian, March 3, 2023)

​Dolly Nicholas is the first and only woman in Trinidad and Tobago to receive a national award for scientific invention? Nicholas, who has filed twelve scientific patents over the course of her career, was awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Silver) in 1990 and the Chaconia Medal (Silver) in 1999 for her contributions to the field of science and technology.
Dolly Nicholas (née Mungalsingh) was born in 1952 to a large family in Gasparillo. She attended Gasparillo Government Primary School and Naparima Girls High School before earning degrees in environmental polymer chemistry and analytical chemistry at universities in Canada.
After graduating, she began working at Lake Asphalt of Trinidad and Tobago Limited, where she conducted experiments in the laboratory’s facilities and emerged with a range of unique paints, adhesives and coatings. She eventually became the company’s Research and Development Director.
Between the years 2000 and 2017, Dolly Nicholas filed twelve patents for various methods of working with asphalt. One of her recent patents is a process that converts plastic bottles into usable products like epoxy coatings. In addition to this work, Nicholas is involved in programmes that aim to encourage women to pursue careers in science and innovation.
This photo is courtesy of the book, “Why Not A Woman?” (1993) compiled by Radhica Saith and featuring photography by Mark Lyndersay. The book was published by Paria Publishing Company Limited in 1993 and it is now part of the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago Reference Library.
References:
“Dolly Nicholas.” Icons, 1 June 2018, icons.niherst.gov.tt/icon/dolly-nicholas-cw/.
“Dolly Nicholas Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search.” Justia, patents.justia.com/inventor/dolly-nicholas. (Source: Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, August 7, 2022).

MYTHS AND SUPERSTITIONS.
As a Trini child growing up in 60s my mother did not go to the hardware to buy a broom
She made her own cocoyea broom made from shaft of the coconut leaves. The elderly still believe nothing could sweep the floor and yard like a cocoyea broom since it can remove debris and dust from hard to reach corners , even under beds. Remember growing up with this saying " a clean sweep".
But the cocoyea broom according to village elders was also a powerful weapon against evil spirits. It was used by village obeahman to beat off evil spirits from those possessed. It was also used to perform ritual of "jharaying" to heal persons with "malyeax" ( maljeau) . Today in our home you will still find two cocoyea brooms which we use to sweep the yard. Swifter jet sweepers are now the more popular sweeping tool in the home.
Oil Painting of East Indian Woman making a coconut broom from coconut leaves .( Model Carmelita Bissessarsingh) Painting done by Historical Artist Rudolph Bissessarsingh ( father of Angelo Bissessarsingh)
(Source: Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, Dec 28, 2022)

NOW Morning ShowTalented Trinidadian actress, Khadija Glasgow-Speer, continues to make waves internationally, as she concluded 2022 co-starring alongside popular American actor, Morris Chestnut, in veteran director, Malcolm D Lee’s, “The Best Man: Final Chapters.” Find out all about it as Khadija chats with Natasha about her experience.