Remember the days of crown corks ?
The crown cork was a very simple bottle cap we that were part of our daily lives. But how many of us "Ever wonder who thought of this idea of using cork inside a bottle cap and why? The crown cork was in fact the first form of bottle cap and was the brain child of William Painter in 1892 in Baltimore. It's design was quite simple and it was composed of normal metal with a knurled end in the form of an inverted crown, hence the name of crown cap. To effectively prevent leakage of liquid, the cap was covered with a thin cork disc, itself covered with a film sealing the contents of the bottle. This precaution avoided the direct contact between the liquid and the metal, which could have badly affected the taste of the beverage. The crown cap was widely used for many alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.This design remained relatively unchanged until the 1960s, when plastic discs – less prone to deterioration or contamination — superseded the old cork seals. Another fascinating historical fact is that the single-use crimped crown corks became one of the world’s first successful disposable products. When I began my teaching career the infant teachers collected these crown corks , drilled holes in the middle with a hammer and nails and then placed sets of ten on a thick piece of soft wire. This was used to teach infants counting from one to ten and to add numbers. For craft older students used corks to make zwills. (Source: Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago, Jan 8, 2024)
0 Comments
Cocoa: Worth its weight in silver Angelo Bissessarsingh (Researcher and writer)
January 5, 2014 One of the great agricultural potentials of Trinidad is its ability to produce cocoa of the highest quality. But in a land which formerly led the world in production of the golden bean, the industry has dwindled to near oblivion. This column is the first of a three-part series which will take a historical look at cocoa and how it once drove the local economy. Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is the name given to a tree which was known to Meso-American peoples such as the Aztecs, Olmecs and Mayans for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. The Mayans believed that chocolate was a food from the gods, given to them by the Feathered Serpent, Quetzalcoatl. Christopher Columbus encountered the beans in 1502, as did Hernan Cortes, who dominated the Aztecs in the Yucatan. Cortes and his conquistadores were served a bitter, hot beverage spiced with pepper and little resembling the stuff we call chocolate today. Cocoa seems to have been introduced in Trinidad in the 17th century, since it was one of the few cash crops cultivated for export by the Spanish settlers. It was also grown by subjugated Amerindians on the missions established by Capuchin monks from 1687-90. Cocoa constituted almost the only export of the colony and was much in demand in Europe—especially in France, where chocolate drinking was becoming vogue. Cocoa was worth its weight in silver, so that one morning in 1716, the frightened residents of Puerta de los Hispanoles (Port-of-Spain) saw an armed sloop sweep in and seize upon a brig loaded with cocoa bound for Spain. The pirate ship belonged to the notorious Benjamin Hornigold, an American buccaneer, and it was under the command of a young protégé of his named Edward Teach, who would later terrorise the high seas as Blackbeard. In 1725 witchbroom disease struck the cocoa plantations and this was seen by some as a divine punishment because the planters had not been paying their tithes. The island’s economy grew exponentially at the end of the 1700s as the introduction of the Cedula of Population encouraged (mostly French) Catholic planters and their slaves to emigrate and thus much arable land was brought under cultivation. Most of this was sugar, but in the hills of the Northern Range—particularly in Santa Cruz, Maracas Valley and Diego Martin—the cool climate and well-drained soils were perfect for cocoa cultivation. After the capture of Trinidad by the British in 1797, sugar somewhat outstripped cocoa as English capitalists began to acquire lands, but there remained enough of the cacao trees in the Santa Cruz valley to enchant Henry Nelson Coleridge, who exulted in 1825: “If ever I turn planter, as I have often had thoughts of doing, I shall buy a cacao plantation in Trinidad. The cane is, no doubt, a noble plant, and perhaps crop time presents a more lively and interesting scene than harvest in England! The trouble of preparing this article for exportation is actually nothing when compared with the process of making sugar. But the main and essential difference is, that the whole cultivation and manufacture of cacao is carried on in the shade. People must come between Cancer and Capricorn to understand this. I was well tired when we got back to Antonio’s house. What a pleasant breakfast we had, and what a cup of chocolate they gave me by way of a beginning! So pure, so genuine, with such a divine aroma exhaling from it! Mercy on me! What a soul-stifling compost of brown sugar, powdered brick, and rhubarb have I not swallowed in England instead of the light and exquisite cacao!” And, of course, no cocoa plantation would be complete without a dash of vermilion, as Captain Alexander recounted in 1833: “One of the most beautiful of the trees in Trinidad, is the Bois immortel, which at certain seasons of the year is covered with clusters of scarlet blossoms of exceeding brightness, and which when shining in the sunbeams, look like a mantle of brilliant velvet. “The tree is very lofty and umbrageous, and serves as a screen to the cocoa plant, which being of too delicate a nature to bear exposure to the sun, is always planted under the shelter of the Bois immortel. This double wood has a very pleasing effect, especially when the cocoa is bearing fruit, when its various colours are beautiful.” Cocoa estate buildings .Photo Credit : Scott He (Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh's Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago, January 5, 2024) IIIIa satisfying, sweet and savoury, one-pot meal that leaves everyone happy and makes clean up a breeze. Plus, it's ready in under an hour! Check out the recipe from Easy Chicken Recipes below. Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 23 mins Ready in 38 mins Ingredients 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs 2 tablespoons oil divided ⅓ cup flour 1 medium red onion cut in chunks 1 red pepper cut in chunks 1 can pineapple chunks juice reserved ¾ cup brown sugar packed 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch ⅓ cup soy sauce 3 garlic cloves minced 2 teaspoons ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 green onions thinly sliced 1 tablespoon sesame seeds Directions 1. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. In a large bowl, toss chicken thighs with flour to coat. Brown chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove to plate. 2. Add ½ tablespoon oil to the same skillet and add red onion and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the juice from the canned pineapple, minced garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. 4. Add the sauce to the skillet and heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. 5. Return chicken to the skillet and stir to coat with sauce. Cover skillet and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. 6. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds and serve with rice. (Source: the Loop, July 23, 2023) World-famous Trinitario makes a splash with Chinese customers: "It's a growing market," says director Ashley Parasram Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company Trinidad, Ashley Parasram, holds a sample of Trinitario fine chocolate which is being sold in Shanghai and Hainan. Photo: Alina Doodnath From the hills of Trinidad and Tobago to the skyscrapers of Shanghai and the tropical shores of Hainan, the country's world-famous Trinitario chocolate, with its signature smooth yet complex range of flavours, has made its way to customers in China.
In an exclusive interview with Loop News, Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Fine Cocoa Company, Ashley Parasram, said to date, four tonnes of these exquisitely crafted, fine chocolate products have been shipped to China. Parasram said the company has entered into a partnership with Orient International Shanghai Foreign Trade Co. Ltd. to distribute Trinidadian fine chocolate to Shanghai, as well as a partnership in Hainan. "We're looking at putting our chocolate into the Chinese market and coming up with innovative new products for the China market, and work with designers and packaging companies there, so it's a very exciting partnership." He said the company has signed another partnership to ship 12 more tonnes of Trinidadian fine chocolate to China. The company has previously had a partnership with Harrod's in the UK and is now going to work with their Shanghai location to create unique chocolate products made with Trinitario cocoa. "We participated at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai as part of the ExporTT stand, we've had a lot of support from ExporTT and InvesTT, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry in getting the products to China. "We've also had a lot of support from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Port of Spain and the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago to China in Beijing." "We're hoping that next year will be a very exciting year for our export." He said chocolate consumption is still a developing market and there is much room for Trinidadian companies to expand there, thanks in major part to China's focus on trade via the Belt and Road Initiative, of which Trinidad and Tobago is a member. "The Belt and Road Initiative is very key in terms of facilitating trade and there is definitely an appetite for interesting products into the China market. It's a huge market; 70 per cent of the population is online, they have very good, sophisticated platforms such as WeChat which can be used, so I think it's a market that is ready for products from Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean, so it's very exciting in that regard." "From seeing our own company's experience, it's worth other companies taking a look at that market and exploring further trade opportunities." Parasram said there are plans for several other exciting products, for example blending Trinitario chocolates with China's famous baiju as well as the popular 'rum and chocolate' combination. There are also plans to incorporate quintessential Chinese ingredients such as tea. "Historically, chocolate is new to the Chinese market, but as we've seen with things like wine and whiskey, there is a growing market for that so the opportunity is there, definitely, so we think there are other products like rum, spices and peppers that can also be popular in the Chinese market." Customers in China will be able to order the chocolates online and have them delivered to their homes. Trinidad and Tobago is also the first Caribbean country to benefit from China's BRI with the launch of region's flagship project, the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate, in Point Lisas. The project will be commissioned in early 2024 but already one client, Summit Luggage, has completed its first container of branded luggage for export to North American markets. Trinidad and Tobago was the first country to sign on to the Belt and Road Initiative in 2018 - currently, eight of 15 CARICOM countries are signed on as members of the BRI. In 2019, Trinidad and Tobago became the first CARICOM country whose trade with China exceeded US$1 billion. For local customers, the T&T Fine Cocoa Company also has a range of fine chocolate with unique flavour combinations; for more information visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/trinitario.tt or their website at https://trinitario.tt/ Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, who died on Monday at the age of 90, was a trailblazer who carved out a career that most could only dream about.
He is best known as the fifth Prime Minister of Trinidad and one of the founders of the United National Congress. However, outside of his political career, Mr. Panday was also a lawyer, trade unionist, economist, civil servant, and actor during his storied career. Here are 10 highlights of his career: 1957 - Departs for the UK to study law Panday, who was born on 25 May 1933 in St Julien Village, Prices Town, departed for the United Kingdom in 1957 to further his education. Previously, he attended New Grant Government School and St Julien Presbyterian School before getting his secondary education at Presentation College (San Fernando). Panday then worked weighing sugarcane loads, before teaching in a primary school and working as a civil servant at the San Fernando Magistrates Court. In the United Kingdom, Panday earned a degree in law from the Inns of Court School of Law in 1962 and a Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of London in 1965. 1964 - Panday appears in the film, Man in the Middle Panday also earned a diploma in drama from the London School of Dramatic Art in 1960 during his time in the UK. He appeared in the films Nine Hours to Rama (1963) and The Winston Affair (1964). The film, which was also known as Man in the Middle, starred Hollywood legend Robert Mitchum. Panday played an Indian Correspondent in the film. In his scene in the film, Panday's character asks the question, "Is there any justice apart from might?" Mitchum's character Lieutenant Colonel Barney Adams replied, "Justice exists only in its own right. It exists apart from power, apart from might. Expedience can have no part in justice." 1965 - Panday returns to Trinidad The 1965 was a pivotal one in the life of 22-year-old Basdeo Panday. He was offered a Commonwealth scholarship at the Delhi School of Economics to study a post-graduate degree in economics and political science. However, he turned it down and chose to return to Trinidad to practice law. After his return, Panday also joined the Workers and Farmers Party, which was formed by Stephen Maharaj, CLR James, and George Weeks. The party contested the 1966 General Elections but did not win any seats in Parliament. Panday's political career had commenced. 1972 - Opposition Senator for the DLP Panday, 39, was appointed as an opposition senator for the Democratic Labor Party (DLP), the main opposition party in the country from 1957 to 1976. This appointment marked his first appearance in Parliament. 1973 - All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers' Trade Union Panday was also active as a trade unionist during his career. He was recruited to the All Trinidad Sugar Estates and Factor Workers Union in 1972 and later became its President General. Under his leadership, the union expanded and was rebranded the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers' Trade Union. 1976 - Panday elected as MP, named Opposition Leader Panday along with George Weekes and Raffique Shah formed the political party, the United Labor Front (ULF) in February 1975. A year later, he successfully contested the Couva North seat in the 1976 General Elections and became a Member of Parliament for the first time. Panday was also appointed Opposition, again a first in his career. 1986 - Panday appointed a government minister In 1986, Panday was named Minister of External Affairs and International Trade as part of the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). The NAR, under Arthur N. R. Robinson, swept into office, soundly defeating the Peoples National Movement (PNM) 33-3 in the General Elections. Panday and Robinson along with Lloyd Best had co-founded the Trinidad and Tobago National Alliance in 1980 before forming the NAR in 1984. Panday's appointment was another significant moment in his career, marking his first time as a government minister. 1989 - Panday founded the UNC Panday along with Kelvin Ramnath and Trevor Sudama left the NAR in 1988 and went on to found the Caucus for Love, Unity and Brotherhood (CLUB '88). In April 1989, Panday founded the United National Congress (UNC), which contested the 1991 General Elections. The PNM returned to office under new Prime Minister Patrick Manning, and Panday was appointed Leader of the Opposition. 1995 - Panday elected Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Panday, 59, became the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago after winning the 1995 General Elections. The UNC/NAR coalition took over the government after a 19-17 election win. Panday was the first person of Indo-Trinidadian descent to become Prime Minister and the first Hindu to hold office. He also led the UNC to victory in the 2000 General Elections. 2010 - End of Panday's Parliamentary career Basdeo Panday's time in Parliament ended in 2010 after his appointment as Leader of the Opposition was revoked. The 77-year-old had lost his the UNC internal election for the post of Political Leader and was replaced by Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Panday did not contest any seat in the 2010 General Election, which the UNC won, bringing an end to his term as a Member of Parliament. (Source: The Loop, Jan 2, 2024) As any typical Trini child my mother believed in certain traditonal practices associated with the advent of a new year. She ensured that all laundry was done and a thorough cleaning of the home be done on New Years Eve followed by burning of incense throughout the house. This was her way of conducting a spiritual cleansing of the home to get rid of negativity and any evil forces.
On New Years Day we were not allowed to sweep the house since she had grown up to believe that you would sweep away the good luck the new year ushered in. Also if you did laundry on New Years Day you will be washing away the life of a family member in the new year. My father on the other hand believed that your wallet must always have money in it when the old year ended. This he said was to l ensure that you will always have money in your wallet throughout the New Year. These are but a view of the superstitious beliefs I remembered growing up. What superstitious beliefs do you remember that is associated with New Years Eve or as we say in Trinbago Old Years Day. ? It would be interesting to hear the beliefs from different parts of the world since we have members who live in many countries other than T&T so please use this opportunity to share your beliefs. Painting courtesy Rudolph Bissessarsingh (Source: Virtual Museum of Trinidad & Tobago, Dec 28 2023) Mickela Panday, daughter of former prime minister Basdeo Panday, has issued a statement confirming her father's death. He was 90 years old.
In a statement this evening, she said Panday, who served as the country's Prime Minister from 1995 to 2001, passed away on New Year's Day. Panday had flown to the United States in mid-December, reportedly to "investigate medical concerns about his health". (Source: The Loop, Jan 1, 2024) Author & Researcher :Angelo Bissessarsingh
Written December 14, 2014 Back in times Christmas has become commercialized to the point where it has lost some of its special savour. The rampant consumerism that now begins as early as September in some stores, has robbed the season of its traditional values and in the process, has deprived us of that essence which once made Yuletide important to our ancestors. Christmas was of course introduced with the coming of the Spaniards to the island in their first permanent settlement of San Jose de Oruna (St Joseph), in 1592. There is no documentary evidence yet known about how these early colonizers celebrated the season, but being of an almost unanimously Roman Catholic persuasion, it can be assumed that there would have been mass at the church. First Peoples became evangelised through the machinations of the colonists themselves and later, through the influence of Capuchin monks who began arriving to establish missions in the island in 1687. Through a process of supplanting indigenous beliefs with Christianity and doubtless with the enticement of trinkets as gifts, there would have been some observance of Christmas at the missions. The influx of French planters and their enslaved workers after the Cedula of Population in 1783 brought a more stabilizing influence to the society. Like the Spaniards, the French were almost all Roman Catholic and attended midnight mass at the wooden chapel which served the little muddy town that was Port-of-Spain. With the growing affluence of the planters, especially after the conquest of the island by the British in 1797, Christmas balls became a great tradition with sumptuous meals being served on large tables. Both imported cured meats such as hams were served with an abundance of local fare like wild game, turtle and fish. The enslaved who were fortunate enough to be on estates held by more humane masters also had a share in the festivities. This of course was no elaborate matter but to poor beings trapped in the oppressive circumstances as the slaves were, a little was quite magnanimous in their eyes. Some who were permitted to keep provision grounds could raise crops or chickens for sale and thus have some cash for a few extra innocent luxuries. If the master of the plantation wished, he would distribute some extra food and pieces of cloth. One invaluable account was written on La Reconnaissance Estate (Lopinot Valley) by Webster Gillman who bought the cocoa plantation after the death of its founder, Comte de Lopinot in 1819.Gillman recorded: "We are all here carousing at La Reconnaissance. My family are preparing my dinner, and I am keeping order amongst 80 negroes who are all dancing, old and young, big and little, around me as hard as theycan put feet to the ground. I spent last Christmas here and finding the negroes converted were most happy and contented. I determined to make them so this year and I have succeeded. Early this morning, the 25th,we were awoke by salutes of small arms and as soon as the day broke, all the children were brought to the house to say their catechisms and to sing psalms,which to me was a very pleasing sight; this plan I adopted since I purchased the estate as I conceived that knowledge and existence of a superior being above would do no harm for them to know, and I have seen the happiest effects resulting from it. At nine o’clock while at breakfast, the whole of the negroes came dressed in the gayest clothes to wish us a Merry Christmas, and a piece of beef and an allowance of flour and raisins with a proportion of rum for the men and wine for the women and children. Then began dancing and the whole house is made free to them for three hours and they are enjoying themselves in the hall etc. “I have been three hours engaged in fitting the whole of the men with two suits of clothes each viz. a hat, a woolen cap, woolen shirt, a linen shirt, blue cloth jacket lined with flannel, blue trousers, and a pair of duck trousers; the manager’s wife supplying the women and children with hats, handkerchiefs, two shirts, blue wrapper and blue petticoat,with a linen gown, the boys supplied according to their ages.” Far from being a kindly indulgence, these clothes were the yearly allowance for the enslaved workers and would have to last until next season, but in the Christmas spirit, this pittance was like the riches of the world. Photo description :Dancing at La Reconnaissance Estate in the Lopinot Valley by Richard Brigens ( 1836 That’s the caption under this comic by Dereck C. Aleong, which was published in the Trinidad Guardian on December 24th 1950. The comic shows a Trinbagonian family in their home decorating a fig (banana) tree for Christmas. There are presents under the Christmas tree. Aleong was the Chief Artist of the Trindad Guardian in the 1950s. He sold his first cartoon to the newspaper in 1950 while he was a student at Queen’s Royal College (QRC) in Port of Spain. This comic is courtesy of the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian Newspaper, which is part of the National Archives of Trinidad & Tobago Newspaper Collection. (Source: National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, Dec 22, 2023). |
T&T news blogThe intent of this blog is to bring some news from home and other fun items. If you enjoy what you read, please leave us a comment.. Archives
September 2024
Categories
All
|