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Indo-Trinidadian Foodways

Community

⚠ THE LARGEST INDO-CARIBBEAN FOOD CULTURE IN THE AMERICAS. Around 143,000 indentured labourers arrived from India between 1845 and 1917, the great majority Bhojpuri-speaking from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, with Muslim and southern minorities. What they built: the ROTI family — DHALPURI (split peas ground and rolled inside), SADA roti, PARATHA/buss-up-shut (beaten apart until it looks like a torn shirt), dosti; CURRY of chicken, goat, duck, shrimp, crab, mango, aloo, channa, bodi and baigan; DHAL with chunkay; CHOKA — vegetables roasted directly on the fire then pounded with garlic and pepper; BARA, PHOLOURIE, saheena, kachori; ACHAR, KUCHELA and the pepper sauces. ⚠ SEVEN CURRY on a lotus leaf eaten with the fingers at Hindu pujas. ⚠ CARIBBEAN HINDUSTANI survives here better than in Guyana and above all in the food vocabulary.

Atlas — where and when

Where in the world

Communities and languages

  • Indo-Trinidadians community documented

Languages: Caribbean Hindustani, Hindi, Bhojpuri

What is recorded

  • Approximately 143,000 indentured labourers arrived in Trinidad from India between 1845 and 1917, the majority Bhojpuri-speaking from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. The roti family — dhalpuri, sada, paratha/buss-up-shut — choka, bara, pholourie, achar and kuchela are recorded as Trinidadian foods of Indian origin rather than as Indian food abroad. Caribbean Hindustani survives more strongly in Trinidad than in Guyana, particularly in food vocabulary. documented
  • Indian indenture to Trinidad: around 143,000 people, chiefly Bhojpuri-speaking, building the largest Indo-Caribbean food culture in the Americas. documented

Related foodways

This foodway relates to

  • originates from Indian documented

    Around 143,000 indentured labourers, 1845-1917, chiefly Bhojpuri-speaking. ⚠ Recorded as Trinidadian food of Indian origin.

  • related to Indo-Guyanese Foodways documented

    Sister traditions from the same regions of India; dhalpuri, doubles and seven curry are shared and differently developed.

Regional cuisines

Recipes

No recipes are filed under this cuisine yet.