The inspiration for this month’s grocery and box theme - Trinbago Street & Finger Food - is our hometown of St. James, a neighbourhood on the outskirts and part of the capital city of Port of Spain.

St James was known as "the city that never sleeps". The Western Main Road, the major thoroughfare running through the middle of St James, was always bustling with activity. There were groceries, bakeries, markets, pharmacies, a public library, a bookstore, a hardware, toy stores, a flower shop, banks, a Mosque, a Catholic Church and the primary school we attended all along a 1 mile stretch. The “Main Road” was an integral part of the community in those days and street food was a notable part of that landscape.

Growing up in St. James in the 1980s and 1990s, street food was a staple fixture on the Main Road on Friday and Saturday nights. A stone’s throw away from our home, along a 5 block stretch on the Main Road there were street vendors selling almost every classic Trinbagonian street food that you could think of! There was the corn soup and boiled corn lady. And the bake & shark lady too. There was roti and pholourie and the doubles vendor. You could also find oysters and the punch man. Homemade ice cream in all the delicious tropical flavors was also a staple.

As children, it was a real treat for us when we got to “on the Main Road” with the adults and decide what we wanted to eat. Just being out at night amidst all that energy, we though was very exciting. As teenagers it was great being in the heart of it all and we have so many fond memories with friends from St. James. Now as adults, we treasure having grown up immersed in such a rich street food landscape - a major part of our culinary traditions!