Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2017 | Page 84

Pigtails and
Breadfruit
Culinary Barbados Tour
by Klebere Perry, Senior Tour Guide
A
round the world, Bajan cuisine is
synonymous with excellence, vibrant
and tantalizing fare guaranteed to satisfy
the most discerning of palates. But often
times we forget that the foods we consume in
some of our best fine dining establishments come
from very humble beginnings, telling the stories of
a people who simply used what was available and
finding ways to make consumption palatable. This
tour is an insight into the foods that Barbadians and
Tourists enjoy, some forgotten and many still staples
on the Bajan diet.
The Pigtails and Breadfruit Culinary Tour, is a
tribute to the Barbadian author Austin Tom Clarke.
The name of the tour is derived from his novel of
the same name, “Pigtails and Breadfruit: Rituals of
Slave Food.” The book provides humorous insight
into the origins and development of Barbadian
‘hot-not haute-cuisine’. This is a phrase used
by Austin Clarke to describe instances where
his mom, when speaking about the fine dining
possibilities of Barbadian food, in her attempt
to say “haute”, instead said “hot” because of her
accent. He uses this phrase in the book to identify
the progression of slave food into a highly sought
after product.
Barbados Museum and Historical Society
The tour is usually held in November with select
tours during the year available for groups by
special request. The bus tour explores the
contribution of the cultural influences of the
Amerindians, Africans and Europeans on the
Barbadian food traditions by using our food and
excerpts from the book as our gastronomic guide.
Patrons are encouraged to visualize Barbados
as the hive of the British Empire while the island
developed under the sugar industry. The tour
visits a range of significant sites such as Queens
Park and Buckley Sugar Factory to help weave the
historical context of our island’s food.
Queens Park- was purchased by the Government
of Barbados from the British military after their
withdrawal from Barbados in 1906. It was
originally used as the Headquarters and residence
of the Commander in Chief of the British West
Indies Military. It is now used as a recreational
space in the heart of Bridgetown and on part of its
northern grounds, the 4H organization has been
assisting with the growing of starter crops on the
island.
Buckley Sugar Factory, was one of the last factories
to close its doors in Barbados. It contributed to the