Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine APRIL 2019 | Page 520

GRINDING
The mornings were also used
for preparing the ground for
planting. Corn was one of the
crops. Young cobs were roasted
or boiled. Dried and shelled, the
corn was ground to make meal.
With the meal, a pap was made
for breakfast or dumplings for
soups. In his museum, Mr. Berkel
still has his father’s grinder.
Other planters who did not have
one, could come to him to have
their corn ground.
Other crops included peanuts,
yams, sweet potatoes,
watermelon, pumpkin, sugar
cane, pigeon peas, and even
cotton (which was sent to the
UK). Cassava was also planted.
The bitter cassava had to be
grated and squeezed to remove
the juice. The remaining product
was used to make cassava
bread. The juice served as starch
for cloths.
Yams were harvested in
February. “But one sizeable
yam was already dug up in
December for the Christmas
dinner,” Mr. Berkel recounts. “Yes,
that was quite something!”
MANURE FOR COOKING
The main meal of the day was
at noon. Coal pots were used
(a cast iron pot with a space
underneath to place the hot
coals), or simply three stones
with a pot (or flat pan for fish)
on three stones and coals
underneath.
“So, yes: coals. They had to be
made too. ‘Kahsha’ (acacia)
wood or other hard wood was
collected and covered with
green grass or bush. Dirt was
placed on top and around. That
was the coal bed. This was lit.
How cow manure was used to bake sweet potatoes
Cooking on three stones (this pan is for frying fish)
Mr. Ishmael Berkel illustrating how coal beds were made
The thatched house that was built on the plantations