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Wha Trinis Use

Purple Star emoji 28 items
Walk into any Trinidadian home and you'll find the same handful of everyday staples — fresh seasoning blends, and even local drinks brewed from flowers or tree bark (yes really). Some are seasonal, but you'll always spot all, most, or some of them so...
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Spices

 
Shermille France profile picture
Di all-rounder ah di kitchen — curry powder is dat ready-made blend ah turmeric, geera, coriander, and more, already mixed and waiting to turn chicken, channa, or aloo into somting yuh go remember. Fry it down first till it dark and fragrant, dat's d...
CHIEF CURRY POWDER 500G (17.5 OZ) TRINIDAD
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Shermille France profile picture
Dis here is di soul of curry, straight up. Toasted till it dark and fragrant, geera (cumin to di rest of di world) does give dat deep, earthy taste that mek a good curry from a great one. A lil sprinkle in di pot and di whole kitchen smelling right —...
Chief Roasted Geera Cumin Spices 3oz
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Shermille France profile picture
Dis here is di pepper sauce and pickle crowd's best friend — amchar massala bring a tangy, peppery kick dat's perfect for green mango chow, amchar mango, or any kinda achar pickle yuh making. Roasted and ground down wid a sharp bite, it's a different...
Amazon.com : Chief Amchar Massala - 8oz Pack of 2
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Shermille France profile picture
Dis is di gold dust behind every curry's color — a lil turmeric and yuh pot already looking right before it even finish cooking. Earthy and slightly bitter on its own, but blend it in wid di rest ah di massala and it does mellow right out, leaving be...
Turmeric - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Tiny but powerful, dem few lil cloves does pack a punch every Christmas — right dey alongside di cinnamon in di sorrel pot, releasing dat deep, warm spice yuh could smell from di next room. A clove or two does also find dey way into a good baked ham ...
Chief Cloves Whole
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Shermille France profile picture
Drop a stick in di pot ah sorrel, di mauby, or even some sweet bread batter, and cinnamon does bring dat warm, sweet spice dat just feel like home. It's di kind ah smell dat does tek yuh straight back to Christmas time, even when it eh December. Whol...
Rani Cinnamon Sticks 7oz (200g) 3+ Inches
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Drinks

 
Shermille France profile picture
And dis right here is di flower I mentioned — dem deep red petals dat does steep down wid ginger, clove, and a touch ah rum to mek di most iconic Christmas drink in Trinidad. Tart, fragrant, and full ah spice, sorrel only really showing up once a yea...
Dried Hibiscus Flower - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Here's di drink yuh mentioned earlier — made straight from tree bark, boiled down wid spice, sugar, and a lil patience till it turn into dis dark, bittersweet refresher. It eh for everybody di first sip, but once it grow on yuh, nutting else does hit...
Mauby - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Small bottle, big legacy — Angostura bitters come straight outta Trinidad and end up in cocktail bars all over di world, but back home, a few dashes does go in everything from sorrel to a sick belly remedy. Sharp, aromatic, and unmistakably ours, dis...
Angostura Aromatic Bitters, 16 oz Bottle
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Seasoning

 
Shermille France profile picture
If yuh have one ting in di fridge at all times, let it be dis. Chadon beni, thyme, pimento, garlic, onion, all blend down into one jar ah pure flavor — green seasoning is di heart and soul ah Trini cooking. Marinate yuh chicken, yuh fish, yuh meat di...
Green Seasoning Trinidad - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
All di flavor, none of di fire — dat's pimento for yuh. Sweet, fragrant, and full-bodied, dis lil pepper does go straight into the green seasoning, the stew, the sofrito-style base for almost everything we cook. Doh confuse it for scotch bonnet — dis...
Pimento Peppers - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Lil sprig, big job — thyme is one ah dem herbs dat just belongs in everything. Stew chicken, peas and rice, even a simple soup — drop a few sprigs in and watch how it does round out di whole flavor, real subtle but yuh go miss it if it eh dey. Every ...
Thyme - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Doh let di look ah dis one fool yuh — dem long jagged leaf does pack a serious punch. Chadon beni is di backbone ah real green seasoning, sharper and bolder than regular cilantro, and once it hit di blender wid garlic, pimento, and a lil thyme, yuh h...
Culantro - Amazon.com
 
Shermille France profile picture
Big, fuzzy, and full ah flavor — dis eh yuh regular skinny thyme, dis is di bold cousin. One leaf could season a whole pot, dat's how strong it is. Trinis does use it for everything from stew to bush tea, and dem who know, know — when yuh granny reac...
Broad Leaf Thyme AKA Cuban Oregano, Spanish
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Shermille France profile picture
Now dis one nah playing — scotch bonnet bring di heat and den some. One lil pepper could mash up a whole pot if yuh not careful, but used right, it does give dat real Caribbean kick that wakes up yuh whole mouth. Some Trinis eh cooking without it sit...
Scotch Bonnet Pepper - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Yuh table eh complete without a bottle ah Bertie's sitting right dey. Doesn't matter what yuh cooking — doubles, bake and shark, a lil rice and stew — a dash ah Bertie's does tek it to another level. Fiery, tangy, and full ah dat real Trini punch, di...
Bertie's Original Pepper Sauce 10 Oz
 
Shermille France profile picture
Plain ting, but doh let dat fool yuh — salt is the backbone of every pot on the stove. From seasoning down the meat to bringing out the sweetness in a pot of stew peas, dis is the one ingredient that making everything else taste like something. No sa...
Salt - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
No Trini kitchen runnin' without dis one, yuh hear. A lil pinch waking up yuh stew, yuh callaloo, yuh whole pot — dat sharp lil bite that does mek everything taste more like home. Sprinkle it een, mix it up, and watch how it does carry the whole dish...
Black Pepper - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Quiet but dependable, dat's bay leaf for yuh. Drop one or two in di pot ah rice, di stew, di soup, and let it do its ting in di background — no fuss, no fanfare, just a deep, savory note that ties di whole dish together. Yuh might not notice it on it...
Bay Leaf - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
When yuh eh sure what exactly to reach for, dis is di one dat does save di day. A blend ah everyday spices all in one shaker, Chief All Purpose does season meat, veg, rice, anyting really, wid one quick sprinkle. It's di lazy man's secret weapon and ...
Chief All Purpose Seasoning Pack of 6
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Everything else

 
Shermille France profile picture
Sweet, thick, and dangerously easy to drink straight from di tin — condensed milk is di secret behind half di sweet things in a Trini kitchen. Stir it in yuh tea, drizzle it on sweet bread, mix it in a punch — dis is liquid sweetness dat does mek eve...
Amazon.com: Condensed Milk
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Shermille France profile picture
Channa doh play no small role in di kitchen — curry it up wid potato and yuh have a classic, stuff it inside a doubles and yuh have a Trini breakfast legend. Soft, hearty, and perfect for soaking up all dat curry flavor, channa is one ah dem ingredie...
Chickpeas - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Earthy and hearty, dis lil pea does carry a whole dish on its own, especially when it catching dat burnt sugar wid di rice and meat. No pigeon peas, no real pelau — simple as dat.
Best Dried Pigeon Peas - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Dis is di tin that does mek macaroni pie taste like a Sunday lunch should — creamy, rich, and exactly what yuh need to bring dat cheese sauce together before it hit di oven. Whether it's macaroni pie, a pot ah stew, or just lightening up yuh coffee, ...
Carnation Evaporated Milk - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Before di meat even touch di seasoning, it touching vinegar first — dat's just how it go in a Trini kitchen. A good wash wid vinegar and lime does clean and tenderize at di same time, getting everything ready for di green seasoning to do its ting. Sh...
Vinegar - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Boil dem down soft, blend dem smooth, season dem up wid geera and garlic, and yuh have dhal — di yellow gold dat does sit right next to yuh rice and curry. Split peas might look humble in di bag, but once dey cooking, dat smell does fill up di whole ...
Yellow Split Peas - Amazon.com
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Shermille France profile picture
Doh mistake dis for di regular American stuff — Swiss ketchup hit different, wid a lil spice and a flavor dat's just more us. Whether it's dipping for fries, a swirl on some bake, or mixed right into a sauce, Swiss is di brand every Trini household r...
Swiss Trinidad Tomato Ketchup 750ml x3
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Shermille France profile picture
Creamy, rich, and pure Caribbean — coconut milk is what turns a regular pot ah callaloo or rice into somting special. It does mellow out di heat from di pepper, add dat smooth island flavor, and mek everything taste a lil more tropical. Whether it's ...
Anthony's Organic Coconut Milk Powder 1 lb
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