Today, we ventured to Sally's Roti Shop to try Caribbean styles of curry. The roti is a kind of wrap-like bread. It is used to both pick up the curry and as a wrapper to hold the filling, as a convenient meal to be eaten on the go. Curry was brought to Trinidad by indentured laborers from India following the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. This means that over 40% of the one million inhabitants of Trinidad and Tobago are of Indian origin - the majority of those coming from north-east and central India. Several ingredients typical to traditional Indian cuisine were unavailable in this new country, so substitutions had to be made. An herb called shado(w) beni took the place of coriander, a leaf called callaloo took the place of spinach-like greens, and scotch bonnet peppers became the chili of choice. The meat or fish is marinated with garlic, onion, chilies, shadow beni, and spices (including chive, parsley, garlic, and cumin).
Sally's Roti Shop is the only place in Kingston where you can buy a roti and find Caribbean curries, including curry goat. We got a curry eggplant and spinach roti and a curry chickpea plate with peas and rice. Both dishes were filling, spicy, and delicious!