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Topi tambo and balata here again in the forest of Moruga , T&T
sgtdjones
2018-04-02 22:39:20
Topi tambo and balata here again in the forest of Moruga , T&T
ONE of my fondest childhood memories is going hunting for fruits with my siblings in the bushes. I grew up in the rural district of Mandingo Road, close to Moruga. In this area there is an abundance of indigenous fruits and root vegetables which were a source of good nutrition for children of yesteryear.
Today, if they are not available in the market it is hardly likely that anyone would go searching for these fruits or roots. One fruit I remember distinctly is lay lay or manjack as it was sometimes called.
These sticky, red cherry-like fruits grow on tall trees and birds relished them when they were in season. They were simply delicious. I have not seen this fruit for a long time as many of these trees would have been cut down to make way for development. Another lesser known fruit is the balata which is in season and selling at $20 for a bag with at least ten. I find myself looking for this fruit every week at the market.
The root crop that was a staple for us in the 60s was topi tambo. We grew this in our backyard and during the Lenten season it was a dish we looked forward to on a daily basis. Topi tambo or calathea allouia is rich in nutrition, very satisfying and available throughout TT. It is now on sale at various markets and roadside stands.
At the Barrackpore market I bought two pounds for $25. First thing I did was put on a pot of water, washed the topi tambo and put them in the boiling water. I added salt and left it to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. This was my breakfast.
Link Text
sgtdjones
2018-04-02 22:40:33
black
2018-04-02 22:47:29
In reply to sgtdjones
I have never seen a balata before and I grew up in the countryside of Guyana.
The inside texture looks like a sopadilla fruit but the outside looks totally different.
sgtdjones
2018-04-02 23:01:38
In reply to black
It is not a sapodilla , the seeds are larger.
black
2018-04-02 23:02:50
In reply to sgtdjones
Yes, I see that and it looks like a single seed.
methodic
2018-04-02 23:08:35
In reply to sgtdjones
balata is the sweetest fruit in the world
black
2018-04-02 23:19:25
In reply to methodic
More than sopadilla?
methodic
2018-04-02 23:22:03
In reply to black
it is, even sweeter than sugar cane and sugar apple
sgtdjones
2018-04-02 23:30:07
In reply to black
One can tell when the fruits are ripe, an amazing fruit to eat.
The noise made by birds, monkeys etc , it attracts large
predators nearby.
One must be careful during such excursions
methodic
2018-04-02 23:34:22
In reply to sgtdjones
The noise made by birds, monkeys etc , it attracts large
predators nearby.
One must be careful during such excursions
for real yuh know, snakes love balata, besides that it is not an easy tree to climb
bravos
2018-04-03 00:17:22
In reply to black
Related to sapodilla with 2 seeds similar to sapodilla usually almost the length of the fruit,a lil flatter and sharper than sapodilla seeds,sweetest fruit for real,has a easy to peel 'hard' brittle shell on the outside kinda like a ripe tonka bean ,sometimes you chew that too to get every last bit of succulent pulpy fiber stuck to it..one of the best taste experiences ever..sweeter than pussy.. 
bravos
2018-04-03 00:18:39
In reply to methodic
They hang around for the prey feasting on balata..
There's a tree or two around the QPS,one close to the US embassy...plenty on the ground these days sometimes.. 
Of course not for long.. 
methodic
2018-04-03 00:19:16
In reply to bravos
Norm
2018-04-03 00:27:43
We used to make cricket balls out of balata sap. A blow on the shin from a balata ball was no laughing matter for the batsman. When you got a blow onto it though, it would sail high and far!!!
granite
2018-04-03 20:30:26
Every time I hear the name Balata,I remember how a boy named Braffit box me down for a Balata that I pelt down from a tree.It was stupid of me to try to fight Braffit,he was older and bigger,only got a black eye, wasn't my first.
sgtdjones
2018-04-03 20:37:46
In reply to Norm
Yep the balata sap was a natural latex and bats made from the Coconut branches stem.
I still have my shins indented in a few spots by that ball
playing on a red sand wicket.
Oh the good ole days.
sgtdjones
2018-04-03 20:53:52
In reply to granite
lol, must have been a good box.
I am showing a picture of the Moruga Forest, balata trees in the foreground.
Moruga Forest
Our main concerns were snakes, green boa's, anaconda's , horsewhip, porcupines, large Iguana's and wasps.
The green boa's live in the trees, they rarely come on the ground.
The monkeys were the biggest eaters of this fruit and would scatter the seeds as they travelled.
granite
2018-04-04 05:41:04
In reply to sgtdjones
If ever I had seen that place nothing cudda make me live in England,those were the places I used to fall in love with.I can just imagine the fruits and wild animals in there.I actually started making plans to move back to TT for about 15 years,but got put off,right or wrong because of the things taking place.I had 3 places in mind,Toco,Rampanglas and Moruga.It's now too late,at least I think.When I left TT I was living in Cross Crossing,San Fernando.
Emir
2018-04-04 07:32:14
In reply to granite
.
I actually started making plans to move back to TT for about 15 years,but got put off,right or wrong because of the things taking place.I had 3 places in mind,Toco,Rampanglas and Moruga.It's now too late
Never too late Bro.
granite
2018-04-04 11:25:09
In reply to Emir
You do need someone close to you living in TT to say to you,"nothing wrong man just pack up and come",there's no such person I know.I tried to find names in the TT directory online but no names rings a bell.The problem is we never had a big family,I know about family in Venezuela,but who wants that,I only met them once when I was about 12.I will have to see myself.
nickoutr
2018-04-04 12:08:25
In reply to sgtdjones
balata ball knocks are the most painful .... I got some marks from playing with balata ball ...
after a while they start to peel layer by layer
granite
2018-04-04 12:35:15
Come on sgtdjones,I expected to hear something about Marmea Apple or Mammy Sepote as it used to be called.I had family who had a massive tree and if I were to choose fruits in order of niceness,number one would be Sapodilla,Marmea Apple,Julie Mango and Caimate.
sgtdjones
2018-04-04 13:29:42
In reply to granite
Wow you remember those fruits .
Mammy Sapote when ripe on the tree was the best tasting
The Monkeys would eat them and when they fell on the ground animals would finish them off.
Mammy Sapote
How about JackFruit they can grow to about 4 ft .
How about Jackfruit
Remember this one , so difficult to get , since it grew at such heights
Link Text
How about jamun, was brought from India
Jamun
Mangoes are said to have originated in India, Indonesia and Malaysia and have been cultivated for hundreds of years.
So many types of mangoes , julie , Mango Dou Doux , long , pack ,calabash,Starch, hog mango, etc
Julie mango with a wasp nest
How about peewah? This palm grows very tall and is thorny as hell or as we say in Trini “it have plenty picka”. Sometimes you could spend a good amount of time trying to coax the bunch of pee wah down with a bamboo rod.
peewah tree
Boiled peewah
Mangoes
granite
2018-04-04 15:09:47
SWEET!
sgtdjones
2018-04-05 01:44:49
In reply to granite
Remember these
The animals have allowed such to grow in the Forested areas by transporting the seeds
Avocado.
Barbadine
Breadfruit
Cashew
Chataigne
Chenette
Dongs
Governor plums
Monkey apple
Pommerac
Pomseetay
Soursop
Sugar apple
Tamarind
Moruga Scorpion pepper
I dont know if you can get such where you are, the next time I am in Toronto will inquire if such are sold in local stores.
