Ole time food talk
published: Thursday | October 16, 2003

By Enid Donaldson-Mignotte, Contributor

BUSTAMANTE BACKBONE (BUSTA)

A TOUGH sweet made from grated coconut and wet sugar. The late Sir Alexander Bustamante was known for his firmness of character, hence the name of the sweet.

CASSAVA (ALSO KNOWN AS MANIOC)

From cassava we have bammies, farina and cassava meal, puddings, cakes and dumplings. It has been identified as one of the staple foods of the Arawaks, the other being corn. In Jamaica there are sweet and bitter varieties; the sweet is eaten like yam or potato but the bitter is grated, the juice pressed out and the starch extracted from the juice to give a good finish to cotton clothes and linen. In Guyana, casreep, a sauce not unlike soya, made from cassava, is used to make Guyanese pepperpot. Cassava pie is made in Bermuda.

JANGA

A river crayfish that makes a delicious soup. Jangas are usually small but can grow to quite a large size.

ORTANIQUE (OR TA NEEK)

A unique fruit developed by Jamaican agronomists, it is a cross between the orange and the tangerine. The juice is a rich golden colour with a unique flavour.

Coming in Monday's Flair, uncovering the mysteries surrounding Nanny.