Shelly-Ann Thompson, Staff Reporter

The winning duo, Tanya Robertson and Errol Wynter, show off their 'Best Main Feature Display' award with a sample of the dasheen that gave them the trophy at the 2007 Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show, in Clarendon.

Dasheen fruit cake, dasheen ketchup, dasheen dukunno, dasheen bread - and the list goes up to 56.

That was the variety of dasheen dishes Tanya Robertson and Errol Wynter, out of Hanover, cooked up for their parish's display booth at the Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show, which ended last week Monday, in Clarendon.

Keep patrons away

It was difficult not to notice the interesting dishes, as the duo's creations filled a counter at the centre of the concrete-based booth.

Every day, of the three-day show, the duo had to be firm to keep patrons from buying off their appealing dasheen edibles.

Robertson and Wynter had to withhold their products as judges piled into the booths to decide who should walk away with the best parish display.

By Sunday, eight out of 10 bags of dasheen chips were already sold.

"I can't sell anymore," Miss Robertson told the patrons.

On the final day, the duo copped the 'Best Main Feature Display' award at the agricultural show.

That day too, all the dasheen products, except for a few pickles, were sold.

Robertson is home economics officer at Rural Agricultural Development Agency (RADA) in the parish, while Wynter is the parish development officer for the Hanover 4-H Club.

Each year for the show, the organisations (4-H Club and RADA), select a product and go to town with it, Miss Robertson explained.

Versatility

This year, they chose dasheen.

"It was to show people the versatility of dasheen, apart from just cooking and eating it," Mr. Wynter said.

A few of the products, such as the wine and sauces, took a month to be prepared as they had to be fermented. However, the much-loved wedding fruit cake and pastries were whipped up in three days.

"I felt very good winning the award," Wynter stated.

Since the agricultural show persons have contacted Mr. Wynter to have him do their wedding cake - using dasheen, of course.

Left: Scrumptious dasheen chips and spicy dasheen dip. Right: Dasheen flour was the base of this wedding fruit cake. - Photos by Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer

Left: From raw dasheen to dasheen sauces, pickles and jams - made by Tanya Robertson and Errol Wynter, and showcased at the 2007 Denbigh Agri-Industrial Show. Right: Crispy dasheen twists.

Other dishes displayed

	Dasheen wine
	Dasheen agony
		(including rum
		and Suppligen)
	Dasheen liqueur
	Dasheen mixed fruits
	Dasheen hot &
		spicy dips
	Dasheen barbecue
		sauce
	Dasheen cucumber
		pickle
	Dasheen jam
	Dasheen chips
	Dasheen French
		dressing