TRINIDADIANS got a savoury Taste of Tobago on Friday at a micro-market organised by the Division of Tourism and Culture at Queen's Hall, Port of Spain.
Apart from being the curtain raiser to the critically-acclaimed Bitter Cassava play, the micro-market offered spectators a taste of Tobago Heritage Festival, scheduled for July 22- August 1, Blue Food Festival, in October, and Tobago Carnival, from October 28-30.
[caption id="attachment_958002" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Trinis check out some of the items on display at the Taste of Tobago micro-market at Queen's Hall, Port of Spain. - Stephon Nicholas[/caption]
There was also a mini-display of the popular Ole Time Wedding, a staple for Tobago Heritage Festival from the Moriah Village Council. There were also several booths displaying craft items, dasheen products, cassava products. and other confectioneries. And to tease the tastebuds, there were free samples of crab and dumpling, cassava pone, cassava balls, and a delightful cocktail of coconut rum and cassava.
[caption id="attachment_958001" align="alignnone" width="742"] Sandra Gopaul plays her part in the reenactment of The Moriah Ole Time Wedding at Queen's Hall, Port of Spain. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]
Tobago Festivals Ltd CEO John Arnold said the micro-market was the brainchild of Secretary of Tourism Tashia Burris, It brought the Tobago Performing Arts Company (TPAC), Tobago Hotel and Tourism Institute (THTI), Tobago Festivals, Tobago Tourism Agency Ltd (TTAL) and Shaw Park Complex under one umbrella.
[caption id="attachment_958000" align="alignnone" width="1024"] From left, Akiesha Cadoz, Kimoy Kirk and Afeshia Des Vignes in their heritage corner from the THA Division of Tourism and Culture at Friday's micro-market at Queen's Hall. - SUREASH CHOLAI[/caption]
He said the aim was to "piggyback" on the popularity of the Bitter Cassava play. He anticipated Trinis would enjoy it as much as their Tobago counterparts.
"I think a good play is a good play," he said. "A good production is a good production. Same way people responded in Tobago, I think the reports about the acting, the music, the dancing, the lighting, the set, the cues and so on, that will speak volumes here."
[caption id="attachment_957999" align="alignnone" width="768"] Crab and dumping samples at a Taste of Tobago. -[/caption]
He said Tobago has a number of unique products on the market, which he hoped Trinis would love.
"We are promoting the Blue Food Festival also. We have some blue food wine samples. The THTI has come up with several products around the cassava – you have the cassava rum cake and the chocolate cookies which are made from the cassava. They have a lot of stuff going on there."
He said the Tobago Agribusiness Development Company Ltd has been doing "a lot of good work" with dasheen products with the aim of exporting.
"That whole idea of diversification is a topic of the current administration."
He said domestic tourism remains on the priority for Tobago.
"Over the years, domestic tourism has be
