self catering shopping list

[Elizabeth.W]

Hello,
My trip is now only 20 days away, so I'm starting to go into the finer details. I will be taken from the airport via a supermarket to my holiday home. The question is, what to buy, and what to bring with me? At the moment I have no plan to hire a car, so I need to be fairly organised.I will be on a modest budget and only staying for a week, so I would appreciate any advice. Day to day life requires so many bits and bobs, from washing up liquid, salt and pepper....the list goes on and on. Also, are some basic items forbiden by customs? From what I have read, the shops tend to stock many wholesale items, which would be a complete waste for me. Any thoughts?
Elizabeth

[Paul Tallet]

It depends where you are staying. If you stay in a village like Charlottesville or Castara you should not find yourself deprived of the basics you need.

There are several supermarkets around Tobago and one could be close to you.

You can more or less get any food you need unless you have a special dietary requirement. There is not much in the way of low fat or sugar free foods and drinks but some supermarkets stock limited amounts.

Fresh Milk and fresh dairy products is limited but long life milk in plentiful supply. Fresh fruit and veg is available from little shacks all round the Island.

Other things like cleaning gear, shampoo, soap, fly repellent, medical kits etc are all there.

You can even buy a bottle of Port which I think is very important !!

Regards

[Chris Runciman]

Ah yes, do not forget the port but do keep it chilled a bit!
With regards to the milk.
You will be taken to Pennysavers I expect.
In the chillers on the l/h side look for "Moo milk" nearest thing to real milk and better than long life. The goat farm sells, well, goat milk but you will not find fresh local milk.. Their yoghourt is great.
It is next to the beer so you cannot miss it!
The bread is not great unless you can get it fresh in whatever village you are staying in?
Mooreshead supermarket bread is good but expensive.
You can get everything on Tobago , you will want to take your English tea bags though as the American Liptons Red Label is not acceptable for an Englishman, or woman for that matter..
The bacon is US style, i.e. I cannot imagine the pig it comes from, the Canadian style is better.
Buy your wine in the boxes. The equivalent of 4 bottles in a box costs the same as a bottle of the same wine and the white wine 'travels' better than the reds and drinks much better in the Caribbean..
The rum however is really cheap and best mixed.
For a really good rum though try the Angustoura 1919, on it's own. Sacrilege to mix it.
When shopping locally buy what you see not what you think you want.
Fresh coconut water is very refreshing and is the perfect mixer, goes with everything as well as being good on it's own....
That is, if you see something buy it and change your dinner plans to suit rather than go everywhere looking for this or that......!.
All the fish is excellent as is Trinidad beef, all grass fed. Local herbs are good.
Hint: Scotch bonnet peppers look exactly the same as "Flavour" peppers so ask first!
Be adventurous and try everything. Enjoy.

[Elizabeth.W]

Thank you Paul,
I think that I didn't word my post very carefully. I will be in Blackrock. I am thinking more along the lines of making the most of my supermarket stop off, and any space in my suitcase for taking little extras, then buy fresh produce locally. Knowing myself, I am quite capable of walking around the supermarket in a daze after the flight if I don't make a list. I think you are quite right, a bottle of port and just go with the flow

Hello Chris, Thank you too, saw your message after replying to Paul. I will be adventurous and try everything, and enjoy Tobago

What shopping list?? !!

[Paul Tallet]

You are allowed to take one bottle of Port with you from the UK... a cheap ruby is about £7 but in Tobago it is about £16 !!

If you are in Blackrock there are loads of shops along the main road so you should be OK.

You may be near enough to the Fishpot where you can treat yourself to a nice 'catch of the day' lunch if you have the budget ... they don't do Port but they have a nice selection of Wine.

Anyway, back to the Port because this is very important ... Pennysavers sell a couple of Ruby's and (Chris, you cannot chill it ... that's white Port!) you have to go into the separate booze shop inside the supermarket ... there is often quite a queue.

Let me know if you need any more advice about the Port

Regards

[Chris Runciman]

With ambient temperatures in the mid 80's on Tobago?
Maybe I should have said cool it.
The recommended temperature for port is 50/55 with vintage port a little warmer .
Once open, a bottle of port has to be drunk............and remember to pass it to your left or more correctly pour it for the person on your left.

[Elizabeth.W]

I don't mind passing or pouring it to the left or the right as it will be all for me either way ...hic

[Elizabeth.W]

Really pleased to hear about the local shops, can't wait to try new food, and yes I will go to the fish pot. So what fruit and veg are in season now? Or is it pretty much all year round with it remaining so warm? I am looking forward to the fruit tasting as it should...yummmm not bland as it can be here. Paul do you only drink the beloved port, or do you cook with it as well?

[Paul Tallet]

I don't waste good Port on cooking ... but the odd bottle is 'corked' and is rancid, that is the one to pass to your right or left for cooking.

Regards

[Nicole]

Hey Elisabeth!

If I would go back to Tobago, I would bring BREAD with me. The supermarket bread is bearable only for some days. If your apartment has an oven you could even bring a bread baking mixture.
And I would bring some jam, as the jam there was a product of 90% sugar.

Most important if you want to cook something: bring receipts for vegetarian dishes! I didn't get any meat, that was not frozen and not with lots of bones!

What I can recommend in the supermarkets are these little chinese noudle soups (like this: http://www.allmystery.de/i/tb00d9f_yum_ ... _-_60g.jpg) which are delicious and cheap and quickly prepared.

For me Tobago is not a place for good food, but for good snorkeling! As you stay in Black Rock, you should go to the right end of Stonehaven bay (next to Ford Benett). Swim there, where the boats anchor. You will love it! The water is calm enough and there are so many different fishes (even a sting ray and some sepia).

Enjoy your stay!
Nicole

[Ronald]

I really do not agree with what Nicole say.

The bread for sale into supermarkets as Penny Savers aren´t that bad as she say, or, she maybe is used to have own home made fresh bread everyday?
"bearable only for some days", don´t know excactly what she mean, but bread can get bad quickly into tropical climate.
Bring bread from home to an other island, for me that seems to be an VERY unusual thing! I´m not even sure the customs would allow you to bring it in.

There are many choises of bread when you go to Penny Savers, and there´s also local places, bakery, where you can buy fresh bread.

[Chris Runciman]

Agree with Ronald. Every village has fresh bread.
For example in Castara, apart from the well known ladies at the dirt oven by the beach on Wednesday and Saturday, there is Shirma opposite the ATM, Hazel up at Bingy's fruit stand and Rebecca at Blue Mango! The flour is different, there is a technical name for it, and it does not rise the same? My wife takes yeast from here and she makes really good bread several times a week, letting the bread rise on the balcony under a cloth to keep the Mot Mot, Bananaquit etc at bay!
Delicious local tomatoes with great Lebanese olive oil, September means avocado are in season and they can be the size of a rugby ball ( football to our American cousins ). Lemon and limes straight off the tree make great seasoning for the fresh everyday fish cooked over a woodfire and in your g&t. One of the many varieties of mango will always be there for the picking and you are spoilt for choice of banana varieties ! Breadfruit slow cooked in the embers of the fire? Local meat is not hung long enough which is understandable but the frozen, and it has not been frozen for long is good, especially the steaks. Yes sometimes the goat and lamb could be described as akin to roadkill but the flavour is there and it suits the local practice of making stews and soups, long cooking times.
Everywhere there is rabbit and duck as well as 'yardies' great tasting local chicken with huge leg and thigh which also produce eggs which taste of eggs for a change with deep yellow yolks.
We find out when Charlie is slaughtering a pig and get our order in! All the herbs and seasoning is there in the garden to pick.
But again the fish, straight from sea to table, a sushi fan is spoilt for choice, I am snacking while I am filleting much to the amusement of the guys on the beach. So yes I guess the food on Tobago is pretty boring really.................!
I just stay away from 'dumplin' . I just don't get that bit.........................I did patch a leaking boat with one though!

[Nicole]

May-be it is a german thing to like bread that is not white, soft and sweet, but dark, salty and full of corn.

[Ronald]

There´s such bread in T&T too, even if not so much as in Europe