Traditional foods take spotlight at Emancifest

Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

Observing tradition was key at the Emancifest celebrations in Sligoville, St Catherine, on Emancipation Day, August 1.

The Food team visited and took in the display of traditional dishes being prepared on location. These included roasted breadfruit and yam; jerked pork; curried, fried and barbecued chicken.

"Right here, we have the 'blue drawers', home-made ginger beer, curried goat, and rice and peas," explained Cynthia Smith, while serving a customer.

A new addition that seemed very popular was chicken back, which might be as a result of the recession; it is cheaper to obtain. It was available in numerous forms, including curried, fried and jerked.

Not to be overlooked was the variety of soups, ranging from mannish water to chicken foot.

"We are thankful for the support that we get each year, but we need more for Sligoville to reach its full potential," noted Bartley Bailey of the Sligoville Support Committee.

This year was the fourth staging of Emancifest. There were also fun activities like netball, football and many competitions, much to the delight of patrons.