Manjé Kwéyòl
This book on the food culture of St. Lucia is the latest addition to a Cultural Education Resource Kit, comprising five other books on the different aspects of culture in the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. The kit aims to provide a general introduction to the people of St. Lucia and their culture. The theme covered in previous books include Religion, Language, Oral Literature, Work, and Social Events.
In this one, the focus is on the traditions and behavior associated with food. It documents some myths and traditions, raises some important social issues, and provides information on selected foods and their uses. It does not present any comprehensive cultural survey but attempts to highlight important areas for general public awareness. These include technologies, snacks and beverages, eating habits and folk beliefs among others. All this is supported by a careful selection of photos from the Folk Research Centre's and the Ministry of Agriculture's collection and a few recipes of popular traditional and new local dishes.
The book was produced through a participatory process involving food. Food and Nutrition Teachers, Community Nutrition Officers from the Ministry of Health, Cooks and other Cultural persons from different communities, members of the Home Economics Association and staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Their full participation in the planning, research and writing of text has ensured a product of broad content and appeal. The process itself involved workshops and information sharing sessions among the participants which has already stimulated greater awareness of our food culture among important educators.
This book is a particular useful and educational resource for students of food (production, processing and marketing) and nutrition, and culture. It is also an important document that is relevant to Agri-business managers' development of their marketing strategy, determining their target consumers and the general public's cultural awareness. It is hoped that it will encourage the publication of other more specific and detailed studies of St. Lucia's food culture.
This book makes observations that are particularly useful to the conservation of biological diversity on the island. Many of the folk traditions regarding food ensured that the biological resources from which food was derived, would be sustainably used. Such traditional knowledge related to biological diversity needs to be maintained and preserved for posterity to assist in conservation of our local biological resources. Failure to do so may result in many of them becoming extinct.
Price: US$10. (Email frc@candw.lc to order)