GRENADA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY is 07 February. This year, 2010, is their 36^th year of independence from Great Britain in 1974. Their flag’s colors are yellow, red and green (above looks aqua, but green is really the color. Yellow is for the sun and the friendliness of the people (which is very true). Green is for their abundant agriculture. (Nutmeg is their prize crop.) Red is for harmony, unity and courage. 

                                                       Oil Down is Grenada’s National Dish.

Large pots are used to boil coconut oil (“the oil”—very healthy believe it or not) along with breadfruit (that tastes like potato), green bananas, yam, salt beef, salt pork like pig snout and tail, salt fish, sometimes lambi, which is conch, chicken, callaloo, carrots, eggplant, cabbage, chives, celery, okras, green (aka bodi) beans, seasoning peppers, thyme, tumeric, coconut milk, dumplings and salt and pepper. These are the basic ingredients. Not all have to be used and some others can be added. It might be like a potpouri or goulash.

But this man, “Team 3–-The Beaver Kitchen, of the Le Phare Bleu Oil Down competition, cooks his dumplings in a separate pot from his Oil Down pot.   

This is Team #1, Orange Splash (big team!). As far as I could tell, they were the only team to cover their Oil Down with green banana leaves and included breaded lambi (conch).

   Note: the ax used to chop firewood.               Those are not sausages, but dumplings.

At least 2/3^rd of the cooking time Team #1, “Orange Splash,” added banana leaves on top to hold in heat.

With Grenada’s flag colors being yellow, green, red, this Oil Down pot and fire were very patriotic and pretty.

This man is Team #2, “Colours”. As you see he is cooking halved tomatoes in his Oil Down. He is a gardener at Le Phare Bleu (I think…) and he was very modest with a gentle voice and a fabulous smile. He was pleased when I said, as he dished up my bowl of his special Oil Down, “Oh there’s cauliflower in yours.” 

We don’t know who won the competition. But in our minds and tastebuds they all won. Each Oil Down contestant created a fabulous meal, basically a stew to us Norte Americanos. I can’t help but think how my Uncle Arthur (Go~Go’s husband) would have loved it. He loved my Green Chili Stew, so I know he would have savored each bowl of the vairous Oil Downs, finding them as delicious as we did. 

HAPPY 36^th INDEPENDENCE DAY GRENADA.