I have a confession today. I feel like I should be talking to editor Sanka Price and pouring out muh guts, telling de truth ’bout muself.
I might have to hide from wunnah when I done but ah gine come clean and hope I don’t get into trouble.
From de time I was a teenager I was using herb! Yes, you heard me right: I is a herbalist. I does use herb sometimes when I wake up in de morning and definitely in the night. I try herb in many countries but I have to say de best herb I ever had was in Trinidad and Jamaica, though St Vincent not far behind. I got to have my herb wid me every day and cannot last more than four hours widout it. At breakfast I must have de herb; four hours later – lunchtime – more herb; and dinner time, herb again.
Travelling, iffing I not sure where to get my herb, I does carry some carefully wrapped and secure; I don’t tek chances cause in some countries herb hard to find.
Herb is useful. Friends coming over, yuh planning to do some smoking, I does go out and carefully select my herb. Dey got some suppliers that real organised, growing it under de right conditions, when picked at de right time, you could tell and taste de difference.
So I believe in herb; it does change my mood when I use it. Feeling sick, they got some special herb to restore good health.
Last month Vendor did rattling and coughing. I did sound like PortVale sugar factory starting up in de morning. Mrs Kirton from St Philip hear ’bout muh problems and mix up some herb and send it wid de message: “Vendor, it gine taste bad but when yuh drink my herb it gine clean out everything including yuh intestines.” Truthfully, I did coming and going from top to bottom.
In two twos all mucus gone. De medicines from pharmacist Rochan Gopwani help but de knockout was de herb from Mrs Kirton. Dat do de trick. I not too sure which herbs she use and though she won’t tell me de varieties, I suspect it growing wild in she backyard.
So wunnah could become herbalists too. Just dis once I gine let wunnah know my suppliers but keep it between we. Keep it from Sanka Price; he name Price, and if he get de details it gine cost de Vendor.
My absolute favourite herb is Shadow Benie. A Trini cannot cook without it. Cilantro, a close second, chives, thyme, sweet marjoram, geera, Jamaican jerk, broad leaf thyme – though I hear dat does cut yuh speed, basil, sage, cummin, dill weed, parsley, masala, rosemary, kaffir leaves, cardamom, lavender and mint, to name a few.
How I could mek breakfast without herbs to season de omelette, lunch, pepperpot or garlic pork, or setting de ribs in de smoker? De right herbs does mek it taste like Chef John Hazzard Backyard Grill down Holder’s Hill. Imagine England and no herbs, bare bland food.
How some people could cook wid just black pepper and salt beat me. I must have fresh herbs or else de food gine in de garbage. My suppliers all in Cheapside Market, every Saturday morning. I see Harold Hoyte and madam Noreen there too so I assume he got fresh herbs in de basket too.
Check Coral Hackett at the back entrance tell she Vendor send you. I suspect Mrs Kirton does use cerasee bush fuh she concoction though it taste like poison.
I, Market Vendor, gone fuh now. You have a blessed and a wonderful day, yuh hear?
