R&R…Nope! NOT Rest & Relax...Roti and a Red Solo!!

Roti...4 little letters that have the power to put any Trini into a smile-infused stupor!!!

The roti, to the Trinidadian, is what the bagel is to the New Yorker. Perfected in Trinidad, it's based on culinary ideas brought by immigrants from India in the last century. So, what exactly is roti? Along with Pelau and Doubles, many trini’s consider it one of Trinidad’s national dishes.

Leave it to Trinidad to use one word to describe a multitude of meal options. The word “roti” describes a particular type of unleavened bread, part of the spectrum of Indian breads that includes “chapatti” and “naan”. That is roti: a type of bread. In Trinidad, it's also a type of meal. There are three basic approaches, all of which are distinct variations on the theme of bread and curried foods.

Wrapped/Dhalpouri: a thin roti (dhalpouri) folded around a curried meat and vegetable filling. Depending on the preparation, this can be handheld, sandwich-like experience. But generosity often stretches the roti’s capacity to breaking point.

Buss up shut: curry meats with vegetables and roti presented as separate portions. The roti is usually paratha, shredded and frayed and generally bearing a resemblance to a particularly mangled shirt. Busted shirt = buss up shut.

Sada: Sada roti is a thicker, firmer roti – more like a stiff pita – and lends itself to a dip-and-spread approach to eating the meal, as opposed to the fold-and-dab technique the other options tend to encourage.

This being Trinidad, there are other types of roti – but we can’t tell you everything. You’ll know them when you see them. But what you should know is that a roti goes hand in hand with a red solo! Trinis call this soft drink a “Red Solo” … because which Trini says “May I have a Kola Champagne soft drink please?” … yeah, ummm … NONE! It’s called a “Red Solo” because the color is obviously RED. Nuff said!

When I die and go to heaven–as some people doubt I will – the first thing I’m going to do is look for is a Roti Shop.  It stands to reason that any God worth HIS name would have a roti shop in heaven!

There was some hot debate quite recently when a Toronto Star health reporter, indicated that a roti has too many calories and should be eaten as two separate meals. Of course, the backlash was swift. Trinidadians home and abroad were outraged that the beloved local Trinidadian cuisine was being treated with disrespect. Check out the video here

Social media went ballistic!!! and thus, Roti-gate was born.

One person said: “when is half a roti ever an option?”

Another said: “OMG, she literally disrespected the entire West Indies”.

One Canadian national wrote: “That was indeed a pathetic display of journalism in our city.”

The reporter also came under heavy criticism for her mispronunciation of the word which she pronounced “roadie”. FYI, for those who aren’t familiar, it’s pronounced ROATEEEEEEEE, heavy emphasis on the E!

So whenever you land on our shores, add this to your list of best foods in the world to eat! Check out these pictures below

Disclaimer: May cause mouthwatering, severe hunger, fatigue, depression etc