Pigs Tails 'n Breadfruit: Rituals of Slave Fruit - a Barbadian Memoir

by Austin Clarke

Growing up in Barbados, Austin Clarke was surrounded by women in the kitchen. Enveloped in the heavenly smells and smoke of their cooking, he listened to their talk about the food they were preparing. His mother; several aunts and numerous cousins always recited the steps they were taking as they cooked, and through them, he learned how to cook the traditional dishes of Barbados - food that has its origins in the days of slavery, of hardships and economic grief, when 'ingreasements' (ingredients) were scarce. The food was not just intended to 'full a hole in your stomach', according to Austin's mother, but to make you 'feel good', 'grow into a strong man' and give you 'big-big brains'. In Pig Tails 'n' Breadfruit, Austin Clarke shares his favourite recipes, including Smoked Ham Hocks with Lima Beans, Breadfruit Cou-Cou with Braising beef, Oxtails with Mushrooms, Pepperpot, and his renowned Chicken Austintacious. He reveals his method for choosing a 'nice piece o' pigtail from the brine barrel', demonstrates how to test an okra for freshness, outlines the essential characteristics of a real pork chop, and instructs us in the proper use of a cou-cou stick, that essential tool found in every Barbadian home. And all the while he reminisces about the food he ate as a boy and the rituals that went along with it. Whether it's a story about the village butcher whose qualifications were somewhat suspect, how to map a sure-fire route to a woman's heart through her stomach, or searching the streets of Durham, North Carolina, for fried chicken with Norman Mailer, Austin Clarke will make you hungry for 'hot cuisine' and the spirit of the island.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Memoir, History, Biography Memoir, Canada, Cooking

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Austin Ardinel Chesterfield Clarke (26 July 1934 - 26 June 2016) was a Canadian novelist, essayist and short story writer who lives in Toronto, Ontario. He has been called "Canada's first multicultural writer".

Clarke had his early education in Barbados and taught at a rural school for three years. In 1955 he moved to Canada to attend the University of Toronto but after two years turned his hand to journalism and broadcasting. He was a reporter in the Ontario communities of Timmins and Kirkland Lake, before joining the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a freelance journalist. He subsequently taught at several American universities, including Yale, Duke and the University of Texas.

In 1973 he was designated cultural attaché at the Barbadian embassy in Washington, DC. He was later General Manager of the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation in Barbados (1975-1977).

Returning to Canada, in 1977 he ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate in the Ontario election. He was writer in residence at Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec and at University of Western Ontario.From 1988 to 1993 he served on the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

Reviews

[marissa sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most things to do with my own West Indian diaspora, I felt simultaneously annoyed by and in love with this book; Clarke makes a lot of lazy generalizations that would probably only piss off another islander, but at the same time I recognize so much of my own culture in his Bajan food memoir.

In-between the fat, succulent, remorseless food descriptions, Clarke also manages to address the issues of post-colonialism and and multinationalism that swirl around in the psyches of most Caribbean folks who migrate.

Also, I need to try my hand at making cou-cou.

[Darkowaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

!!! blog review: http://africanbookaddict.com/2015/11/...

Not as engaging as I had anticipated. It was interesting learning about the origins of various Bajan meals from the days of slavery and how people of diff socio-economic groups cook differently with different ingredients (or as Clarke says 'ingreasements'). Lots of dialect in this too. Even though its a light read, the dialect makes a reader have to concentrate more to fully understand what Austin Clarke was saying - and he usually went off on a tangent most of the time as discussed the origins of foods... This is a solid 2.75 stars for me. But I still enjoyed it! Maybe I'll read more of Clarke's work in the future. So far, Jamaica Kincaid and Edwidge Danticat are on top of my list of great Caribbean authors. [MORE ON THE BOOK BLOG SOON!]

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will be the first to admit that I don't like eating, don't know how to cook and have no interest in learning, but Clarke's luscious descriptions of Barbadian cooking and Barbadian food were able to hold my attention nevertheless -- they even made me feel a little hungry. His descriptions, and the West Indian dialect he wrote in, made me feel like I knew Barbados much better than any travel book or history book would have done. This book is a winner, if you go for that sort of thing.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing about Barbadian food and culture, so learning about it was the highlight of the book and the thing that kept me reading. I also liked the structure, with each chapter revolving around a different recipe. I struggled with the dialect switching and pace, though, so ultimately this was a DNF for me. I may pick it back up later, and I'm leaving four stars for now considering how much I learned from the portion I did read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbados. Interesting. This book is one example of learning about a country’s culture through its food. Mr. Clarke writes about his observations of his female relatives cooking the food in Barbados. He writes with humor. I do, however, take issue with the sexism in his writing. He is of the belief that women have to do all the cooking, and he holds up double standards between men and women in the bedroom. It’s, apparently, okay for men to have 2 green bananas because they’re an “aphrodisiac” but don’t give the women any?

[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is chock full of descriptions of food I will never eat. While the language and personality are great ("Suppose you don't have white pepper? Use black pepper and take the consequences"), about 2/3 of the way through, it started to feel like a slog. However, while the descriptions of food and cooking get repetitive, the interwoven stories held my attention.

[Leslie (updates on SG) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read for my AtW challenge (Barbados). Besides pig tails and breadfruit (which I really want to try!), the two "ingreasements" (ingredients) I will remember most are lemon and thyme to marinate and spice meat, respectively.

[SL Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me of the communication and love of my own Bajan family and friends - it made me miss home.

[Afsaneh Hojabri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author are praised by critics for using a significantly innovative narrative strategy to haunt the reader with heartfelt food memories, and at the same time, to invite the reader to read beyond exotic representations of ethnic food to more complex issues of identity, integration and racism. Clark is one of the two authors who inspired me to embark on my own culinary memoir!

[Mark Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This "culinary memoir" details much of the author's time growing up in Barbados, told through the description of 'Bajun' cooking as carried out by the locals. It contains many interesting and amusing anecdotes around the culture and works well to conjure up the culture and dialect of the Bajun people.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hilarious and heartwarming journey through one man's life. He (Austin Clarke) tells of his travels from a kid in Barbados to a young man in Canada and the US. He talks about his family, the politics, culture, and history of his homeland, adopted countries and Blackness. He does all of this through the lens of food. One of my best reads this year.

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We went to Barbados for our honeymoon so it was fun to read this memoir about growing up on the island. I love learning about other cultures.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having Bajan parents, I found this book wonderful to read! In places, I had to be careful not to burst out laughing in public! I loved it!

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for nostalgia sake having spent 7 months in Barbados but otherwise not entirely engaging.

[Sue Kozlowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a native of Barbados and now lives in Canada. Includes a recipe in each chapter - lots of pig tails!

[Josine van Heek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boise Literature for Lunch Fall 2015. Read some chapters, not bad but did not really captivate me.

[Margie Ho · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* An entertaining read, I enjoyed every page!!!