‘Friends for Di Road’ Encapsulates the Flavours and Vibrancy of Trinidadian Food
Photographer Stefy Pocket and stylist Jake Hunte explore the culinary delights of Trinidad and Tobago, meeting the local figures behind its island fare along the way.
A dual island within the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago is known not only for its paradisiacal setting but for its vibrant mix of cultures, range of deep flavours, thriving nightlife and, of course, Carnival. As an island that’s historically passed through different hands – the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders – today it’s a swirl of communities, made up of mainly two ethnic groups: people of East Indian and African descent. There are large populations of Chinese and Syrian people too, adding to the island’s blend of cultures, aesthetics and tastes.
Trinidad and Tobago has also been an area of interest for photographer Stefy Pocket and stylist Jake Hunte, who’ve teamed up to create the photo series Friends for Di Road. Pocket is an Italian photographer, born in Milan to a Sicilian father with her mother’s side of the family tracing back to Tuscany. Having moved to London at 19 years of age, the metropolitan city inspired her to take a camera on her journeys, capturing its many hubs. Hunte grew up in London with Caribbean and Spanish communites around him; his family being from Antigua, Trinidad and Spain. His penchant for styling was influenced by his background and the smorgasbord of cultures around him in London.
Together, Pocket Hunte brought their dreams to fruition, journeying to Trinidad and Tobago with producer Celeste Kennedy Doig to experience its flavours and delve into the stories behind its most beloved local figures. Friends for Di Road encapsulates the liveliness of the island, lensing its culinary delights: stews, coconuts, rotis, chickpeas, curries and many more. It’s a tantalising photo series that begs the viewer to experience the island’s earthy spices and local fare through image.
Below, we invite you to experience it for yourself via Pocket and Hunte’s collaboration. Scroll down for images from Friends for Di Road and to dive into the stories of some of its local figures.
How do you prefer to shoot?
Stefy Pocket: I like to go with the flow when I shoot my personal projects. Getting to know the people I shoot, make them feel comfortable and hear their stories is the most important thing in the process for me.
Jake Hunte: I like to always keep it true to people’s personal style. I love looking at how people dress and put things together. I give each person we meet a clothing item to complement their own style.
Why was Trinidad and Tobago at the top of your list?
SP: I’ve always been attracted by the West Indies’ culture and wanted to experience the rich culinary diversity of the country. And of course I always wanted to go to Trinidad Carnival.
JH: I grew up super close to my Trinidadian abuelo throughout my childhood and teen years, always hearing his stories of home, so had the connection there. I’d been talking this trip into existence for years, so naturally when the time came and we were able to travel together, I had to see home for myself.
Did you grow up eating many of the foods you found on the island?
SP: Not at all, being fully Italian I grew up eating Mediterranean foods. In Italy herbs and spices are used minimally to not prevail over the main ingredients. I discovered spices and curries when I moved to London.
JH: I grew up eating roti and the other Trini foods my abuelo would make at home. A lot of the foods we ate throughout our travels were new to me. I had things like chow, but not shark and bake or even prawn and bake – think you can only get those from the island and it tastes authentic.
Can you tell me more about meeting Randel Rodriguez? Why's he so popular with the locals?
SP and JH: Randel was so passionate about the food he cooks. The first time we met him to talk about the project he took us to the grocery store to show us all the ingredients he uses for his dishes, but he didn’t unveil his secrets. He’s very popular ‘cause he’s the only vendor that serves Geera pork and chicken on St James. While we were taking photos of him you could hear all the locals shouting his name from each corner of the street.
Let’s dive into Damian’s story.
SP and JH: One of the best things of travelling in the Caribbean is sipping fresh coconut water. We found Damian on St James (Port of Spain) where he sells coconuts from his car with the help of his mum Sandra.
You can feel his warm vibes from the music he plays from a speaker on the top of his pick-up truck. His coconuts were some of the best we ever tried.
Can you tell me more about this image?
SP: We met Jake’s cousin Kadell. He took us to Darren’s double in St Juan where Nicholas and Sharaz served us some delicious doubles; the on-the-go breakfast of the island and probably the most popular street food dish. It’s an Indian-inspired treat seasoned with madras curry, roasted cumin and two flatbreads topped with chickpea curry and chutneys like mango, cucumber and tamarind.
Walk me through these two images.
SP and JH: A classic that you can’t miss is is the bake and shark – fried flatbread, shark meat – including toppings of garlic sauce, chadobenny, pepper sauce, tamarind sauce and mango chutney, and an array of salad to choose from. Vilma’s has the best bake and shark on Maracas Bay. Here’s Dan posing for us on the beach where he serves hundreds of bake and shark everyday.
Where did you go here?
SP: Driving to Maracas Beach you can’t miss Eden Sweet and Sour Hot Spot, the best spot for chow and Trini sweet treats. Lovely owners Bobby and Sandra make the best mango chow made with sugar, salt, chadobeny, lime, scotch bonnet and garlic. Chow satisfies all the tastes: fresh, sweet, sour, spicy and tangy all at the same time.
Here's Jake enjoying one of the best seafood Roti in town at The Roti Cafe in Santa Cruz. This roti was beyond on point!
How was it meeting well-loved local figures within the area?
SP and JH: Meeting the locals was always a fun interaction, they all had such bold characters in their own way but shared the Trini sense of humour and mannerisms.
What was the main highlight of your trip?
SP and JH: The parties, the beaches, the food, the mountains, the sunshine, the people, the music – everything. You have to visit both islands to get the real experience. Truthfully, it's being able to experience it in the way we did with great friends and family, seeing as much as possible and living like islanders.
What was a culinary highlight?
SP: The prawn buss up and the doubles!
JH: The seafood roti, doubles and, like Stefy said, prawn buss up.
What are some key learnings from your time there?
SP and JH: Better belly buss than good food waste, meaning it’s better to eat ‘til your stomach explodes than leave delicious food behind!
Is there anything you’re going to try to recreate or find back home now the trip has ended?
SP and JH: The best roti in London. It’s hard to compete as the ingredients ain’t the same, and it’s hard to find chadon beni and the Trini Pimento peppers – both are key seasoning ingredients.
