They say give a trini any fruit and they would make a chow; so now I have chennette chow. Incidentally, this may be true, for such a saying may have some truth in it. While on the highway from Grand Bazaar, I happened to come across a vendor selling, among other things, Chennette and of course the first thing that came to mind was to make a chow.
But, before I reach the Chennette chow recipe I must digress a bit, because these highway vendors are a story just waiting to be told……
The Highway Vendors
They range from the “street hawker”(selling car related products like steering wheel covers to “Shamu” cloth or toys like windmills, teddy bears and inflatable animals … anything that light enough to carry) to the “nuts men”(who are organised to a “T”) most of them Bobo Shanti from Wharf Trace, selling all types of peanuts nuts, salted or fresh, or even a few bags of cashew nuts or honey roasted nuts.
Then there’s the “market vendors”, selling their produce from topi tambo, hot peppers, pak choi and chive (which are usually already bundled and placed in bags for a quick sale) to fruits like pineapple, mango, bananas and chennette – anything that is “in season”. Of course you can’t forget the “beverage vendors”, selling from cold water to soft drinks that are kept in a cooler on wheels.
I must say that I admire these vendors for their bravery. Bravery for standing in the hot sun to earn their daily bread; bravery for weaving their way between vehicles to make a quick sale before the light changes; and bravery doing this day in and day out, 365 days. Not many people will risk their lives like this, but then risks come in many different ways.
Chennette Chow on My Mind
Anyhow, where were we? Oh yes, Chennette chow… the day was hot and this chennette chow was a welcomed addition to my snack after lunch. The pepper in the picture was very hot, so I opted to using half. As usual, the steps are easy to follow and the outcome literally mouthwatering… you may even want to have an extra glass of water or milk as the case may be … ha ha ha.. lol. Enjoy Chennette Chow.
P.S. Check out my other chow recipes if you would like to delve a little more into the hot and spicy side of Trini cooking.
Chennette Chow Recipe
CHENNETTE CHOW
Ingredients:
2 – 3 bunches Chennette ( about 35 fruits )
4 cloves garlic
5 leaves chadon beni
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
Directions:
Remove the outer shell and place in a bowl.
Blend the chadon beni, garlic and half of the pepper.
You can use the whole pepper if you like.
Pour the mixture over the chennette.
Serve at once or let marinate for 30 minutes.
Well that’s some spicy chow for you. Hope you enjoy it. I certainly did. Here’s a list of the other chows I’ve done over the year
Mango Chow
Pineapple Chow
Pommecythere Chow
Cucumber Chow
Portugal Chow
Five Finger Chow
Pommerac Chow
Coming up next ….We’ll soup it up a bit 🙂
Ah gone!
Chennette Chow
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 bunches Chennette about 35 fruits
- 4 cloves garlic
- 5 leaves chadon beni
- 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Remove the outer shell and place in a bowl.
- Blend the chadon beni, garlic and half of the pepper.
- Note: You can use the whole pepper if you like. Pour the mixture over the chennette. Serve at once or let marinate for 30 minutes.
Don’t forget to leave your comments for this chennette chow recipe.
Second post I’ve seen with these fruits today! In Puerto Rico we call them quenepas or limoncillo. I just got back from a trip there, and they told me they weren’t in season… someone lied to me!
Next time I see these in the store, I will have to try this recipe.
oh geez. i am no foodie that’s for sure, but i just discovered ur blog and oh my, my mouth is watering just reading and looking at ur pictures. Great job!! love what u’re doing!!
i love chennette chow and somehow missed making it this season, but have you ever heard of roasted chennette seeds. my grandfather taught my cousins and me how to. you dry the seeds in the sun for a few days and then roast it like you would cashew seeds.
That is a first for me but I do enjoy roasting cashew seeds. How does the roasted chennette seeds taste? ….Now I have to go look for some and try this recipe lol!! 😉
it has a slight nutty taste, not very overpowering i remember. i have not had any in over 15years, so my recollection is very vague but i do know i enjoyed it much, just dry the seeds in the full sun for about 5 days and then roast like you would cashew seeds on a perforated metal sheet(old galvanize sheet with slits made with a cutlass) in an outdoor firepit.Beware the seeds pitch off the sheets, so take care, crack open the shell when cooled slighty and enjoy, i think i will have to try it again soon, telling you about it just evoked memories of fun august holidays.