Tobagonians are very proud of their island’s heritage – and rightly so! Every village has a special something that is celebrated year-round, but particularly during August, the ‘month of heritage’.
Castara is famous for its dirt ovens. These are traditional African mud ovens. Bamboo is burnt inside and then the cinders are pushed out of the back door. The loaves and tarts are then placed on banana leaves and put in the oven through the front door. The residual heat cooks them. Once baked, they are removed and sold. This is called a ‘firing’. To bake another batch, you must first burn some more bamboo.
We have two ovens here in Castara.
Castara Heritage Bakers’ Oven, run by a group of local ladies, is located near the village school. They bake on Wednesdays and Saturdays each week. The other one is on the beach in Big Bay, just past CasCreole Restaurant. It is run by Mr Alston Taylor (aka Daddy Ben) and his wife, Maudlyn. Every Thursday and Saturday, they produce delicious pumpkin and wholemeal loaves as well as currant buns (delicious when toasted and buttered – very reminiscent of the toasted teacakes of my childhood!) and traditional Tobagonian coconut tarts.
