joel.julien@guardian.co.tt
The coal pot, which is now the subject of much national debate, should not be stigmatised or depicted as a symbol of poverty, Hummingbird Gold Medal winner Dr Jerome Teelucksingh has said.
Speaking to Guardian Media on Monday, Teelucksingh, a history lecturer at the University of the West Indies, said the coal pot is a “part of our rich Caribbean heritage and history.”
“The simple cooking vessel is also known as ‘coal stove’, ‘Dutch pot’ or ‘small charcoal burning stove.’ It has cooked the meals of generations of Caribbean citizens from all walks of life,” Teelucksingh said.
On Monday, Patricia Bissessar, the curator of Angelo Bissessarsingh’s Virtual museum, of T&T, posted an article by Bissessarsingh which stated that the coal pot was once a fixture of every kitchen from at least the 18th century right up until gas stoves and cylinders became available after the 1950s.
“Nowadays, they are manufactured locally from a light, durable pot-metal alloy, but still are pretty authentic in shape,” Bissessarsingh, who died in 2017, wrote in the article.
Teelucksingh added, “Many of us are familiar with coal pots made of cast iron. However, a few of us are aware that coal pots are also made of clay, and similar earthenware pots were regularly used made by the early indigenous (First Peoples) inhabitants of the region in cooking. The skill of making these coal pots were brought by slaves from West Africa during the colonial era. The coal pot would also be later used by indentured labourers.”
Teelucksingh said the coal pot is associated with communal cooking or outdoor cooking, especially in rural areas.
“The coal pot should not be associated with backwardness or being primitive. Some homes still have a coal pot or chulha, not because of poverty but because the food cooked on the coal pot has a unique earthy smoked flavour. Some believe the coal pot or chulha adds extra flavour to the food,” Teelucksingh said.
“It is a elitism when anyone makes statements that cooking with a coal pot seems degrading. Coal pot cooking is a time-honoured tradition in which culinary techniques have evolved,” he said.
Coal pots came into the national spotlight recently, following a statement during the Budget debate by Port-of-Spain South MP Keith Scotland, who suggested people use coal pots if they could not afford cooking gas.
Guardian Media on Monday visited St James, where coal pots were being sold at US Appliances and Electronics and Rahul’s Gift Shop. Speaking anonymously, a representative at US Appliances and Electronics said coal pots were not in high demand.
“It is not an item that is sold regularly but it is something that can be used for cooking and barbecuing,” she said.
The 15-inch square coal pot cost $925.Fair and Square in Chaguanas and The Little Store in Curepe also said they had coal pots for sale. A bag of coal is currently priced at around $100.
