angelo.jedidiah@guardian.co.tt
From the bubbling of hot oil to the rhythmic stirring of batter, kitchens across T&T hum with heat, hustle, and the promise of something sweet for Divali.
At The Little Store—a popular pooja shop in Curepe—it’s no different. Inside, the kitchen staff move swiftly to prepare a spread of delicacies destined for both intimate family gatherings and large-scale celebrations marking the Festival of Lights.
From the crunchy snap of tilli cake to the melt-in-your-mouth barfi and the syrupy bliss of gulab jamoon, this kitchen—like many others across the country—ensures that Divali treats bring joy to everyone who tastes them.
“Coming out of COVID-19, we’ve actually seen a spike in the number of sweets orders that come in for Divali,” said manager Vinayak Sankar.
At the heart of the operation is Deokie Ram, the store’s head chef. She described the influx of orders as “really, really plentiful”—and at times, overwhelming.
But with 22 years of experience behind her, Ram said she’s learned how to manage the pace of production and her team of kitchen staff, though some desserts still require extra patience and care.
“Gulab jamoon and ladoo are a little easier than barfi because barfi has to set,” she explained. “You have to make it today so it can set properly for tomorrow. It takes a much longer time.”
Gulab jamoon, rasgulla, and parsad remain steady favourites, but Ram said barfi continues to be a top seller, with nearly 20 to 30 trays prepared daily as Divali approaches.
As she waited for oil to heat for the next batch of gulab jamoon, Ram said that despite the physical demands of meeting large orders, she and her team still cherish traditional methods of cooking.
“One of the biggest challenges is meeting the quotas because we have a lot of orders coming in every day. Some customers even place orders on the day itself,” added Chelese Hernandez, the store’s production team lead. “It’s a continuous flow of production.”
Even with the use of modern tools to mix batters and shape sweets, The Little Store remains grounded in its devotion to authenticity and taste.
And whether homemade or purchased fresh from the counter, these sweets are far more than just desserts—they are edible symbols of light, love, and tradition. After all, Divali simply wouldn’t be complete without them.
