Fried or stewed fish, provisions, callaloo, salad or even peas are part of the traditional menu today on this Good Friday holiday. Later, for those with a sweet tooth, one of the traditional hot cross buns. Shoppers were busy yesterday attempting to buy both at various vendors, meat shops and bakeries in Port-of-Spain. One of the owners of Sonny and Anil Meat Shop on George Street said sales were picking up but the sale of meat and chicken was rising.
The shop had stacks of saltfish laid in neat rows, chicken in packs, provisions and other items. The owner did not wish to disclose his name but said his shop had the most reasonable prices for fish. “God is the owner and I just in charge. Mackerel and salmon scarce but the youths hardly know how to prepare that,” he added. He said the saltfish was sold at $20 a pound, smoked herring at $15 while fresh fish was sold at $40 to $50 a pound in other places.
“The tradition is fish but more meat is being sold, maybe for Saturday after they break fast or something. Meat sale has gone up. We beat the price of everybody. Some of them (vendors) overdoing it,” he said. Across the street at the corner of Faure and George Streets, Abigail Wilson, owner of Dishes of Fish, said sales were okay for the morning.
“I am selling kingfish, red fish, cro cro, carite, tuna, marlin and young shark. Fry some kingfish and make a little gravy with onion, pimentos, tomatoes with provisions, like a little cassava and dasheen,” she said. A customer at Blondy’s Fish Depot said they were going to bake two slices of fish that she ordered. Fish vendor Vijay Mahabir said he has sold fish at the corner of Prince and George Streets for the past six years.
“It slow, the way sales are normally. Shark and shrimp also selling,” he said. Mahabir said kingfish was being sold at $50 a pound and cro cro at $14 a pound.