The Moreish Podcast: Caribbean History, Culture, and Cuisine

The Moreish Podcast: Caribbean History, Culture, and Cuisine

by Hema Ramsingh
FoodHistory
Season 4
Language, Indentureship, and Indo-Caribbean Memory with Vinay Harrichan
In this episode, Hema and Vinay discuss how language and the words you may have grown up saying in a Caribbean household are actually living records of survival, migration, and cultural memory. Vinay Harrichan, founder of The Cutlass Magazine, breaks down how Indo-Caribbean language, food, and identity were shaped by Indian indentureship, traces the line from indentureship to the Caribbean expressions, family words, & food terms that still show up in everyday language across Trinidad and the Caribbean today. We discuss why words like bandhania, parathai, mohan bhog, and gulab jamun carry layered histories that don't always match the version that they came from. Vinay also shares a bit of his research process, talking to and verifying information by speaking directly with elders, and why preserving oral history matters now more than ever. If you are interested in Caribbean history, Indo-Caribbean identity, and the stories behind the words you use every day, this conversation will help you understand where our language came from and why it still matters. What you'll learn How language survived in the home, in Trinidad, through family life and became part of everyday vernacular, widely understood across communities Elders, often women, kept Hindustani and Bhojpuri alive in the home Indian indentureship and how it differs from chattel slavery in the Caribbean How food words preserve cultural history, can be used to trace the origins of foods and language, and how language is developed locally About Vinay Harrichan Vinay Harrichan is the founder and curator of The Cutlass Magazine. Founded in August of 2020, it is a social media platform dedicated to the Indo-Caribbean community and descendants of Indian indentureship. TCM covers topics such as history, religion, politics, music, dance, and linguistics in the name of cultural preservation. You may follow The Cutlass Magazine (@cutlassmagazine) on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, Threads, and TikTok. https://linktr.ee/cutlassmagazine Past Episode with Vinay Doubles: The Origin Story https://youtu.be/GR9LhaebibI?si=Gw6PEDAyn-JtqxpA Resources The Repair Campaign https://repaircampaign.org/reparations-today/cutlass-magazine-founder-vinay-harrichan-explores-the-legacies-of-indentureship/ Karen Dass https://www.youtube.com/@karendass Dr. Visham Bhimull https://caribbeanhindustani.org/ Join us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!) https://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/jerk-sauce
S4 · E2
Sep 15, 2026
40:25
How Food Became Political in the US Virgin Islands with Stephanie Chalana Brown
The Virgin Islands of the United States does not have one tidy food story. Disputes over the national dish, generational divides over what constitutes a Virgin Islands plate, and influences from Africa, Europe, and other Caribbean nations, as well as American policies that limit food production creates a narrative that isn’t straightforward. It’s why this conversation with Stephanie Chalana Brown, historian and visual documentarian, is so informative and fascinating. Chalana gives us a peek behind the curtain on how politics, migration, colonial history, and identity have all shaped what ends up on the plate in the US Virgin Islands. This is not a simple food conversation. It’s a revealing look at creolization, generational memory, and the pressures of being a territory of the United States of America. From fungi & boil fish to maafe, red pea soup, kallaloo, red grout, and the seven-layer Vienna cake, Chalana shares how each one carries a history of labour, class, taste, and survival. You'll discover: Why older Virgin Islanders may see ground provisions as nourishment while younger generations may see them as stigma How 98% food import dependence changed the island's foodways and daily life How Danish, African, Antillean, and American influences all show up in the US Virgin Islands cuisine If you are interested in Caribbean foodways, the way colonial history lives on in everyday meals, or just want to learn what’s good to eat in the USVI, have a listen to this episode. Part food story, part history lesson, and proof that “food is kinda heavy when you talk about the politics about it.” About Stephanie Chalana Brown Stephanie Chalana Brown is a Virgin Islands–based photographer, cultural thinker, and public intellectual whose work explores African diasporic history, place, and memory across the Caribbean. Her practice moves between photography, archival inquiry, and cultural interpretation. She documents everyday life, heritage spaces, and community rituals with an eye toward how history lives in bodies, streets, buildings, and shared traditions. Her work treats culture as a living record, something carried, practiced, and remembered rather than frozen in the past. Chalana’s interests sit at the intersection of African studies, Caribbean history, visual literacy, and public education. She is particularly engaged in how communities preserve memory outside of formal institutions, and how photography can function as both documentation and archive. Her work has appeared in exhibitions, publications, and national media, and she regularly contributes to conversations about heritage, representation, and cultural accountability in the Virgin Islands and the wider Black Atlantic world. She lives and works in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she continues to photograph, research, and write. https://www.instagram.com/chalana_vi/ https://www.facebook.com/StephanieChalanaBrown Article: https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/virgin-islands-masquerading-traditions Previous Episode Exploring the US Virgin Islands: History, Identity, and Cultural Shifts https://youtu.be/WzU6QSg048A?si=uAP2VW39hnNiS5Sq Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/jerk-sauce
S4 · E1
Sep 1, 2026
48:03
Season 3
Queer Identity in the Caribbean Diaspora with Shaharah Gaznabbi
Queeribbean In the final episode of Season 3, Hema and Shaharah Gaznabbi, a Toronto-based Indo-Caribbean theatre creator and drag performer, talk about the history, language, and cultural nuances of being queer in the Caribbean diaspora, how colonization has shaped attitudes towards queeribbean folks, and the evolving acceptance within communities and families. Shaharah shares their personal coming out experience, their role as the Chair of the Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association’s group EPIC (Equality and Pride for Indo-Caribbeans), and provides some insight into acceptable language in the LGBTQ+ community and relclaiming the term ‘queer’. About Shaharah: Shaharah "Gaz" Gaznabbi (They/Them) is an ACTRA & Equity Actor, Playwright, Puppeteer, Comedian, Deviser, Dramaturg, Drag Artist, (you name it!) based in Toronto. They were an Artist-In-Residence at Tarragon Theatre as a recipient of the Ellen Ross Stuart Award, and was part of Tarragon Theatre’s Young Playwrights Unit. Shaharah received The Neurodiverse Review's Birds of Paradise Emerging Talent Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, where they presented their solo-show "What Can Indian Look Like? Can It Look Caribbean?". They have also received TO Live’s “Best of Fringe”, as well as the Canadian Green Alliance’s “Greenest In The Fringe” at the Toronto Fringe Festival 2025 for their solo puppet filled musical comedy “My Pet Lizard, Liz: The Shakespearean Existential Crisis that Led to his Ultimate Demise”. They additionally received the inaugural Gerda Hynatyshyn Launch Grant for English Theatre. Recent Credits: Noor in Season 3 of CBC's run The Burbs, Ontario and US tour of "Jungle book" Directed by Rick Miller & Craig Francis, 4 city tour of “Quest for The Moon, and 5 city tour of “Old Man and the River” both with WeeFestival. Instagram Shaharah's current work: BrOWN//Out Stage at Toronto Pride 2026 Go-Between Girl (Audiobook Narration) by Andrea Gunraj Belly Button at Toronto Fringe 2026 Cheers! The ORDA Podcast Indo-Caribbean Canadian Association Resources Wotless info and tickets An Ordinary Landscape of Violence by Preity R. Kumar Guy Anabella 377: The British colonial law that left an anti-LGBTQ legacy in Asia Episodes referenced Indo-Caribbean Canadian Culture & Community with Ryan Singh
S3 · E20
Jun 9, 2026
47:51
Book Talk: The British Monarchy and Slavery with Brooke N. Newman
The role of the British Royals in the Transatlantic Slave Trade Dr. Brooke N. Newman discusses her book The Crown's Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas in which she explores the British monarchy's involvement in slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Spanning hundreds of years and drawing on thousands of pages of archival records, the book starts with Queen Elizabeth I, the first British monarch to knowingly invest in and profit from the transatlantic slave trade and brings us all the way to present day. In this episode, Brooke shares her thoughts on the actions that the Crown, King Charles, and the British government can take to acknowledge this history and respond to the call for reparations. About Brooke N. Newman Dr. Brooke Newman is an Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She specializes in the history of early modern Britain and the British Atlantic, with a focus on slavery and its legacies. She is the author of the award-winning book, A Dark Inheritance: Blood, Race, and Sex in Colonial Jamaica (Yale, 2018) and The Crown's Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas (Mariner, 2026). Her writing and research have been featured in the Guardian, the Washington Post, Der Spiegel, and Smithsonian Magazine, and she has served as a historical expert for HBO's Last Week Tonight, Vox, the BBC, and NPR, among others. Website Instagram Bluesky Resources The Royal Archives Georgian Papers Programme The Spirit of Laws Slave Voyages database The Interest: How the British Establishment Resisted the Abolition of Slavery,, Michael Taylor Padraic X. Scanlan The Whiteness of Wealth, Dorothy Brown Episodes Referenced Slave Voyages: Documenting the Transatlantic Slave Trade The Repair Campaign: Caribbean Reparations Explained
S3 · E19
May 26, 2026
1:06:55
Book Talk: Layaway Child with Chanel Sutherland
Exploring Caribbean migration experiences and barrel children through short stories In this episode, Hema talks to Chanel Sutherland about her first book, Layaway Child, a collection of short stories exploring the Caribbean immigrant experience. Chanel shares her personal journey of being a ‘layaway child’ (often called barrel children), growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with her grandparents while her mother migrated to Montreal, Quebec (Canada) to set up a new life for her family, and travelling with her younger sister to reunite with their mother. The discussion delves into the themes of sacrifice, resilience, and the impact of colonial legacies, and the emotional complexities of family relationships once children migrate to reunite with their parents in a new country. Chanel weaves her own experiences into this collection of short stories, as well as those of people she has met. From colourism to the cultural silence in Caribbean families and seeming lack of emotion, to the importance of community and empathy in understanding the immigrant experience, she encourages open dialogue about the emotional toll of migration. Chanel Sutherland Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Chanel Sutherland moved to Montreal, Quebec (Canada) when she was ten years old. She holds a BA in English Literature from Concordia University. Her first book, Layaway Child, is a collection of short stories exploring the Caribbean immigrant experience, especially those dealing with girlhood. She is the winner of the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, the 2022 CBC Short Story Prize, and the 2021 CBC Nonfiction Prize. In addition, she was awarded the 2022 Mariruth Sarsfield Mentorship, longlisted for the 2022 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, and shortlisted for the Max Margles Fiction Prize. Chanel was also included on the CBC Books 30 Writers to Watch list for 2022. Website Instagram Facebook Layaway Child is a luminous debut short story collection by award-winning writer Chanel Sutherland that explores the emotional landscapes of Caribbean families fractured by migration, especially the harrowing yet resilient journeys of Black girls and women. In lyrical, linked stories, Sutherland traces the lives of mothers working abroad as housekeepers and nannies, and the children they left behind. From lush island childhoods marked by absence and community to the cold, alienating spaces of Canadian cities, Layaway Child captures the complexity of growing up between worlds. A mother, newly arrived in Montreal, is kept from speaking to her daughters by her own mother’s misguided attempt to help her let go of home. A schoolgirl becomes a spectacle under the gaze of white classmates. A young girl’s curiosity about the cosmos collides with the confusion of puberty. Sutherland brings deep compassion and sharp insight to each moment, revealing both the beauty of island life and the harshness of immigration’s toll.
S3 · E18
May 12, 2026
49:16
Book Talk: The Caribbean Cookbook with Rawlston Williams
In this episode Hema chats with Rawlston Williams, author of The Caribbean Cookbook, graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and he was the chef-owner of the award-winning Brooklyn restaurant The Food Sermon. He shares stories from his childhood growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where his connection to food began. From cooking in the kitchen of his aunt Gloria to helping the neighbour handmake chocolate from cacao growing in her yard, and learning how to churn butter before moving to the United States to join his family. Rawlston shares a behind-the-sceens look at developing the cookbook and discusses how Caribbean food is rooted in scarcity, culture, and resourcefulness. This episode is a great companion piece to his debut cookbook from Phaidon, The Caribbean Cookbook. Connect with Rawlston Williams Rawlston Williams is a Caribbean chef with a deep passion and knowledge for his region’s food culture. Born in Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, he has lived in New York since 1987. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, for many years he was the chef-owner of the award-winning Brooklyn restaurant The Food Sermon, which focused on dishes inspired by Caribbean cuisine. Instagram I Am Rawlston and The Food Sermon The Caribbean Cookbook is an exploration of Caribbean cuisine and culinary history, featuring more than 380 authentic home cooking recipes from across the region. Rawlston Williams, with photographs by Nico Schinco Book Tour events Resources Yan Can Cook
S3 · E17
Apr 28, 2026
1:13:23
Doubles: The Origin Story with Vinay Harrichan
The History of Doubles: Trinidad's Iconic Street Food Doubles is the quintessential Trinidadian street food, and often the dish that people most associate with Trinidad. In this episode, Hema chats with Vinay Harrichan, founder of The Cutlass Magazine, to talk about the origins of doubles, local lore and stories behind the dish, variations, and they each share their doubles order. It turns out that Hema’s order is what Vinay would describe as starter doubles, or what you would order for a small child! Vinay shares the etymology of bara and channa, and talks a bit about Bhojpuri and Hindustani words that have become part of the everyday language in Trinidad. About Vinay Harrichan Vinay Harrichan is the founder and curator of The Cutlass Magazine. Founded in August of 2020, it is a social media platform dedicated to the Indo-Caribbean community and descendants of Indian indentureship. TCM covers topics such as history, religion, politics, music, dance, and linguistics in the name of cultural preservation. You may follow The Cutlass Magazine (@cutlassmagazine) on Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, Threads, and TikTok. https://linktr.ee/cutlassmagazine Resources Book: Out of the Doubles Kitchen by Badru Deen Movie: Doubles with Slight Pepper - Ian Harnarine Doubles Movie NYT Cooking Doubles This is Doubles IG Recipes Trini Cooking with Natasha - Doubles Masterclass Taste of Trinbago with Reshmi Cooking with Ria - Doubles Recipe Episodes Referenced Tobago History with Devonne Adanna
S3 · E16
Apr 14, 2026
35:00
The Virgin Islands of the United States: A Journey Through History and Identity with Stephanie Chalana Brown
Exploring the US Virgin Islands: History, Identity, and Cultural Shifts Stephanie Chalana Brown joined me to discuss the history of the Virgin Islands, a territory of the United States. Comprised of St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John plus smaller islets and cays, it’s often described as laid-back, with quaint towns, turquoise waters, a perfect vacation spot for sailing, divers, and sun-seekers. In this episode we go beyond that. From its indigenous Taino roots, colonial past with strong Danish influences, and present-day struggles, Chalana shares her personal insights into citizenship issues, her ancestral family history, and the importance of local scholarship, digital archives, and historical narratives. About Stephanie Chalana Brown Stephanie Chalana Brown is a Virgin Islands–based photographer, cultural thinker, and public intellectual whose work explores African diasporic history, place, and memory across the Caribbean. Her practice moves between photography, archival inquiry, and cultural interpretation. She documents everyday life, heritage spaces, and community rituals with an eye toward how history lives in bodies, streets, buildings, and shared traditions. Her work treats culture as a living record, something carried, practiced, and remembered rather than frozen in the past. Chalana’s interests sit at the intersection of African studies, Caribbean history, visual literacy, and public education. She is particularly engaged in how communities preserve memory outside of formal institutions, and how photography can function as both documentation and archive. Her work has appeared in exhibitions, publications, and national media, and she regularly contributes to conversations about heritage, representation, and cultural accountability in the Virgin Islands and the wider Black Atlantic world. She lives and works in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she continues to photograph, research, and write in dialogue with place. Instagram These islands were bought by the US. Now they have a message for Greenland. Resources Virgin Islands Taino Welcome Tribal Members from Caribbean The Danish National Archives National Museum of Denmark Society of Virgin Islands Historians The 1733 Akwamu Insurrection Fireburn: The Uprising of 1878 The Fireburn Files The St. Croix Educational Complex Drama Club
S3 · E15
Mar 31, 2026
1:12:55
The History of Jerk in Jamaica with Alyssa Sperry Bertrand
Many foods come to mind when people think of Jamaica, and one most often associated with Jamaican cuisine is jerk chicken. In this episode Hema is joined by Alyssa Sperry Bertrand, a retired pastry chef turned academic and historian, to discuss the evolution of jerk, from traditional methods to modern interpretations. They explore the origins as a food preservation method, the influence of the Taino people, Maroons and African cultures, and pimento wood, the one must have for authentic jerk. Listen as we dive into the history and cultural significance of jerk in Jamaican cuisine, the must-have spices in its modern flavour profile, and the global influence of the dish. Episodes Referenced Caribbean Foodways with Dr. Candice Goucher The connection between salt and spirituality with Alyssa Bertrand (Sperry) Exploring Caribbean Heritage through food with Marie Mitchell Belly Full Cookbook, Caribbean Food & Ingredients with Lesley Enston Caribbean Culinary History with Keshia Sakarah Resources and Links Friends of Jamaica https://servejamaica.org/ Eating Jamaica: How Food is Used as a Tool to Create and Reinforce Cultural Identity What is moreish? | more·​ish ˈmōrish | informal, of food, causing a desire for more Join us onTikTok,Instagram andYouTube to continue the conversation. Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!)https://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/jerk-sauce Alyssa Bertrand (Sperry) is a leading expert on salt, and its relationship to Jamaican culture(s). As a former chef, and historical ethnographer she provides insight into the role salt played in the development of culture and identities among the Maroons and Rastafarians by understanding salt’s role during the Atlantic Slave Trade and how it shaped the cultural identities of the past and present. Alyssa received her master’s degree at the Department of Global Studies at the University of Oregon and her bachelor’s degree at Washington State University in Anthropology and History. Alyssa has received numerous awards and grants for her research including the Oregon International Research Grant, Folger Shakespeare Library Scholarship, and Library Research Excellence Award at Washington State University.
S3 · E14
Mar 17, 2026
24:04
Jamaica: The connection between salt and spirituality with Alyssa Sperry Bertrand
How salt shaped Jamaica’s culture and subcultures Hema is joined by Alyssa Sperry Bertrand, a retired pastry chef turned academic and historian, about her research on the historical and cultural significance of salt in Jamaica. Starting with the colonial era and the Spanish followed by the British, they explore the transition of Jamaica from a salt-producing island to a sugar-centric economy, the role of women in salt production, and the spiritual and practical implications of salt in the lives of Jamaican Maroon and Rastafarian communities. Alyssa shares how she got the nickname ‘Salt Woman’ and the amusing quest to find an out-of-the-way salt pond in Jamaica, complete with rum and a game of dominoes. Alyssa talks about her research methodology and the importance of honouring the voices of the communities she studied. The conversation highlights the multifaceted nature of salt, its impact on culture, and the ongoing relevance in understanding Caribbean history. About Alyssa Sperry Bertrand Alyssa Bertrand (Sperry) is a leading expert on salt, and its relationship to Jamaican culture(s). As a former chef, and historical ethnographer she provides insight into the role salt played in the development of culture and identities among the Maroons and Rastafarians by understanding salt’s role during the Atlantic Slave Trade and how it shaped the cultural identities of the past and present. Alyssa received her master’s degree at the Department of Global Studies at the University of Oregon and her bachelor’s degree at Washington State University in Anthropology and History. Alyssa has received numerous awards and grants for her research including the Oregon International Research Grant, Folger Shakespeare Library Scholarship, and Library Research Excellence Award at Washington State University. Alyssa is also a contributing writer to the books Salt in Eastern North America and the Caribbean (University of Alabama Press, 2021) and Women Who Changed the World (ABC-CLIO, 2021). She also published an article in the World History Connected, “Eating Jamaica: How Food is Used to as a Tool to Create and Reinforce Cultural Identity,” (Vol. 18, No.1, 2021). Currently, Alyssa serves on the board of Friends of Jamaica, a non-profit organization, helping to raise funds and provide grants to community-based projects around the island of Jamaica. Resources and Links Remembering Jah Calo William Berryman art Episodes Referenced Caribbean Foodways with Dr. Candice Goucher Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!) https://uppbeat.io/t/andrey-rossi/jerk-sauce
S3 · E13
Feb 17, 2026
55:44
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