Christmas Must Have – Yammins

Going to the market these days you’re seeing the christmas traditional must have, like you can now see the “little tinning cup” filled with shelled gungo seated between some of the gungo still in their secured pod. Each move I make “Nice lady, fresh gungo pint, half pint, gill any how much yu wan”.

Another must have is beautifully laid out “ dark red” sorrel( healthy – drink)ginger right beside it they both make a perfect match .

Here’s a guide for preparation  - Gungo Rice & Peas

Ingredients:

1 1/ 2lbs fresh green gungo

1lb rice

3 heads of eskellion – depending on size

1 sprig thyme

1 whole green scotch bonnet pepper

1 small dried coconut or 1 pack sachet of coconut powder4 cloves of garlic

12 pimento seeds

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

butter/margarine (optional)

Method:

Boil peas ( with pimento seed & garlic) until tender. Add coconut milk or sachet of coconut powder, thyme, pepper and seasoned salt and season taste.

Allow coconut milk to simmer and absorb seasoning. Reduce flame. Add rice and stir in continuously to allow rice & peas to be evenly distributed.

The flame can be increased at this time until boils and then reduce until rice is properly cooked.

Serve with Christmas meats.

Sorrel (Natural heart cleaner) there’s hardly any household you go and there’s no sorrel at this time of year

Ingredients:

3lbs sorrel

1/4lb ginger, washed, crushed and blended

12 whole cloves

6pt of boiling water

½ cup of overproof rum

½ lb granulated sugar or sweeten to taste

1tbsp rice

Method:

Wash sorrel sepals properly, put sorrel sepals, ginger, cloves and pimento seeds in a pot and pour on boiling water, cover with a clean cloth and set for a day.

A tablespoon of rice can be added to the sorrel to speed up the fermentation process.

Strain and sweeten with granulated sugar and little rum.

Bottle and chill.