Found an interesting article on Hindu Eating Habits in Trinidad from DesiJournal.com. Like many Trinidadians I’ve attended pujas/Indian weddings/Divali festivities. It’s always a grand time! Filling and lighting deyas is one of my all-time favorite childhood memories
The Soharee leaf, a plant native to Trinidad, has served the Hindu community for more than a century. In fact, local Hindu scholar and activist, Ravindranath Maharaj, believes that over 100,000 leaves of this plant are used in one month alone for the various Hindu functions held in this country. Soharee is a bhojpuri word that means “food for the gods.” Originally the word Soharee was associated with a special kind of roti served to Brahmins at religious functions. The small rotis were basted in ghee and served on the large leaves found in Trinidad. Soon the leaves adopted the name of the rotis themselves. These days, the word “Soharee” is most commonly associated with the large leaves used as plates at religious functions. Indian food needs space because of the variety of dishes served. This is why a large leaf such as the soharee is preferred to accommodate rice, kharee, curry mango, pumpkin, potato, channa, bhajee and salad.
Preparing Parata Roti and Curry for a Hindu Wedding in Enterprise, Chaguanas
Immediately you will see the soharee mentioned above. You should also be able to notice the difference between the size of what we call roti, and the size of the rotis prepared by the Guyanese
You can tell a Hindu home in Trinidad from the prayer flags that wave in the yard.
Each color represents a different god and therefore type of request.