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Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine
==Cuisine Culture==
…helping to keep a tradition alive
By Renay Sambach
Kaieteur News – What better way to be a part of the Amerindian Heritage Month 2022 celebration than to indulge in delectable indigenous cuisine.
On September 1, Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine (CIC) celebrated its one-year anniversary as an indigenous business that is keeping the tradition alive. The owner, 27-year-old Calvin Roberts, is ready to serve up some scrumptious indigenous cuisine as part of the month-long celebration.
Some dishes that his business prepares include: the lokono cassava bread, farine, fried farine with strip chicken, labba tuma, deer tuma, bush cow tuma, wild-hog tuma, chicken tuma, fish tuma, chicken kebabs, deer kebabs, beef kebas, pork kebabs, cassava wraps, baked labba in pineapple sauce, pepperpot, cassava cheese cake, and cassava pizza.
Also available is the Indigenous Signature wine, the ‘Mighty Fly’, (Potato wine), Piwari, and local juices.
In case you are wondering, CIC is located at 515 Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) in Region Three, and it is a collaborative operation with Dada’s Grill which has Ken Rampersaud as its proprietor.
The business operates on a pre-order basis and is open to serve 24 hours daily. Most of Roberts’ major events are held at Dada’s Grill since it offers the perfect ambience for accommodation. In fact, later this month there will be the, “The Lokono Heritage Wash-down” which will be held at Dada’s Grill, located at Tuschen, EBE.
Over the past year, CIC has catered for a number of high-profile entities including the Ministry Of Amerindian Affairs – the Amerindian Cultural Extravaganza, 2021 and this year, the National Toshao Council 2022, the Ministry Of Health,West Demerara Regional Hospital, Region Three and Massy Stores. Notably, CIC will be catering for the ‘Stephen Campbell’ dinner that will be held on September 7, at the Kingston, Georgetown Marriott Hotel.
The success of the business Roberts said has been possible through strategic partnership. At the time he was making reference to his business partner, Denzel St. Hill, who is CIC’s Marketing Specialist/Advisor, and Eion Beaton and Gomatie Deodat, the chefs.
Reflecting on his journey to truly embracing his Indigenous self, Roberts recalled that back in 2018 he was selected to represent Guyana at the 22nd National Youth Assembly in New York. “I embraced my culture, tradition and most importantly my identity as an Indigenous young man. I use the opportunity to showcase my culture on the international stage by wearing my cultural attires,” he said.
Calvin Roberts in the company of Amerindian Affairs Minister, Pauline Sukhai
Calvin Roberts is proud to promote his culture
The young business owner shared that his cultural attire was well received by all in attendance, and in that moment, he came to the realisation that if his culture was being so greatly appreciated, he needed to do something to maintain the Indigenous way of life.
“I returned home brain storming some ideas on how I can promote and sustain my culture and in the same way be a role model for other Indigenous youths. The thought of launching a business, an Indigenous business, came to mind but I had no one to share it with. As destiny would have it, I met up with two brilliant young men, Eion Beaton and Denzel St. Hill in early 2021, I shared my idea with them both and they both loved the idea and encouraged me to launch my business,” Roberts shared.
Roberts is popularly known as “The Lokono King” and, according to him, this is so because of his Arawak roots.
In May 2022, he was crowned Mr. Guyana Independence King. “I am a youth advocate, more specifically an Indigenous youth advocate. I have a burning passion when it comes to maintaining and promoting our culture and tradition,” Roberts asserted.
His long-term goal is not only to see CIC as a prominent Indigenous restaurant, but an entity that focuses on maintaining and promoting the Indigenous way of life in all forms possible.
If you are interested in indulging in Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine, do yourself a favour and call + (592) 602-5026 or check out @Calvin’s Indigenous Cuisine on Facebook.
(To share any useful information, please can contact me via email: naesambach@gmail.com or phone number: + 1(592) 694-1862)
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