Expert cooks at the Oistins fish and seafood market
It is the island of rum, of breakdance, of beach markets, of mountain landscapes with views of the sea. Really Barbados, with those little hairy trees that have given the island its name , is the great unknown of the Caribbean.
There are many stories to tell, but this one takes place in one of its coastal cities called Oistins , south of the island, at eight in the evening.
Whoever is in Barbados and does not attend this event will undoubtedly have missed a part of the history and culture of this Caribbean.
Oistins is a city that looks out to sea. Who receives his sailors when the sun goes down, then life begins: the city market . But among all the days of the week it is precisely on Friday and at eight when tribute is paid to the market and the kitchen. The market is next to the beach and the port.
On one side we find the fish market, what the sea has given that day. And on the other, Around the market, the doors of a score of food stalls open where those daily grilled fish are prepared. Almost all the people of Barbados attend the event in a religious way, as a family with friends... first they eat and then they dance.
Among all the stalls, there is a woman as black as the firebrand who has gained fame with her little braised fish, her round-trip lobsters and I self-assured her before the dozens of cameras that make her immortal every day. "Lobster of the day", she shouts relentlessly, "I am the queen of Barbados", she finishes off. This is Margaret, the queen of barbecue.
Margaret, the Barbecue Queen of Barbados
People eat next to the beach bars, on plastic tables, under the light of the stars, on paper plates and almost with the hands . To drink, beer or cola. After dinner, the dance begins. There is no party more popular than this dance created by all the neighbors – children, young and old – capable of dislocating their bodies to the rhythm of reggae or breakdance. Bob Marley is the king of music and Margaret, of the coals. Here there is no one to resist.
The next day, the hangover is aerated by the sea breeze. On that beautiful beach of Oistins. There are no more beach bars, no red-hot barbecues, just the scruffy building of the market where the fish of the day is still sold, where they are still waiting for what the sea gives them.
Beautiful sunset at Oistins Bay