The spice garden of the Caribbean

The spice garden of the Caribbean

The southernmost of the Windward Islands still remains beyond the reach of mass tourism. In addition to picture-book beaches, Grenada also delights visitors with rainforests and spice plantations.

Kelly Regent is sitting at the beach, shaded by the leafy roof of a gnarled tree. He is deeply engrossed in his reading. As I walk past, he looks up briefly and asks me where I come from. “Oh, from Germany? I don’t know much about your country,” the 36-year-old says thoughtfully. He then begins singing the praises of his homeland. “Do you believe in God?”, he demands. After I have answered in the negative he shakes his head disappointedly. “Who else could have created Grenada in all its beauty and perfection?”

It’s true, the small island seems a veritable earthly paradise, with its 344 square kilometres boasting palm trees, year-round flowering plants, fine sandy beaches and turquoise sea. But Grenada has even more to offer – rainforests, waterfalls, hiking trails, historical monuments, many spices and excellent food. A must for tourists is a visit to the capital city of St. George’s, with its market selling exotic fruit and vegetables aplenty as well as freshly caught fish. Other stalls are swathed in fragrances of vanilla, clove, cinnamon and cocoa. Grenada is proud of its reputation as the Caribbean’s “Island of Spice”. Nutmeg is its number one export. In Gouyave, we can watch the women as they sort out the good and the bad, the big and the small nutmeg seeds on big wooden plates. Only the best quality seeds are destined for the export market. “These sacks here are bound for Germany,” one of the workers explains as she labels the bulging jute sacks.

The next morning’s itinerary sees us travel further inland. On the drive we are able to admire banana, mango and papaya trees as well as pineapple. At Belmont Estate, a young agricultural engineer named Meshach shows us spice plants such as cinnamon, coriander, ginger, pepper and saffron. He plucks a ripe cocoa pod from the tree and breaks it open: “Here, have a taste of the white sticky pulp around the cocoa beans.” We all make a face – no one has detected any taste that would remind us of cocoa, let alone chocolate. “The processing of the beans is labour-intensive. First they are fermented in large vats, then they are dried in the sun, cleaned, roasted and ground to a powder,” Meshach explains.

Another interesting site is the River Antoine Rum Distillery based in the northeast of the island. The old-fashioned press is driven by a water wheel while men feed sugarcane into the press. The juice drips down into kettles, heated by a smouldering wood fire underneath. The air is heavy with the scent of the fermenting juice. In its pure, undiluted form, the rum – which the label denotes is 69 per cent alcohol – simply burns hellishly. But when mixed with exotic fruit, it makes excellent cocktails. The Grenadians exhibit boundless creativity when it comes to these cocktails. This is what makes the Caribbean way of life swing. Because what could be better than treating yourself to a nicely cooled rum punch with a pinch of nutmeg as you relax and enjoy the sunset on the beach?

Text: Detlef Berg
 

Information
 

Hotels + Restaurants

Sandals La Source
Luxurious resort for couples only with 12 excellent restaurants.
Pink Gin Beach
St. George’s
www.sandals.com

Le Phare Bleu Marina & Boutique Hotel
Under Swiss management, good food, live music.
Calivigy Bay
St. George’s
www.lepharebleu.com

La Luna
Design hotel with Italian and Caribbean cuisine.
Portici Beach
St. George’s
www.laluna.com

La Sagesse Hotel
Restaurant & beach bar, freshly caught fish and lobster.
Saint David Parish
Beach Street
www.lasagesse.com

Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa
Elegant “Restaurant Rhodes” and casual “The Beach Club”.
Beach Lane
St. George’s
www.calabashhotel.com

Restaurants

The Aquarium Restaurant
Situated directly on the fine sandy beach.
Point Salines
www.aquarium-grenada.com

The Beach House Restaurant
Portici Bay
Grand Anse
www.beachhousegrenada.com

Sightseeing

River Antoine Rum Distillery
River Antoine Estate
St. Patrick’s

Belmont Estate
Tour of the cocoa planation, on-site restaurant with Caribbean food.
Belmond
St. Patrick’s
www.belmontestate.net