Broad Leaf Thyme

Broad Leaf Thyme is a herb that grows almost wild throughout Barbados. It is a favourite in local cooking, and is commonly known as “Poor Man’s Bacon” as in the old days, people would fry and eat it as you would bacon.

As the name suggests, the leaves can get quite big - easily three or four inches. The leaf is quite thick and meaty, and is covered in a fine downy hair. The scent is strong and unmistakeable.

Broad Leaf Thyme is so easy to grow - just pop off a leaf with a bit of stem attached and stick it in the ground or in a pot. A bit of water here and there (not too much), and soon you will have a large healthy plant that will continue to spread if left untrimmed.

This variety of thyme is used liberally in local cooking, usually mixed with other herbs, salt, black pepper and probably some local hot peppers too. Everything gets chopped up together into a fine paste before being added to the pot or being used to marinate meat prior to cooking.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Christmas Flowers Are Blooming

It’s that time of year again when the flowers that come out at Christmastime are blooming.

The bright yellow Christmas Candles have been flowering for a month or so already. They are in gardens plus they grown wild, particularly in the drier parishes of St Lucy and St Phliip. A Christmas Candle in full bloom is truly spectacular.

All over the world the Poinsettia plant is associated with Christmas. Here, in Barbados, it is the time year when these shrubs are covered in vibrant red - the actual flowers are tiny white or pale yellow structures surrounded by bright red sepals.

The only Poinsettia plants that would be found indoors are the imported hybrids that are specifically used for decoration inside at this time of year, and then they die off after a few months.

I haven’t actually seen any Poinsettia outside yet that have turned red, and I seem to recall that they were quite late this year, but I’m sure we’ll see them soon.

Last but by no means least is the spectacular Snow on the Mountain. I haven’t seen any of these yet either, but they are hard to miss - a bright white shrub that really does look like a hill covered in snow.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.