Uniquely St John – Trinidad Charlie’s Hot Sauces

Nothing captures the soul of a place quite like food does. And although St John doesn’t have a signature dish it does have some really great hot sauces produced right here, on island. One of the first and one of the best is made by Trinidad Charlie.

“Trinidad Charlie” Deyalsingh arrived on St John in 1968. With him he carried a handful of pepper seeds from his native land. He planted those seeds and created his first hot sauce. Those first batches were sold locally – and provided Charlie some important feedback. People came to him furious that his sauce had ruined their meals! Deyalsingh discovered that the pepper sauce enjoyed by people of Trinidad was just too hot for St John. So Charlie set to make a pepper sauce that packed all of the flavor of his original – but better suited the foods and culture of his new home. The rest is history …

The birth of his West Indian Sizzle – hot but not too hot. He combined the heat of the peppers with the sweet of the papaya and the subtle pucker of vinegar. The sauce was a huge hit and today enjoys fans from around the world!

One of Trinidad Charlie’s biggest fans is none other than famous country singer Kenny Chesney. It seems Chesney spent an afternoon at Island Blues sharing drinks and stories with our very own Trinidad Charlie. That experience made its way into Chesney’s song “Nowhere to go, nowhere to be”.

“Nowhere to go and nowhere to be,
“Trinidad Charlie” on a stool next to me,
 Readin’ his book ’bout the “haves” and “have-nots,”
 In between chapters we take another shot.
 And one by one we slide from reality,
With nowhere to go, and nowhere to be…” – Kenny Chesney / Lucky Old Sun

REVIEWS
West Indian Sizzle
REVIEW: Hot but not too hot, with a sophisticated blend of West Indian spices and sweet papaya

West Indian Pumpkin Pepper Sauce
REVIEW: Not as hot as the Sizzle and with a hint of fresh sweet pumkin and Indian spices of cumin and turmeric.

West Indian Key Lime Hot Sauce
REVIEW: Hotter than the Pumkin and a good punch of key lime blends into West Indian spices

I use his sauces on everything from eggs in the morning, to spice up a sandwich at lunch or as a marinade on fish and chicken dinner. NOTE: Each batch of sauce is hand made and the flavors and heat do vary a tiny bit based on the season/weather and vegetables.

Where to Buy
Most St John grocery stores carry his line of hot sauces. In Cruz Bay check out Starfish Market or Dolphin Market. In Coral Bay you’ll find his sauces at Calabash Market and Love City Market.

How to Order
To order the sauces in 5 oz bottles or by the case:
email trinidadcharlie@yahoo.com or call 340-693-8959
Minimum order 3 bottles – $24.95 includes shipping and handling
Case of 12 – $84.00 includes S&H
T-Shirt – $17.00 includes S&H