IT was a delicious mix of people, food, music and pirogue racing action at the first ever Fisherman Festival in Parlatuvier last weekend.

Lodged in a quaint valley, the idyllic village seemed to be hemmed in by the majestic hills of the oldest known rain forest in the western hemisphere along the northeastern ridge and the tranquil Caribbean Sea of the southwestern coastline.

And as the pounding music echoed throughout the small community, members of the Parlatuvier Fisherman Association, who organised the event, could be seen busily preparing for the expected flood of visitors to their village.

The large pots bubbled with an array of food options including goat, crab, conch, dumpling and provisions.

“So where’s the fish?” was the obvious query.

“We have that man, doh ’fraid.

“Is fresh fish we catch this morning from the rocks and that is for the ‘yabba’ pot,” was the reply.

Yabba is a cook-down of provisons, vegetables, dumpling and fish in coconut juice.

Soon the big pot was placed on the fire to heat a well-seasoned curry mixture, filling the atmosphere with its savoury aroma.

The provisions including dasheen, cassava and breadfruit plus carrots, were also thrown in.

The main chef grumbled that he was not given any pumpkin.

“I don’t know how dem expect me to cook yabba without pumpkin,” he complained.

“That is what does mek the pot sweet and give it a nice colour,” he explained with an agitated wave of his hand.

“Buh wait! Whey the coconut juice?” asked a curious on-looker.

“Like the gas finishing! Quick, allyuh bring another gas out here,” bellowed the chef.

The gas change over was made with an obvious effect on the bubbling pot as sliced ochro and neatly rolled corn-dumpling entered the mix.

“We would let the pot bubble for about 20 minutes before we put in the rock fish,” announced the chef.

And at beachside the action was waxing warm with the first of several pirogue races commanding the attention of the growing crowd.

The boats headed west to Englishman Bay then east to the Sisters and back into Parlatuvier Bay.

The tight finish generated great excitement among the on-lookers.

And back at the yabba cook, the well-seasoned rock fish entered last, to complete the final ingredient of the pot.

There was a hint of impatience as many waited anxiously for the pot to cook-down to get their servings of yabba.