Here is Part 2 of the Sell Them, Don’t Eat Them, Island Gurl Chronicles. Haven’t read Part 1 yet, check it out here.

Year: Some 90s Carnival
Place: Food Fair, St. Thomas

I Heart Saltfish Cakes

I love me some saltfish cakes. Nobody can tell me that I can’t eat saltfish cakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have been living in the states for over 10 years and have not found another person who can make saltfish cakes quite like my great-aunt. Some have come close, but not close enough to make me forget just how good they tasted.

I don’t quite remember the year(s), but when I was asked to go help my aunt sell her stuff at the food fair, I don’t think my response was that of an eager child who wanted to sit in the hot sun all day selling goods to people walking around the fair looking for things to buy. Boy, was my mind changed by the end of that first day.

I helped my great-aunt pack up her car, so that we could head down the road to setup for the food fair. She had asked if I had eaten breakfast yet and to the urging of my aunt who was shaking her head to say no, I told her I had not and she told me to go get some saltfish cakes out of the kitchen and eat before we leave. Who told her to do that?

Love at first bite

If it was the first time that I had ever eaten a saltfish cake, I didn’t remember. But, once I took a bite, I was hooked for life. I ate the ones she gave me for breakfast. Then, I followed my aunts to the car where they had found out how to grab some out of the pan from the side and I had some more. I ate some while we were at the fair selling them. Then when it was time for lunch, she said we could have some more. I don’t know how many saltfish cakes I ate that day (probably enough where I should’ve gotten a stomache), but I had my fair share and then some.

By mid-afternoon I was hardly ready to leave, when my ride came to pick me up to head home or in my case, wherever I was crashing my head that week/weekend. I was completely hooked on saltfish cakes at that point and was eager to go help her out at any food fair every time after that.

Her saltfish cakes gave me life. My great-aunt is no longer here with us, but I can tell you, I will never forget her saltfish cakes. It was another one of those things where we should have been selling more than we were eating, but what kid can resist something when it is just DAMN GOOD!!.

Not my aunts. Not my uncles. And definitely, not me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was there something that you were told as a child that you were supposed to sell more of than you ate, but you did the opposite? Please leave a comment below and let me know that I wasn’t the only one who fell down that rabbit hole. PLEASE!! 😇😇