Fans attending the Trinidad and Tobago versus Paraguay World Cup match in Kaiserslautern on June 20 will have the chance to feel a bit closer to home by having the chance to eat some local food dishes.
This has been made possible through a T&T citizen, Indra Dwarika Koch who has been living in Germany since 1971 and has gotten involved with the Kaiserslautern City corporation in a project to showcase the various foods of the nations playing in Kaiserslautern during the tournament.
Obviously thrilled over T&T’s qualification for Germany 2006, Koch, who is a retired geriatric nurse, contacted the Kaiserslautern City Hall following the Draw last December, indicating to them that she was from T&T and since then been involved in workshops held there. But more than that, Koch was contacted by the Vocational School of Kaiserslautern to provide menus and also assist in the making of local dishes for the students there and she has since had menus of various local dishes published in a book which is currently on sale in Kaiserslautern and for the duration of the World Cup.
The book titled “Kaiserlautern cooks for The World Cup” was presented to TTFF President Oliver Camps and Special adviser Jack Warner at the TTFF headquarters on Saturday by Koch who is in the country for a few weeks along with her German husband Juergen Koch.
“When the team won against Bahrain, we were in Trinidad on holiday and we witnessed all the celebrations and we looked at the team as it passed through San Juan. I was part of the football fever. Then when I got back to Germany I said to myself that I must do something to celebrate this, living in Germany myself. I contacted the TTFF and I went through with my efforts but it was not until the draw we decided what would do after realized that the team would be playing in Kaiserslautern which is very close to where we live,” Koch explained to TTFF Media.
“We immediately contacted the Kaiserslautern City Hall but there was no immediate response until one day they made contact saying they would like me to join with the Vocational school for this project.”
There are eight countries (Saudi Arabia, United States, Spain, Japan, Australia, Italy, Paraguay and T&T) profiled in the cookbook and a launch was held in Kaiserslautern with meals being cooked to be on display and for sampling.
“We put together a menu which included something Indo, Chinese, Creole and also something from Tobago with other related types of foods and it was a hit there. I was assisted by the students at the one-day workshop and now the students plan to cook the various recipes and this will be available during the World Cup on a main street in Kaiserslautern both in book form and foods,” Koch added. She spoke of purchasing the ground provision from the Asian shops in Germany and she used coconut milk in her meals.
“I went all out with recipes from Johnny bake with melongene choka, avocado and saltfish, mango chutney and pholourie. The main meal was tamarind chicken Tobago style and we called this “Kokoloco Tamarind Kuhn’ along with macaroni pie with corn and a combination of ground provision. I also did a bit of Chinese style vegetables of course with a ‘Trini twist’ to it. And for desert we had passion fruit and mango pudding with coconut caramel,” she went on.
Koch, formerly of St James was also part of a workshop hosted by The Mayor of Kaiserslautern Bernard J.Deubig during which she was asked to give a presentation of T&T culture.
“After the welcome speeches from the Mayor and the other important officials of the city and FIFA representatives we got down to business - The Work Shop. The three themes were ‘Safe and Sympathetic Lautern’. With safety first, it’s Kaiserslautern’s aim to make the games as safe as possible. Here we were asked to give a little insight of the mentality of our fellow countrymen. The next theme ‘Sympathetic’ was the most interesting. A cross section of Kaiserslautern population was invited to ask about the country’s cultural, political, religious, economical and social structures. As a participating member and representing Trinidad and Tobago, I was equipped with a souvenir steel pan, carnival costume and tourist info brochures,” Koch said with a bright smile..
Warner, impressed by yet another fashion in which T&T was portrayed through the World Cup, has purchased a number of books and Koch has also taken up his idea of producing the book with English translation for non-German fans who will be interested in making purchases during the 32-nation tournament from June 9-July 9.
For T&T’s closing Group B match against Paraguay on June 20, the team will stay at the Dorint Sofitel Hotel in Manheim and Koch promised to be around in her T&T colours.