AT age 71, Victoria Parkes still actively puts her hands to work by making pure cassava casareep at her home in Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. Added to this skill, Victoria also makes Amerindian tuma pots filled with wild meats and fish to go with home-made cassava bread.

Originally from Moruca, Region One, Parkes moved to Tuschen several years ago and has a stall at the Amerindian Hostel in the city where she sells her Amerindian dishes.

Parkes told the Pepperpot Magazine that she would visit Moruca where she would buy cassava from the farmers and bring it to town where she would make pure cassava casareep and cassava bread.

She would then source wild meats from the various markets across the country and make her tuma pots which are often made from cassava water (cada). She also prepares pots of bush fish- tambaqui and hymara.

Parkes said that she while undertakes most of the work, she would at times be assisted by one of her daughters. On completion of her task she would then travel to the Amerindian Hostel in the city where she would vend her tasty dishes to the numerous customers she has acquired,.

This mother of six said she has been visiting the Amerindian Village at Sophia for several years to also sell her delicious tuma pots and cassava bread, but lamented that due to poor attendance this year, she did not attract the sales like she had over the years.

Nevertheless, she said she spent three days vending at the Sophia Ground and was happy to mingle with her fellow Amerindians most of whom came from remote areas across Guyana.

Meanwhile, Sunita Jacobs, a resident of lower Kara Kara, Linden, who was also a vendor at the Amerindian Village at Sophia said it was her very first time and describes the experience ws very good.

She had a stall with pots of tuma in the form of labba, powis, hymara, wild hog and shish-ke-babs (kebabs) and roast beef, all traditional Amerindian dishes.

The mother of four also had a fresh batch of cassava bread to accompany the tuma pots of wild meats, along with the piwari which she made.

On hand to assist in setting up the grill and to attend to the customers who could not get enough of the various tuma pots of wild meats, were her husband and children.
Another vendor, Natasha David had a display of pastries, puddings and cassava balls at her little stall, all made from farine. She proudly disclosed that she made all of the fresh and tasty products she sold, which included muffins, cakes, pone, cassava cream pudding and cassava balls