MACO 1

C A R I B B E A N L I V I N G

MACO

US $7.95

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live20 room in the sky Jamaican cottage inspires bohemian lifestyle

WRITER AlExAndRA EdWARds

PHOTOGRAPHER COOkIE kInkEAd

30 where golf and polo meet Apes Hill is new Bajan luxury community

WRITER COuRTEsy APEs HIll

PHOTOGRAPHy COuRTEsy APEs HIll

THE COvER

The mezzanine bar with black

and white diamond floor and

mural of Cuban mountains at

the luxurious Hotel saratoga in

Havana.

PHOTOGRAPHER

JORGE v. GAvIlOndO

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2features

2036 30 50

36 havana’s heavenly hotels Historic palaces exude glamour

WRITER JulIET BARClAy

PHOTOGRAPHER JORGE v. GAvIlOndO

50 inner peace Bajan house gets extreme makeover

WRITER sARAH vEnABlE

PHOTOGRAPHER BOB kIss

eat76 strong like a lion Coconut water goes high-end

WRITER nIkOlA lAsHlEy

PHOTOGRAPHERs CHAnTEllE WIlsOn

84 going raw Can you live well on green juice?

WRITER Judy BAsTyRA

PHOTOGRAPHERs CATHERInE BEssIn,

RICHARd HAuGHTOn

features

6858 76 84

create58 between worlds Trinidad clay artist turns to sculpture

WRITER sHAROn MIllAR

PHOTOGRAPHER JAMEs O’COnnOR

play68 yielding to the yucatan Couple finds renewal at Mexican hacienda

WRITER JulIE GuAGlARdI

PHOTOGRAPHER JulIE GuAGlARdI

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strong like a lionTHIs ORIGInAl HEAlTH dRInk HAs AlMOsT MyTHICAl PROPERTIEs

And WHETHER yOu TAkE IT sTRAIGHT uP OR MIx WITH sPIRITs, yOu WIll GO nuTs fOR IT

WRITER nIkOlA lAsHlEy PHOTOGRAPHy CHAnTEllE WIlsOn

WHEn PsEudO-CAlyPsOnIAn HARRy BElAfOnTE BElTEd OuT THE 1950’s sOnG “COCOnuT WOMAn,’’

HE IMMORTAlIzEd THE vERsATIlITy Of COCOnuTs And HERAldEd THE fIRsT MARkETInG CAMPAIGn

fOR A nATuRAl EnERGy dRInk THAT Is nOT Only GOOd fOR yOuR dAuGHTER BuT MAkEs yOu

sTROnG lIkE A lIOn. Who can argue with such a rousing sales pitch?

What was once considered a quaint tropical indulgence consumed whilst lazing on a

Caribbean beach is undergoing a revival. In a tale of rags to riches, the global soft-drinks

industry is clamouring to capitalise on the health benefits of this humble, provincial beverage.

vita Coco, endorsed by Madonna and demi Moore no less, is a new york-based drinks

company attempting to reinvent coconut water. In its 2010 advertising campaign, vita Coco

introduces a coconut character named Cocohead, who poses with sunglasses and protruding

straw, and with the wink of an eye he delivers the vita Coco slogan, “How ‘bout you and me

roll down the aisle together?’’

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Challenger brands from Pepsi and Coca Cola

have arrived on the market to romance the health

conscious among us, promoting, the “health

experience’’ of coconut water, creating a market

estimated to be worth us$60 million dollars per

year, according to Bevnet.com, an online review

publication about the non-alcoholic beverages

industry.

The rejuvenating properties of the new lucrative

liquidity already have a long history and need no

further celebrity endorsement. The water was

famed centuries ago by Ayurvedic practitioners

who revered the coconut palm as a divine plant

renowned for its healing qualities.

The slightly dense organic liquid with its high

mineral content and unique earthy taste is loaded

with nutritional value, more so than any other

naturally produced liquid on the planet.

nature’s role in the creation of coconuts is an

intricate and synchronous cycle; the buds take 11

months to grow as rain permeates three layers,

collecting mineral deposits as it seeps into the

cavity. As the nut grows, it locks in the mineral rich

water, protecting it from adverse effects, keeping

it fresh, airtight and sterile.

set apart from its sugar-laden sports drink

rivals, one glass of coconut water is low in fat

and calories and contains antioxidants, vitamins

and the isotonic minerals, electrolytes as well as

potassium—just two of the main minerals found

in modern anti-aging skin products.

during World War II coconut water was used

as a replacement for blood plasma and is still

widely used intravenously throughout Central

Africa, south India and Indonesia. But like most

acquired tastes, when sampled for the first time,

pure coconut water has a distinctive flavour. you

either love it or you hate it. There is no sitting on

the fence where this drink is concerned. It really is

an unusual taste which needs to be tried several

times before it can be truly appreciated.

However, it has its fans amongst discerning rum

drinkers, coconut water being the mixer of choice;

its translucent image and unpretentious taste does

not compete for your attention when combined

with quality rum, yet its taste subtly skims the

surface. A twist of lime or a touch of fresh ginger

in a tall glass of chilled coconut water is clean,

refreshing and quietly sophisticated on the palate.

Water from the popular green nut produced by

the Tall Green Malayan Palm is harvested and sold

throughout the Caribbean and varieties range

from the Malayan yellow or red dwarf nut, locally

known in Trinidad and Tobago as the Chinese. The

distinction lies in age, colour and tree category.

The characteristic taste depends on the texture

and soil composition of where the palm is grown.

MACHETE-WIEldInG MEn MAkE l IGHT WORk Of HACkInG Off

THE TOPs Of THE nuTs WHIlE sEndInG sPuRTs Of COCOnuT JuICE

flyInG InTO THE AIR. TO snACk On THE COCOnuT JElly

(sOfT, WHITE, sl IPPERy) Is A WHOlly PERsOnAl CHOICE,

BuT CERTAInly WORTH TRyInG AT lEAsT OnCE

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A young yellow coconut from Trinidad’s rural east coast tends

to be the sweetest, while a coconut from the Tucker valley

Estate in Chaguaramas has a sweet yet mild salty taste.

little effort is needed to find fresh coconut water in the

Caribbean. If you’re in downtown Trinidad and Tobago on

Independence square along the Brian lara Promenade, any

time from dusk until…coconut sellers are plentiful, and in

particular around the Queen’s Park savannah where joggers,

strollers and lovers stop and sip. And in beautiful Tobago,

head down to scarborough Market, open Monday to friday

from 7 a.m.

If you want to drink your coconut water in optimum

conditions, it’s best done standing at the side of the road

where you can soak up the drama and skill that’s required

to open a fresh coconut, albeit at a safe distance. Machete-

wielding men make light work of hacking off the tops of the

nuts while sending spurts of coconut juice flying into the air.

To snack on the coconut jelly (soft, white, slippery) is a wholly

personal choice, but certainly worth trying at least once.

It has become the norm to use a straw to sip the water from

the nut. no one will laugh, although you may be considered

an amateur since it is still the mark of a true aficionado to clasp

the nut in both hands, bend slightly forward, tilt your head

back and drink every drop without staining your clothes. M

COCOnuT WATER And GInGER

CAIPIROskA

1 ½ ounces White Oak rum

4 eighths lime

1 ounce coconut water

1 piece of ginger, peeled, the size of a fingernail

1 ounce agave nectar or aloe vera nectar

(can also use simple syrup)

2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

1 In an old-fashioned glass, muddle the coconut

water together with the ginger.

2 Add the limes, rum, syrup and muddle again.

3 Top off with ice, then stir gently.

Garnish: coconut jelly (coconut fat)

suMMER IslAnd BREEzE

2 ounces White Oak rum

1 part coconut water

1 part pineapple juice

dash Angostura aromatic bitters

Build all ingredients in a tall glass over ice.

Garnish: pineapple wedge

CHAIRMAn’s CuP

2 ounces Angostura 1919

3 ounces coconut water

1 part pineapple juice

dash Angostura aromatic bitters

Build all ingredients over ice in old-fashioned

glass.

ClAssICO dE COCO

Coconut water (cold)

2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

1 In a hurricane glass, add 1 cube of ice.

2 Top off with coconut water.

3 Add Angostura aromatic bitters.

All cocktails by Raymond Edwards,

mixologist at Angostura

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