SUNDAY 8 APRIL, 2018 – UWI TODAY
15
Buffalypso’s Last Stand
SPECIAL REPORT
BY VANEISA BAKSH
Many people will tell you
they have never even heard of
Buffalypso, far less tasted its meat. In Trinidad and Tobago, far
more people may have tried it than even they realise.
In the sixties, Buffalypso designer, Dr. Steve Bennett had
written that, “Ever since I can remember, buffaloes have been
slaughtered in the abattoirs and sold in the market without
discrimination as beef – yet many Trinidadians do not realize
this fact and, if askedwhether they have ever eaten buffalomeat,
would reply that they have not, although they have probably
consumed it unknowingly on several occasions.”
Someone who once had a herd of Buffalypso in its heyday,
recalled its characteristics.
“It is different from beef, less fatty and very red in colour.
The taste is slightly milder than beef, if barbecued. It’s been
twenty years since I last ate it,” he said. He said that the younger
animals, and those that have been properly fed, “produce good
quality meat at a lower price than bovine animals.”
In the early days, as Dr. Bennett was refining the Buffalypso
to get more meat out of it, taste was also an important factor in
trying to persuade others of the potential for a meat industry.
In 1961, Dr. P.N.Wilson, published an article in the Journal
of the Agricultural Society of Trinidad, “Palatability of water
buffalo meat,” describing tasting sessions he had conducted.
“In taste-panel studies in Trinidad, cooked joints from
three carcasses Trinidad buffalo, a crossbred steer (Jamaica-
Red/Sahiwal), and an imported carcass of a top-grade European
beef steer-were served. The 28 diners all had experience in
beef production, butchery, or catering and were not told the
sources of the various joints. All the carcasses were held in
cold storage for one week before cooking. The buffalo meat
was rated highest by 14 judges; 7 chose the European beef; 5
thought the crossbred beef the best; and 2 said that the buffalo
and crossbred were equal to or better than the European beef.
The buffalomeat receivedmost points for color (bothmeat and
fat), taste, and general acceptability. There was little difference
noted in texture.”
Dr Bennett, had written of the purpose of these tasting
sessions for the Caroni Limited Bulletin of 1964.
“To popularize thismeat and unbiasedly test its acceptance,
Professor Peter Wilson of the University College of the West
Indies, some years ago, sponsored several palatability dinners.
At the first one he invited about forty-odd people who included
several caterers from leading hotels, including those from the
Trinidad Hilton, Farrell House, Bel Air and others.”
Describing a session held under similar conditions,
Bennett wrote, “The gourmets were given a card, not knowing
what meat they were eating and asked to score points according
to flavor, fat, etc. The buffalo beef won hands down on all
scores.”
More than fifty years later, even as the meat industry
never took off, the Ministry of Food Production came up with
another idea to promote the Buffalypso as an indigenous meat
to be served at top restaurants.
In 2014, Mrs Leela Rastogi, on behalf of the Ministry of
Food Production, sent some meat to Chef Joe Brown (Jaffa’s)
and to Chef Khalid Mohammed (Chaud), asking them to
prepare some dishes with the Buffalypso so that the public
could sample its diversity.
The “Newsday” reported that “The tasting menu on the
evening of September 26 included tartar, meat balls, sliders
(mini burgers), kebabs, BBQ style home-smoked Brisket and
Rib-Eye Roast.”
It was curious timing, because at this point, the
Government’s herdwas already heavily infectedwithBrucellosis
and the numbers had fallen drastically. The Minister of Food
Production, Devant Maharaj, was interviewed by “Newsday”,
telling them that “the relatively small size of the herd; between
900 and 1,200 head, means the Ministry cannot yet supply
buffalypso meat to the general population on a regular basis.”
This he said was the rationale for marketing themeat to the
premium restaurants. The report went on, “Hence the decision
to “market the meat to ‘premium’ restaurants.” Another, equally
important reason, for doing so is that the herd is “grass-fed,
organic-fed” on acreage in the Mora Valley in the Tableland
area of south Trinidad.
“This adds to the healthy component of the meat because
grass-fed buffalypso is not only a leaner red meat than beef,
it has fewer calories,” Maharaj pointed out. “It’s therefore a
premiummeat and we have to market it as such to restaurants
with a clientele who can afford it.”
Chef Brown was noncommittal in the report, saying
that customers could call to find out whether or not he has
Buffalypso.
I tried to reach both chefs for their assessment of
buffalypso meat. Chef Mohammed said, “I found the meat
to be good for stewing, braising, etc. but not for roasting or
grilling as it was tough.”
But he would be willing to give it another shot.
“I will definitely be interested in using it as I always prefer
to use local products where I can, and I think it will be very
interesting to our foreign and local customers,” he said.
From a Rastogi family backyard barbecue lime, Buffalypso on the grill.
PHOTO: GREGORY BALLY
The Buffalypso
Committee
There are several papers,
workshops and entreaties
for the establishment of a milk industry coming from
the Buffalypso. Most of it stretches back for decades,
and at the heart of most of them is the name Rastogi –
both Leela and Rajendra – who have been passionate
advocates for developing both the milk and meat
elements of it. Now retired, Mrs. Rastogi has visited
several of the countries where the Buffalypso had been
exported and during her time at the Ministry of Food
Production she sought many ways to excite people
about the prospects.
She is a member of the steering committee which
is planning to hold a symposium on the Buffalypso
in June, mainly to discuss the current state of the
Buffalypso and the decision to eradicate the infected
herd, but also to try to revive interest in something she
calls, “potential and lost opportunity.” She talks about
a visit to Columbia where a big breeder is developing
the Buffalypso Columbiano; and a visit to the World
Buffalypso Congress in Caratagena where Buffalypso
queso was on display at the expo.
Her frustration is as clear as Professor Brinsley
Samaroo’s, a retired historian, who told me about the
planned symposium and their fear that the herd will
be destroyed before anyone even knows what is going
on. It goes deep for him as a boy from Rio Claro who
grew up among cattle, including water buffalo. When
he went to India to study, he said, “for five years I
drank buffalo milk.”
There are powerful emotional connections for
these two, and they have teamed up with others from
The UWI to try to raise awareness of the plight of the
buffalypso and the potential for reviving the industry.
The committee is co-chaired by Dr. Karla Georges
and Dr. Marc Driscoll from the School of Veterinary
Science.
The Planning Committee
Prof Brinsley Samaroo
(Principal advisor)
Dr. Karla Georges
(Chair UWI-SVM)
Ms. Akilah Stewart
Dr. Marc Driscoll
Ms. Rhonda M. Thomas
Dr. Adesh Ramsubhag
Mr. Douglas Bennett
Mrs. Leela Rastogi
Dr. Winthrop Harewood
Prof. Bhakthavatsalam Murali Manohar
Dr. Ayanambakkam P. Nambi
Mrs. Kristal Gosine
(Secretariat)
Which Tastes Better:
BUFFALYPSO
or
BEEF?
Mrs. Leela Rastogi
