Venezuelan tetas delights Trini taste

Tizana ice cream, a mix of various fruits, is a favourite of Venezuelans. - Grevic Alvarado
Tizana ice cream, a mix of various fruits, is a favourite of Venezuelans. - Grevic Alvarado

From its name to its delicious flavours, the Venezuelan "teta" has become the icy sensation with which several refugee families earn an income in the absence of jobs.

With very little investment, the iced treat is already being sold throughout TT.

This traditional Venezuelan sweet is an ice cream frozen in the corner of a plastic bag.

"The locals have been excited to learn about the culture of Venezuela as a result of the arrival of entire families from the neighbouring South American country, and among those traditions is teta, which by its name is more than just ice cream," said Manuel Avendaño, a young refugee selling ice cream in San Fernando.

"It is incredible how Trinidadians have adapted to our Venezuelan culture, many have already recognised this ice cream and ask for it by its colloquial name amid smiles," said Avendaño.

Max Calderon packs teta packs to sell on Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain recently. - Grevic Alvarado

"It is very similar to the Trinidadian suck-a-bag, but ours is made only in one corner of the bag and is frozen to be an ice cream."

These ice creams are worth between $10 and $12.

"The way of preparation is very easy and fast, you can make a normal juice and put it in the bag and then in the fridge to freeze and you already have the ice cream," he said.

A start-up in TT

Max Calderón came to TT three years ago as a consequence of the socio-economic crisis in Venezuela. He did different types of work until four months ago, when he and his wife decide to start a family business in the absence of stable jobs.

"Basically the reason for this business was to become independent. In recent years, I worked day and night for a casino, but the effort was already insufficient, the money was not enough to be able to live here and help our families in Venezuela. So my wife and I thought of an independent business in which we could both work and from home to save on taxi payments,” said Calderón.

It was his mother-in-law who encouraged them to try the ice cream business. "We liked the idea and we started doing it, little by little it was growing to where we are today and we will continue to grow," he said.

In Venezuela, Calderón and his wife had a plumbing, air conditioning, and general painting home services company, so they know how to invest and manage money.

“In general investment for approximately 100 tetas we spend up to $500. That includes high-quality products such as Hershey's cocoa in the case of chocolate and 100 per cent natural fruit in fruit ice cream and bags,” he said.

Venezuelan tetas sold in TT are made with fruit, chocolate and milk. - Grevic Alvarado

Before government restrictions on business operations in TT to prevent the spread of covid19, the couple sold approximately 40 units per day on Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain.

"Until last Friday, we were able to sell our product, but since Monday the business became a little complicated for us because we cannot leave our homes as it is not an essential product. We hope that this world crisis will end soon for us to be able to earn an income again. Otherwise, it will be a problem for us and our family if we go many days without selling," said Calderon.

"We have many customers, from children to adults, especially Venezuelans. But in the last month locals have become regular customers and we were hired for various events," he said.

Fruit and cookie ice cream delights

Pineapple, strawberry yogurt, lemon pie, coconut, coconutella, tamarind, chocolate, Oreo cookie and the tizana special (mix of various fruits) are the best sellers.

"We do delivery. They contact us through social networks like Instagram @comepa_ca” Calderón said.

Selling any type of food or sweet in TT is a good business and the raw materials are available at relatively good prices.

"In Venezuela many businesses are failing due to hyperinflation levels, in addition to the fact that the products are not found, most of them are imported and of low quality," said Carolina Duarte, another ice cream vendor.

She has been able to give her two daughters who are four and six-years-old a better quality of life in TT, thanks to her investment in the ice cream business.

“I don't have bosses, I don't need to speak English perfectly and the best thing of all is that the investment is not that high. With the earnings I don't get rich, but I can feed my daughters, pay rent, basic services and help my family at home,” said Duarte.

"The tetas in Venezuela are like doubles or roti in TT, they are recognised and highly consumed, especially in high-temperature cities," she said.

"Here you get all the material to start any business, that's why this country is several steps ahead of Venezuela in economic and social matters." Duarte sells in Arima through on orders on social media.

"Technology in my case helps, the clientele has started to grow because Venezuelans themselves encourage locals to try our traditions and that is important,” she said.

If you can't go out to get your favourite teta use this recipe to make your own.

Cookie teta

Ingredients

Cookies of your choice

2 cups of whole liquid milk

3 tablespoons sugar (this depends on how sweet you like them)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Small plastic bags

Vanilla to taste

Directions:

Soak chopped cookies in a cup of milk (approximately eight or 10 minutes).

In the other cup of milk, add cornstarch and sugar (mix with a whisk).

Cook over low heat for a few minutes, gradually add milk with chopped cookies.

Remove from fire and let cool.

Add vanilla

Place a plastic bag in a glass. Pour the mixture into the bag.

Tie the bag in the shape of a cone. Place in the fridge to freeze.

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