Some Special Made-in-Trinidad&Tobago Christmas Gifts

Pat Ganase recommends shopping for outstanding local products. Published in the Newsday on December 11, 2025 (Photos by Pat Ganase)

 

The malls are decorated with nutcrackers and fairies and wonderlands foreign to our tropical weather. The grocery aisles are energized by Christmas classics, from traditional carols to soca parang. All in the effort to drive sales. Businesses, corporations and some economists promote the positive effects of Christmas: more (even temporary) jobs in retail and service sectors, increases in production and spending, uptick in travel and tourism, and in some instances, generous donations to charities. While Christmas revenues in Western countries may amount to one-fifth of annual income, there is a downside to Christmas production and spending that ought to be considered: stress for consumers especially those who just cannot make ends meet; the ensuing financial struggle for those with credit cards; over-consumption and waste that result in environmental damage; and a post-holiday slump. Trinidad’s slump may be delayed to after Carnival, February 16 and 17 in 2026.

 

It might be pointless to tell those near and dear, I’ll have a hug and kiss for Christmas. And even more of a humbug to not gift those nearest and dearest with some surprise, some magic, some happy “thought that counts.” So whether you are environmentally conscious (reducing your carbon footprint by eschewing consumerism), cash constrained or wanting to be a Scrooge, here are some ways to avoid the excess, to forego the foreign, to focus on the ones you care for, and still be true to the spirit of the season. These are the best Trinbago made products for Christmas gifting; some of them are the best in the world!

 

 

The best chocolate in the world is produced in Trinidad and Tobago.

From my home to yours

Many groceries are inviting customers to contribute to hampers for the needy. One retail chain is publicizing the items and the cost of a basic basket of necessities, and encouraging shoppers to think of families who might appreciate some help. But hampers are not only for the needy. You can shop the markets and create a signature hamper for persons on your list: local honey, local chocolate, poncha crema (with or without egg, with or without rum, with or without dairy), sorrel, fruit cake, cookies, homemade baked goods. Prepare a package for the baker filled with Trinitario baking chocolate. For the pepper mouth, go beyond Bertie’s, select from a range of homemade pepper sauces, tamarind and mango chutney, preserves, condiments and spices. Tie the hamper with a bunch of anthuriums, heliconias, gingers from the Horticultural Society or potted herbs from the garden shop in your area.

 

Art pieces include vetiver baskets, carved calabash, wooden bowls and boxes and a driftwood whale!

Choose from the potters of Chase Village or others making unique bowls and mugs.

Grow a gift, plant a tree

Most local fruit sprout readily from seeds: cashima, guava, avocado. Put seeds in a pot in the middle of the year and gift seedlings at year end. When Christmas fir and pine trees were readily available, we would buy a live one at the right height to bring indoors and decorate. These days, other trees are easier to find: an Olivier, or a flowering shrub like petrea or ixora. Choose a mini pommecythere or an exotic kumquat to keep in a pot or the backyard. You’ll find hundreds of gifts in plant shops and nurseries around the country. Put it in a pot, or plant it in the ground. There’s something green and growing for every personality: orchid, cactus, croton, lily, poui, immortelle, orange, lime, mami apple… These are living gifts that will grow and keep giving.

 

 

Wooden furniture made by local craftsmen.

Alicia’s eggless punches with flavours from eddoes to salted caramel.

Eat, drink and be merry

Homemade food and beverages are always appreciated. Consider baking the ham, bread or cake for the person who will be working til Christmas Eve and just would not have the time to do his or her own baking. Some of us make our own pastelles; some buy from a favourite maker. Make or purchase an extra dozen for that friend who loves this seasonal treat. The delight of making seasonal food and drink is heightened by sharing, which is matched by gifting. A festive experience might be a shared meal.

 

Something made by hand

So many talented craftsmen and artists on these islands. If it is to be custom-made, commission early enough for delivery before the holidays. Since the 70s, we’ve had the Drag Brothers making leather sandals with rubber soles. Fashion belts and bags are now made by Herline Tyson and Gabrielle Punch. Talented artists working in wood are Richard Hubbard, Peter Hadeed, Evan Samuel and Philip Arthur. They are making bowls from sapodilla, saman, appamate, guava, mango, teak … using fallen trees to fashion useful vessels and furniture. Go to the Chaguanas potters for large clay pots. Choose a ceramic pothound by Bunty O’Connor from Ajoupa; a mug or teapot from Greta Joachim; sea life pendants or wave bowls from Planet Ceramics at Pigeon Point.

 

The Animal Welfare Network sells calendars and gift wrap to raise funds for the animals they rescue.

Calendars, new books and old favourites.

 

Catherine Dookie miniatures remember old architecture.

An artwork, painting or poem

Give a child some paper and paints or crayons or markers, and he/she will happily make a drawing or card to gift a special friend, parent or grandparent. Modest or elaborate, art pieces are abundant; from simple drawings of old architecture to the work of contemporary artists, quirky creations from found objects or elegant paintings. There are many opportunities to gift art or art experiences. Some artists create sip and paint workshops, where a group comes together for a painting session, each participant leaving with a personal masterpiece. For the aspiring artists, you can select a Jaime Lee Loy art kit or a series of workshop sessions. Books and calendars are simple stand-bys but always appreciated.

 

Cocoa, chocolate, trinitario everywhere

There is no doubt that Trinidad and Tobago is home to the finest cocoa in the world. While the cocoa estates are still catching up to meet demand, exquisite chocolate is being made in kitchens and workshops around the country. You can enjoy and gift drinking chocolate made from pure estate cocoa to a wide variety of milk and dark bars, bonbons and truffles embedded with local spices and fruits. Cocobel’s presentation and variety make gifting a delight. Look for Aripo’s Finca Dos Vistas drinking chocolate at the Undercover Garden Centre’s Saturday market. In Tobago, ask for Tonci. Once your chocoholic or connoisseur has tasted chocolate made from the original trinitario grown in the soils which birthed them, there’s no going back.

 

 

Honey, soaps, scents, teas and skin cream.

Shop the pop-ups

Before the season is over, you should visit at least one pop up market if only to see the products from a wide range of enterprising creatives many of whom are simply trying to make ends meet. They are putting their production out there for the public to test and taste: handmade sauces and preserves; wines, punches, probiotic juices; kitchen towels and table cloths, re-usable shopping bags, cushions and clothing. Many of these you will never see again, but when you buy original creativity from a small vendor, you may be helping a family to survive through the season that should be one of goodwill and cheer … for everyone.