Experience Guyanese Culture through food with Singing Chef Adventures

One of the best ways to learn about any culture is through its food, and that is certainly true for Guyana. Our culturally-infused cuisine is steeped in a rich history that will find favour with even the pickiest of taste buds. The Guyana Tourism Authority has been working with culinary experts in various avenues to provide unique culinary experiences to both local and international travellers, and Singing Chef Adventures plays a major role in these experiences.
Singing Chef Adventures, owned and operated by Chef Eon John and his wife Jessica, promises culinary tours – the Seven Curry Tour and the Taste of Freedom Tour – that are inherently experiential, and highlight key facets of Guyana’s diverse cultural history through food, of course. So, here’s what you can expect from each of these tours.

The Seven Curry Tour
Curry is a universal dish. The aroma of spices intricately blended creates a captivating, yet intense, sense of satisfaction with each bite. Now, imagine experiencing this in not one, but seven different ways. Seven Curry is a traditional Indo-Guyanese delicacy, prepared and served at Hindu religious functions.

The Singing Chef Adventures’ seven curry itinerary is a packed one. Covering six hours, you will be guided through the entire process of preparing seven curry – from picking the water lily leaves to preparing the meal. So, your first stop will be to gather the purine (water lily) leaves, which will be plated with all the curries once the meal is prepared.

Next, you’ll visit one of Georgetown’s busiest markets, Bourda, where you can source many of the vegetables for the curries. Sampling coconut water is also a part of the experience. Sip it straight from the shell at Buddy’s, a local vendor. Listening to Buddy’s family history in the coconut business takes just as long as you’d take to consume a coconut – short and sweet.
Your hosts will then take you to Tony’s Puri Shop to experience the puri-making process. Their operation is seamless: from stuffing seasoned split peas into the dough, perfectly sizing each puri, and rolling it expertly with a repurposed vodka bottle, locals boast that Tony currently makes the best puri in Guyana. Why not see and taste for yourself?

You will, of course, be able to participate in every step of the cooking process – from de-shelling the katahar and preparing the curry paste, to selecting, measuring and mixing each ingredient that goes into the dishes.
Throughout the process, Eon will share interesting stories about the history of Seven Curry. It is important to note, though, that his version of the Seven Curry is made with an interesting twist – coconut oil.
As the cooking winds down, the smell of all seven curries wafting throughout the room will whet your appetite. You will then gather your leaves, choice of beverage and curries, and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Opt to eat with utensils, or go traditional and eat it sanay – with your fingers; because, really, the messier the better. During or after the meal, Eon will show you why he’s known as “The Singing Chef” by performing some of his original songs, inspired by Guyana.

The Taste of Freedom Tour
This tour will take travellers on what the operators like to call “a journey into the birth of Victoria and Buxton Villages”. The 1763 Monument and 1823 Rebellion Monument will form an integral part of this experience before journeying along the East Coast of Demerara, where the real tour begins. Upon arrival in Victoria, you will be greeted by Desmond Saul, who will lead the tour throughout the village.
Mr Saul will present important highlights about Victoria, including the fact that it is the first village to be purchased by the freed ex-slaves. He will also present the history of the original blue hut, where the money to buy the village was recorded and delivered in a wheelbarrow. This hut still stands today. You will also have the opportunity to see the original church bell which was rung to celebrate the purchase of the land.
A walk around Victoria would yield amazing insights into the lives of the locals who currently reside there.
Following this, you will be guided to the village of Buxton, where you will have the opportunity to view the remnants of the Buxton Train Station, visit Mama Fee-Fee’s granddaughter, and of course visit the Buxton-Friendship Museum. You will then be guided through a step-by-step process of preparing traditional African dishes, including cook-up rice, while being entertained by the sweet sound of Eon’s music.