The mysterious yam ... say ‘Himba’ and it disappears

Tomorrow, August 6, persons from all walks of life will journey to the historical community of Quick Step in St Elizabeth to not only soak up its rich culture, but to consume one of the festival's highlights - the himba porridge.

What visitors are not aware of though, is that the yam used to prepare the delicious porridge has its own mysterious story. According to residents, one has to be very careful when getting the staple that is located deep in the Cockpit Country bushes. Taking a huge puff of his spliff, Anthony Thompson, an elderly Rastaman, says the himba yam does not like when its name is called.

"Himba is a different type of yam and when we going to search for it to make the porridge, if we call the name, the yam going to lost or disappear in front of you. It is not a joke ting. When you going to look for it yuh have to say 'buck' because if you don't say 'buck' you can't say himba. Once yuh call it name, yuh inna problem man," Thompson said.

As he proudly shared the story about the mysterious plant, a group of young women nodded in agreement. They all claimed to have seen the wonders of the plant. According to Thompson, while securing the yam is the hardest part of the job, getting it to perfection takes days.

"Himba nuh plant a ground like other yam, it grows on a vine. It boasy, and if you ever call out it name yuh just see the vine a run from you and disappear. The porridge is not just a one-step ting. You have to go through the process of getting it, den yuh peel it, cut it up and put it to dry and dat take all seven days to dry. After that we put it in a mortar until it reach powder stage. Yuh can also use it to make dumpling like cassava and make all punch with Guinness and ting," Thompson said.

The district of Quick Step was formed in 1812, when a dozen men and some women escaped from the sugar plantations of Trelawny into the Cockpit Country, where they created a village named Me-no-Sen-You-no-Come. It is located near some cliffs and boasted fertile soils in its valleys. By the 1820s, the village housed between 50 and 60 runaways. The headmen were escaped slaves named Warren and Forbes. The village also conducted a thriving trade with slaves from the north coast, who exchanged their salt provisions with the runaways for their ground provisions.

Like Thompson, the residents of Quick Step are quite friendly and accommodating. Though mostly known for farming, Thompson said there are many attractions that keep visitors returning.

"Far up in the mountain we have the Marta Tick cave weh full a rat bat. Dem bat deh nuh deh a road eno and in deh dark like midnight, but the tourist dem love it. More time mi see all the little pickney dem come and dem just excited. Bats in all type of colours. The people dem down here nice and friendly and we just keep it traditional," Thompson said.