Wrap roti

Wrap roti, often referred to as a roti, is popular in the Caribbean consisting of a curry stew folded tightly within a Dhalpuri roti. The stew within a wrap roti generally contains potatoes and a meat such as chicken, duck, goat, beef, conch or shrimp. A wrap roti with only bony pieces of meat such as the neck is generally referred to as a piper roti.

Origin
The wrap roti originated in southern Trinidad. It was first created in the mid-1940s by Sackina Karamath who later founded Hummingbird Roti Shop in San Fernando, Trinidad. The wrap roti became a very popular lunch dish because of its quick preparation and portability.

Culture
The commercialization of curry and roti in a wrap occurred in Trinidad first because of a larger urban population stirred on by the discovery of oil. Wrapped curry and roti was also sold in nearby Guyana but was just referred to as curry and roti. However, it is a popular sandwich with all demographics throughout the Caribbean. It can also be found worldwide in cities with a large Caribbean population, such as Toronto and Montreal, Canada and Brooklyn, NY.

Roti shops
Wrap Rotis can be found in some general restaurants but are normally purchased either from street vendors or at delicatessens that specialize in the dish, called roti shops. A roti shop is generally a small restaurant with counter service that sells both wrap roti and traditional roti (curry stew with the roti bread served separately). Here you can also usually purchase snacks, juices, carbonated beverages and alcoholic beverages and novelties from the Caribbean. The atmosphere at a roti shop is lively and is treated as a lounge by regular customer. There is often loud calypso, soca or chutney-soca music being played. It is not uncommon for a sink to be installed in these shops as to facilitate wash-up after what can often be a messy but delicious experience.

Pop-culture references
The popular St. James and Port of Spain "roti-lady" was featured on Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods (2007) on the Travel Channel.