MAIZE AND MEXICAN HERITAGE: AN EVENING AT THE DEPANNEUR WITH IVÁN WADGYMAR

A Muse Bouche | Jordan Fee

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In the final weeks of 2019, just days before we all sunk into holiday-hibernation, a friend and I took a leisurely stroll to an unknown location. That is to say, my friend knew where we were going but I did not. The entire night had been set up as an end-of-semester surprise, and I had no serious expectations as to what we were getting into.

Around 6pm, we arrived at our destination: The Depanneur, which is located at 1033 College Street, just a few blocks west of Ossington Avenue. Lovingly referred to by patrons and owners as “The Dep”, this space is one-part kitchen, one-part restaurant, and one part-forum. As I write this article, I find it quite difficult to define just what is The Depanneur. Perhaps, it is best to simply refer to their website, where the space is described as “a place where interesting food things happen.”

Inside of The Depanneur (Source)

The event attended by my friend and I was part of a larger Table Talk series. For each of these events, the owner of the Depanneur, Len Senater, invites a local culinary personality to speak to guests about a topic that is of particular interest to them. The talk is then accompanied by a series of plates and dishes that reflect the ideas and themes found within the talk.

The personality invited to speak at this particular event was Iván Wadgymar, who is the owner of a tortelleria (ie. a place where tortillas are made) called Maizal. Originally a restaurant, Maizal has scaled down to become a one-stop shop for hand-made tortillas and totopos (think the best chips you’ve ever had). Although hard to find, the business is located on Ossington Avenue, in the kitchen space behind the bar Baby Huey. 

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#ActFast TUE Dec 3 — Table Talk: Iván Wadgymar on The Past and Future of Maize Maize, the staple grain of many pre-Colombian civilizations, is now one of the most widely cultivated crops on Earth. But along the way, so much of what made corn culturally central and sacred is under threat of being erased by the soulless commodity products flooding the global market. Artisanal producers like Iván Wadgymar are returning to the heritage varietals and traditional processing techniques, along with zero-waste agricultural practices. This produces a higher quality, more authentic, and far more delicious product that honours this precious gift of nature and culture. ----- Dinner by Len Senater This menu showcases the versatility of maize in Mexican cuisine Tostadas – crispy tortillas topped with squash, beans, chorizo (optional) & garnishes Pozole Verde – a pre-colombian soup of whole nixtamal corn (hominy) in a green chicken broth w/ tomatillos, green chiles, cilantro and pepitas Tamales Dulces – festive dessert tamales filled with dried fruit and garnished with cajeta caramel Chocolate Atole – a cornflour thickened beverage with vanilla and Mexican cacao. #GF #vegan options available ----- Doors open at 6pm, talk starts at 7pm Includes dinner and coffee or tea. $35 (includes HST) BOOK NOW https://thedepanneur.ca/event/table-talk-ivan-wadgymar-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-maize/ This Table Talk is presented in collaboration with Artery Every space is a stage. Artery lets anyone bring creative experiences to life, in places you may not expect. ----- Iván Wadgymar is a tortillero and molinero who runs Maizal, a tortilleria that evolved from a Mexican restaurant into an end-to-end producer of artisanal corn masa, tortillas & totopos. They grow heritage maize locally, nixtamalize it in traditional ways and produce products that seek to reconnect to centuries of cultural tradition and wisdom. ----- Every month The Depanneur invites a local food personality to talk about something that interests them while Dep founder Len Senater cooks dinner for everyone. Find out more on Table Talks at The Depanneur https://thedepanneur.ca/table-talk/

A post shared by Len Senater (@thedepanneur) on Nov 25, 2019 at 11:36am PST

Originally, hailing from Mexico, Wadgymar was careful to emphasize the importance of what is known as maize to Mexican culture and heritage. Although corn and maize are both varieties of the same species Zea Mays, the corn that we consume in North America today is generally prized for its high-sugar content, whereas maize is much more prized for its starch. This means that maize holds greater potential health benefits than corn, and that it can sustain humans for a longer period of time.

However, Wadgymar explained that one cannot simply eat maize like you would a piece of corn-on-the-cob. Instead, maize needs to be dried and then boiled in an alkaline solution (most commonly water and limestone). This solution breaks down the cellular structure of the corn and produces a thick porridge called nixtamal, which is highly nutritious in nature. This can in turn be used to make masa, which is the dough that can be made into those tortillas and totopos that I mentioned before.

A Traditional Tortelleria (Source)

According to Wadgymar, both nixtamal and masa have integral to the agri(cultural) history of Mexico for thousands and thousands of years. In fact, the process of nixtamalization (ie. the process through which dried maize is turned into nixtamal) has been dated back to 1500 B.C. This means that this process could have been just as important for pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican societies as it is to people like Wadgymar today.

In keeping with this extensive tradition, Wadgymar has travelled to Mexico to collect indigenous species of maize and brought them back to Canada to be cultivated here. Much of the maize grown for Wadgymar’s tortelleria is produced on a farm north of Toronto, and he is very careful to follow the steps taken by his predecessors to produce the highest quality masa possible. 

More recently, Wadgymar has also taken the opportunity to plant varieties of corn that are indigenous to North America, thereby constructing a bridge between the Mesoamerican cultures that relied on varieties of Zea Mays as a major food staple. He has even gone on to describe the food that he makes as “indigenous Mexican cuisine”, thereby embedding himself firmly in the traditions of his home country. 

When this talk began, I believed that I possessed a strong understanding of what the many varieties of corn represented in todays agricultural system. For many, corn is representative of some of the worst aspects of contemporary agriculture, from habitat destruction, to animal feed lots, to monocultures whose scale exceeds comprehension. However, Wadgymar’s talk revealed a completely different world, one that is defined by local communities, intangible cultural heritage and generational wisdom. In just a few short hours, Wadgymar flipped the script completely and showed each of the guests how maize can represent some of the strongest and most resilient aspects of food culture.

I would highly recommend that anyone reading this article check out the Depanneur’s website to see all of the exciting events that they have planned for the coming months (these are not limited to the Table Talk series!). Furthermore, if you want to taste the product of Wadgymar’s hard work, make sure to stop in at Maizal for some tortillas! I promise that you will not regret it.

Finally, if you’d like to find out what me and my friend ate on this wonderfully informative evening, follow this link: https://thedepanneur.ca/event/table-talk-ivan-wadgymar-on-the-past-present-and-future-of-maize/ to find out.

SUMMER OF '67: NATIONAL FOOD CULTURE AT THE MONTREAL EXPO

A Muse Bouche | Jordan Fee

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Recently, I have been mildly obsessed with the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal, commonly known as Expo ’67. My father has spoken to me many times about his experience there as an 11-year-old child from Ashton, Ontario (to this day only has about 200 residents). If you have ever seen footage of this incredible event, then you can probably understand how such a thing could change the life of a person coming from the smallest of towns.

Signage for Expo '67 (Source)

Two months ago, I began an internship at an art gallery, where my supervisor told me about his experience there as a kid, just a few years younger than my father. It was remarkable to hear the similarities between their accounts, and to obtain more details about Expo ’67. One thing that he mentioned specifically was the film “A Place To Stand”, which was shown at the Ontario Pavilion. I went home that night to watch it, and I found it to be stunningly beautiful. I then discovered the set of coins that Canadian artist Alex Colville had produced for the centennial celebration, deepening my interest in the visual culture of this historic moment. 

Alex Colville's nickel, made for the centennial celebration. Photo courtesy of Jordan Fee

So it seemed that with each passing day, I was learning something new about Expo ’67. Little did I know that the best was to come, as it was just two days ago that I saw an official Expo ’67 guide for the first time. It had apparently been stored in a basement for a number of decades, and it definitely showed some wear. However, aside from the cover pages, much of the book was in decent shape, and so I obtained a deeper glimpse into the rabbit hole. Of course, being someone interested in food, I turned straight to page 206, to the section titled “Restaurants”. 

The official Expo '67 guidebook. Photo courtesy of Jordan Fee

The introductory page for this section is expectedly cosmopolitan in tone, citing a number of cooking traditions, from the U.S.S.R to “La Belle France”. The grounds were constructed as a series of four sections - Cité de Havre, Ile Sainte-Hélène, Ile Notre-Dame and La Ronde – each of which provided a distinct visitor experience.

One could spend the day wining and dining in a number of different countries, from Austria to Norway, Germany, Trinidad and the Polynesian Islands. Astoundingly enough, each of these countries brought their food heritage to Montreal for visitors to consume. Even though some aspects of these dining experiences were quite stereotypical by today’s standards, it is apparent in this guidebook that the spirit of Expo '67 was one of hopeful optimism.

Strangely enough, some of the most intriguing aspects of food culture at Expo '67 were those which came from within the country. In the Canadian pavilion, one could find a restaurant called “La Toundra”, which was meant to be representative – in terms of food and décor – of life in Northern Canada. Two Inuit artists, Elijah Pudlat and Kumukuluk Saggiak, were invited to Expo '67 to paint a mural for the interior of this restaurant, depicting common activities in the north. Another restaurant, simply called “The Buffet” could also be found within the Canadian Pavilion, but it is ultimately La Toudra which offers the most interesting information about the perception of Canadian food culture at this time. Although much is known about the major world’s fairs – like London’s Great Exhibition of 1851 – an oft forgotten aspect of these events is the ways in which they shaped food culture for the participating nations.

The Canadian Pavillion (Source)

In the section of the guidebook that discusses restaurants, the reader is assured that the food consumed at Expo '67 would be uniquely representative of its country of origin. Authenticity was considered to be crucial, as it tends to be today amongst food lovers. However, there was evidently a strong sense of exoticism associated with trying these different delicacies, which selectively othered certain cooking traditions. 

The introductory page for the "Restaurant" section of the guidebook. Photo courtesy of Jordan Fee.

Rhona Richmond Kenneally, professor of design and computation arts at Concordia university, has written a fantastic analysis of the food culture at Expo '67, highlighting how national food culture was shaped through the design and structure of restaurants like La Toundra. Noting just how ambiguous the offerings were when it came to specialty dishes, Kenneally remarks that the distinctions made between Canadian, International and “Tundra” cuisines were extremely arbitrary in nature, and that the supposed origins of some of the dishes were simply wrong. One could find buffalo meat in the tundra section of the menu, but the grasses needed to sustain buffalo could not be found in such a region. Thus, the Canadian food identity established at Expo ’67 was in many ways unclear and problematic, using the flare of the exotic to promote Canada as a uniquely modern destination.

Therefore, like other world’s fairs, Expo ’67 still fell prey to the allure of nationalism, and colonialism as well. Although it seems that the festival was characterized by a sense of inclusion, it nevertheless revealed some issues at the heart of Canadian culture, namely: what does it mean to be Canadian, when this is in fact not our land? This is still a relevant question today, especially as we continue to learn more about the indigenous cultures that thrived here long before we did. 

Overview of the Canadian and Ontario Pavilions (Source)

Nevertheless, I must say that I am still very interested in what it must have been like to spend a day at this momentous event. I can only imagine what a hot summer day would have looked like there, in all of the fashion and fervour of the 1960’s. If you want to know more about what would have been happening there in the summer of '67, check out this CBC radio broadcast about some of the popular exhibits found there. It should be noted that this program aired on July 7th, 1967 - 52 years ago, almost to the day! I hope that some of you become just as interested in this piece of Canadian heritage as I am.

LESSONS IN UNLEARNING - EXPLORING HERE WE ARE HERE: BLACK CANADIAN CONTEMPORARY ART

AFRICAN CANADIAN HISTORY

BY KENDRA CAMPBELL

“Collections take time to transform,” explains Dr. Silvia Forni, Curator of African Arts and Cultures in the Royal Ontario Museum’s Department of World Cultures. I had the privilege to speak with Dr. Forni, hours before an opening of the new ROM exhibition Here We Are Here: Black Canadian Contemporary Art. She, along with Dr. Julie Crooks and Dominque Fontaine, were co-curators of the new show that features the works of 9 emerging and established Black Canadian artists. The installations by Sandra Brewster, Michèle Pearson Clarke, Chantal Gibson, Sylvia D. Hamilton, Bushra Junaid, Charmaine Lurch, Esmaa Mohamoud, Dawit L. Petros and Gordon Shadrach all comment on themes of race, exclusion and belonging, but are ultimately distinct. Collectively, Here We Are Here provides a lens to understand the varied and dynamic experience of Blackness in Canada.

Suck Teeth Compositions (After Rashaad Newsome), Michèle Pearson Clarke, 2017.
Photo courtesy of the ROM. 

Knowledge about Blackness and Black history in Canada is skewed by the mythologizing of the underground railroad and other lore, which is particularly pervasive at this time of year. This is further compounded by the fact that the sights and sounds of the Black diaspora are not given adequate space in public discourse, let alone the opportunity to be refracted on gallery walls. This is one of the reasons why Here We Are Here is so important. According to the co-curatorial team, there is a great deal of unlearning that must take place. This multi-narrative show challenges Canada’s purported anti-slavery past as well as the current narratives of acceptance and multiculturalism.

Sweet Childhood, Bushra Junaid, 2017. Photo courtesy of the ROM.

Beyond the unlearning of Canada’s Black past and present, there is a deeper lesson of unlearning the biases of curatorial practice. This is a lesson that would benefit many professionals within this sector. Regarding the curatorial process, Dr. Forni notes that the curatorial team did not have studio visits where they selected the best examples of artists’ work. Rather, the co-curators supported a 9-member community of artists who worked closely together to refine their individual work. Regarding the curatorial vision, there is no sweeping narrative or protracted timeline of Black history in Canada. Instead, each work reflects vestiges of time and emphasizes the specific linkages to the present.
Most importantly, Here We Are Here is not a fleeting 28-day stint of inclusion. Dr. Forni comments that in many ways the show was a culmination of the 3-year multiplatform Of Africa initiative, led by the same curatorial team. In addition to issuing an apology for the 1989 Into the Heart of Africa exhibition, the Of Africa curators partnered with an advisory council, listened to community members and worked with a range of artists to think through the process of interpreting and engaging with the complexity and diversity of Africa.

Souvenir, Chantal Gibson, 2017. Photo courtesy of the ROM.

As Dr. Forni alluded to in our conversation, the importance of time cannot be underestimated with respect to rebuilding museum and community relations. Evidenced by the ROM’s increasingly diverse collection and exhibitions, systemic change requires continuous effort and commitment from the institution. Next month and thereafter, I look forward to more examples of transformation at the ROM and elsewhere within the broader museum sector. In my active search for sustained models of change in the museum sector, I wonder, what else do today’s and tomorrow’s museum professionals need to unlearn?

THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL WINTER FAIR: ONTARIO'S FARMING HERITAGE

HERITAGE MOMENTS

BY: ELEANOR HOWELL-CHRISTENSEN

Photo courtesy of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. 

When we think of Toronto's animals, we're most likely thinking of raccoons, pigeons, rodents, and pets (cats/dogs etc). We're probably not thinking of cows, sheep, alpacas or horses - all of which can be found at the 95th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair which just occurred at Exhibition Place. The Royal (as it's affectionately known) is one of the largest shows of its kind in the world and has been an important part of Toronto's history for the past century. It makes sense, when you think about it: Ontario's First Peoples were agricultural, and upon arriving the European settlers turned much of the area into farmland.

Ontario has a long history with farming, and the Royal is a large-scale celebration of this heritage. Attending for the first time this year, I couldn't help but notice how many museum-like elements there were to the fair. It's essentially one enormous "show and tell" - and isn't that roughly the essence of a museum? The Royal is a two-week demonstration of Ontario's farming heritage, a heritage that you can see, touch and (let's be honest) smell.

I've gathered together some photos of the Royal through the years (the only thing better than pictures of animals are vintage pictures of animals, right?) and if you're interested in learning more about Ontario's agricultural history, Archives of Ontario has compiled a whole page of online resources on the subject.  Let's put aside our skyscrapers and take just a moment to enjoy our province's greener history.

All images are courtesy of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

The Royal Agricultural Winter fair occurs every November in Toronto. Next year's dates are November 2-11, 2018.