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| A sign helpfully directs me to where I need to check in for the event. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
It's February 23, and I am at the annual Hungry for Comfort Event organized by the Fort York staff with the OBHS acting as guest Curator of Programming. The theme focuses on the culinary stories of Black communities across Canada and how their food traditions adapted as they integrated themselves into Canadian society.
Helping supervise the baking competition was the Culinary Historians of Canada (CHC). The CHC is a volunteer driven society brought together by a love of food and history. They put on various events throughout the year where one can learn historic methods of food preparation, how to ethically attain food in the modern day, and learn about the histories behind Canadian food culture.
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| Our historic friend for the day is James Mink. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
Entering the Blue Barracks there is a lowkey buzz as people settle in. Long tables are set up with seats around them. The center piece features a local historic Black person with a brief biography of what they did.
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| Historic panels are placed beside the refreshment table to be read while waiting in line. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
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| Refreshments tantalize. Photograph courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
Much care and effort has been put in to emphasize Black Canadian history. There are large poster boards beside the morning refreshment table, which inform the visitor of the Black soldiers at Fort York. Paper plate laden with Basic Hot biscuits, Fort York Honey, Little Fine Cakes (my absolute historic favourite!) and Akara, I make my way to the table and sit down. The communal set up means I get to meet new people who also appreciate historic food and share this experience.
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| A photo of the powerpoint because I did not manage to get a good close up photo of Eden Hagos. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
The keynote speaker is Eden Hagos who is a food writer and founder of the Black Foodie. Hagos shares how growing up in Canada, she viewed her traditional Ethiopian food as a source of shame when she compared her home made lunches to the other kids at her school. When she began to reconnect with her food culture, she realized that it was a reconnection with her ancestral home. In starting her blog the “Black Foodie” she wanted to connect with other people her age that had similar experiences, to share traditional recipes and build up a community.
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| Chef Selwyn Richards educates us about diasporic food history. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
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| Chef Selwyn Richards dazzle us with his fiery technique. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
Our chef for our afternoon lunch Masterclass is Chef Selwyn Richards from The Art of Catering. Powerpoint ready he discusses the diasporic food history across the West, pointing out how foods have travelled from Africa to North America. When he talks about modern food he says “If you can imagine it, we can create it!” followed by the idea of Jerk Chicken lasagna. His advice for visiting restaurants is to ask the waiter what the best dish is and go with that, as this is the best way to try something new that is guaranteed to be good.
The various speakers and workshops I attend emphasize how food is a conduit to the past and future. I learn how enslavery has shaped the African food experience in the Western world and how the recipes of today contain the memories of bondage, resistance and liberation.
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| A sampling of the fare. I learned from my mistakes from last year and made sure to bring some food containers to take leftovers home. If you attend this event I suggest that you bring containers too! Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
I attend a workshop facilitated by an educator who taught us how to make Breadfruit Chips. As a white settler I had never encountered breadfruit before in my usual culinary adventures, so I purposely chose this workshop to expand my food horizons. I learn what breadfruit is, along with the importance of integrating it into a larger diet since the plant is easy to grow, helps prevent deforestation, and contains many vital nutrients!
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| Dessert is served! I could not get enough of those Date Bars -- absolutely delicious! Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Cytko. |
After the workshop and back in the Blue Barracks, we are served a historic dessert of Sweet Potato pie, Date Bars, and Ice Cream. With the concluding remarks and the handing out of the competition prizes, contentedly, I leave the event with a better understanding of historic foodways and a new item on my shopping list: breadfruit.
This article has been updated to reflect that the event is in fact put on by Fort York staff with the OBHS acting as guest Curator of Programming. The Culinary Historians of Canada supervised the baking competition on the day of the event. Apologies for the misinformation.
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