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Vo l u m e 2 , I s s u e 5 , M a r c h 4 , 2 0 1 1 ’s G D tN a ou g y n s i Din cy give aican m n Ana able Ja or m e m nd a d foo re, too u cult
Once upon a time, the location that now hosts Restaurant Anancy (6587 Somerled Ave., 514-486-2629) was a Jewish book store that morphed into a terrific stationary and magazine shop. What’s interesting is that, even though food has supplanted literature as the key item for sale here, the spot is still a vast repository of knowledge. Owner George Grant is making sure of that. Grant, who hails from the Jamaican mountain village of Mandeville, is extremely knowledgeable of both his Jamaican history and the culture of national food that dates back to when the Spanish were expelled from Jamaica by the British in the 17th century. “Food is one way that we Jamaicans have maintained our history,” Grant maintained. Take jerk chicken and beef, for instance. When the Spanish fled to Cuba to escape the British, they unloaded many of their slaves and animals. “Hiding in the woods, the slaves needed to cook the meat to survive, but they didn’t want to create smoke from their fires. They cooked the meat in the ground and this basic method is still used today.” Ackee and saltfish with rice is another dish that has been prepared for hundreds of years. Jamaican rum and other goods would be shipped to England. “On the way there, they would pick up cod from Nova Scotia, take it back, salt and cure it and then mix it with local ackee fruit to create a dish that is still eaten today, in Jamaica…. and at Anancy,” Grant said.
Personable, multi-faceted owner George Grant gives you a lesson in all things Jamaican when you dine at NDG's Anancy. (Photo: Bram Eisenthal)