5 minute read
IDENTI-EATS
By Akosua Dufie Adasi
Cover Photo: Sauce Modern Caribbean Cuisine
BLACK CANADIAN FOOD & CULTURE
Black Canadian culinary traditions and histories have been forged through decades of African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants, as well as formerly enslaved Black people who escaped American slavery. Food is central to culture and identity and is how Black Canadians maintain their communal relationships and connect with their heritage. Edmonton is home to numerous and diverse Black communities hailing from all around the world, which has influenced the local landscape and infused culinary traditions rich with foods from African and Caribbean cultures. We have a wide array of restaurants and grocery stores that provide experiences of Black Canadian eats, from Kenkey to jerk. Here’s only a sample of what you can find.
1. KENKEY
Kenkey is a staple dish from the Ga and Fanteinhabited regions of Ghana and other regions of West Africa. It is usually served with a pepper sauce and fried fish, soup, or stew. Made from corn flour, this West African delicacy has become part of Black Canadian food traditions via the immigration of Ghanaian and West African peoples to Canada. It is a tradition in my Ghanaian-Canadian family to eat Kenkey as a communal meal. It is a great way to connect as a family and with our Ghanaian heritage in Canada. To indulge in this delicious tradition yourself, head over to Kasoa Tropical Food Market, where they have several prepared foods (9320–118 Ave. or 9062-51 Ave.). If you want to try your hand at making it at home, ingredients can be found at Agape Foods (12981–50 St.). Pair it with a chilled glass of iced hibiscus tea and go to flavour town!
2. EGUSI STEW
Egusi stew is a savoury and succulent dish that originates from West and Central Africa. It has been perfected as a key aspect of Nigerian, and subsequently Black Canadian cuisine via Nigerian and West African Canadians. It is made from the seeds of the Egusi gourd, which is similar in shape and size to a watermelon but has a bitter taste. It is cooked with aromatic spices and meat. Served with fufu (pounded mixture of plantain and cassava) or pounded yam, this is the perfect meal for anyone hungry for a rich and flavoursome meal. You can enjoy Egusi stew at Monamie Resto (13427 Fort Rd.) or at Ola's Dining Nigerian Kitchen (Crystallina Nera Way).
3. DORO WAT
Doro wat is a spicy Ethiopian chicken stew that is considered the national dish of Ethiopia. It is made with berberé (a blend of traditional Ethiopian spices) chicken, spiced ghee, hard-boiled eggs, and a wide array of other spices. It is typically eaten with injera (Ethiopian flatbread), which is used as an eating utensil to scoop the doro wat. Doro wat is a staple in Black Canadian food traditions thanks to the Ethiopian and Eritrean communities who have lovingly shared this mouthwatering dish. Growing up, I would enjoy this dish often with my Ethiopian friends as a way to bond over our shared African heritage. It was often eaten in celebration of birthdays and is a key dish at holiday festivities. In Edmonton, you can delight in doro wat at Awash Ethiopian Restaurant Edmonton (12952–118 Ave.) and or Bete Africa Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar (9570– 111 Ave.).
4. BARIIS ISKUKARIS
Delicious, exciting, and fantastically flavourful, Bariis Iskukaris, also known as Isku-dheh karis, is one of the crown jewels of rice dishes in Black Canadian cuisine. Originating from Somalia, this spiced rice is made from a mixture of xawaash (an aromatic spice mixture that is layered with fenugreek and turmeric), basmati rice, and meat with vegetables. As a festive meal in the Somali community, served during holidays, it is a mouthwatering favourite. Edmonton has one of the largest Somali communities in Canada, bringing this dish to the forefront of our local Black Canadian cuisine. You can experience this flavourful meal at Banaadiri Xamereey Somali Restaurant (11732–95 St.).
5. JERK CHICKEN
Jerk is a style of cooking and a spice, and jerk chicken is perhaps the most famous of AfroCaribbean and Black Canadian ways to liven up a meal. Both the style of cooking and spice originated from the Maroon Africans and Taíno Indigenous peoples of Jamaica. When the Maroons freed themselves from slavery and escaped to the mountains surrounding Jamaica, they were taught by Indigenous inhabitants to preserve meats with available spices and leaves, which developed into jerk. This style of cooking is also smokeless, which helped hide their presence from their enemies (British Colonists and enslavers). Like the patty, the jerk way of cooking, a taste of freedom, was brought to Canada by Afro-Caribbean immigrants in the 1960s and 1970s and can be enjoyed at restaurants in Edmonton such as Sauce Modern Caribbean Cuisine (13655 St. Albert Tr.).
6. PATTIES
Patties are a popular snack in the Caribbean, especially in Jamaica. The Jamaican/Caribbean patty is derived from the Cornish pasty from England. It was brought over to Jamaica by British colonists and subsequently adapted to the Jamaican way of cooking. The patty is usually made using beef with spices, stuffed in a flaky crust. As Jamaican and Caribbean peoples migrated to Canada in the 1960s and 1970s, they brought this delicious treat with them and it has now become a standard feature in Black Canadian cuisine. Living in the Caribbean, I would indulge in this savory snack with a Ting! or Solo (Caribbean sodas) as a refreshing end to my day. To enjoy this delectable snack, head to Lloyd's Patty Distro (10534–111 St.) or A Yah Mi Deh Jamaican Restaurant & Bakery (4435–118 Ave.). You will not be disappointed.
