This episode is a live recording of our podcast launch event at Queen’s University on October 29th, 2024 with Joshna Maharaj and Eva Chin. They tackle big questions about how structural racism manifests and how we can move towards a more anti-racist food system in Canada.

Show Notes

“We need to rethink the way we teach kids table manners” – Today’s Parent:

https://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/we-need-to-rethink-the-way-we-teach-kidstable-

manners/

Roots & Wings: https://opirgkingston.org/rootsandwings/

KEYS Job Centre: https://keys.ca/

Episode edited by Siddarth Sharma.

In this episode, we chatted with chef, author, educator, and activist Joshna Maharaj at her home in Toronto, Ontario. She talked to us about how she ended up in the kitchen and how important food is to our entire social system.

Show Notes:Buy your copy of Take Back the Tray: https://ecwpress.com/products/take-back-the-tray

Learn more about The Stop: https://www.thestop.org

Hot Plate Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/0dmrkQ46osPlGe9WFDWBlC?si=0368729ea7644f40

Episode edited by Siddarth Sharma.

In this episode we met up with Wendie Wilson in Nova Scotia, a food activist and community organizer, to learn more about Black food stories in Nova Scotia. We then traveled to Edmonton to connect with Rochelle Ignacio to learn about her initiatives in Black owned businesses and Feed the Soul YEG.

Show Notes:

In the Africville Kitchen: the Comforts of Home: https://globalnews.ca/news/7525412/africville-cookbook/

Museums in Ontario

•  Black Historical Society & Black Mecca Museum

https://ckbhs.org/-

•  Amherstburg Freedom Museum

https://amherstburgfreedom.org/permanent-exhibits/

Afri-Can FoodBasket: Non-profitorganization committed to reducing hunger and enhancing cultural food access and health, within African Caribbean and Black communities in the GTA. https://africanfoodbasket.ca/

For more on Anan Lololi: https://efao.ca/member-profile-anan-xola-lololi-27-years-of-black-food-sovereignty-and-counting/

Resources:

•  Future Ancestors: https://www.futureancestors.ca/

•  Toronto Food Incubator: https://www.ventureparklabs.ca/food-incubator

•  Feed the Soul: https://feedthesoulyeg.ca/

Bibliography

• What’s to Eat Entrées in Canadian Food History edited by Nathalie Cooke

• Beagan, Brenda L and Chapman, Gwen E. “Meanings of food, eating and health among African Nova Scotians: ‘certain things aren’t meant for Black folk’ in Ethnicity& Health Vol. 17. No. 2. October 2012, pp. 512-529.

•  Ristovski-Slijepcevic, Svetlana, et al. “Being ‘thick’ indicates you are eating, you are healthy, and you have an attractive shape: Perspectives on farness and food choice amongstBlack and White men and women in Canada” in Health Sociology Review. 2010-2009, vol. 19 (3), pp, 317-329.
• Mustapha, Hana and Masanganise, Sharai, “Deconstructing ‘Canadian Cuisine’: Towards decolonial food futurities on Turtle Island” in Canadian Food Studies. March 2023. Vol. 10. 1 pp. 22-27.

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/andrew-coppolino-black-culinary-history-elusive-1.6338546

•  Brown-Kubisch, Linda. 2004. The Queen’s Bush Settlement: Black Pioneers 1839-1865. Toronto: Natural Heritage Books.

1.  “The Queen’s Bush settlers produced a variety of crops such as, barley and oats with wheat being the primary cash crop. They also raised cattle, horses, sheep and hogs; planted orchards and a variety of garden crops, including turnips, potatoes and beans. Families also took advantage of the sugar maple tree in the forest and produced maple sugar every spring” (pp. 43).
2. “Women were primarily responsible for the management of the household and care of the children. They preserved fruits and vegetables, spun wool into thread, wove cloth on handmade looms, quilted, made soap and candles from lard, raised poultry and cured meat” (pp. 43).

Episode Edited by Siddarth Sharma.

In part 1 of this 2-part series on Black foodways, we met with Bernice Byers-Arsenault and Beatrice Wilkins at the Africville Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We learned about life and the abundance of food that they enjoyed while living in the Black settlement of Africville before the city dispersed their community. We also chatted about the story behind their cookbook, “In the Africville Kitchen: The comforts of home.”

Show Notes

Kaiya Farms: https://www.kaiyafarms.com/about-us

Africville Cookbook: https://www.africvillemuseumshop.com/shop/p/in-the-africville-kitchen-the-comforts-of-home-1

Archives of Ontario photo: https://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/black_history/big/big_37_henry_banks.aspx

Episode edited by Siddarth Sharma

In this episode we met up with Chef Eva Chin and Colin Li, owner of Hong Shing, to talk about the history of Chinese foods and restaurants in Canada.

Show Notes

Soy Luck Club: https://www.instagram.com/thesoyluckclub/?hl=en

Ginger Scallion Seasoning: https://shop.hongshing.com/products/ginger-scallion-seasoning?variant=43253951627427

The culinary journey of Chef Eva Chin to opening Yan Dining Room: https://torontoguardian.com/2024/11/chef-eva-chin-yan-dining-room/

Yan Dining Reservations: https://hongshing.com/yan

Episode edited by Siddarth Sharma

In this episode we chat with chefs Scott Iserhoff and Zach Keeshig about their approaches to food and the kitchen. Then we talk to Dr. Spencer Greening about Indigenous understandings of the ecosystem, food harvesting, and climate degradation.

Show Notes:

Episode edited by Siddarth Sharma.

In our opening episode, we chat with the Change is Brewing Collective in Nova Scotia about how racism operates in the craft brewing industry; and, how they are working to change it for the better.

Follow Change is Brewing on Instagram and Facebook.

Learn more about their Wabanaki soda with Propeller Brewing Co. [HERE].

Episode edited by Taman Atwal.