BLACK FOODIE Week (BFW) is a digital celebration of Black food culture in Toronto spearheaded by founder of BlackFoodie.co, Eden Hagos and her team. Beginning September 20 to September 27, this week long event is connecting people with Black-owned restaurants in the city and celebrating the beauty of African and Caribbean food. Through interactive sessions led by chefs and experts, people can participate remotely in a variety of different events throughout the week. This is the first year this digital celebration of Black food culture is being held and if you haven't yet had the chance, there is still time to get involved.
Events are streamed through Facebook or hosted via Instagram. Participants can purchase free tickets online and can cook-along with the city's best culinary masters, learn about wine/beer pairings with favourites like jerk pork and curry chicken, attend a virtual Ethiopian coffee ceremony and get tea and tips from industry leaders during three incredible panel events.
Earlier this week, Mayor John Tory sat down with Eden Hagos to enjoy Ethiopian food and coffee at Rendezvous Restaurant on the Danforth. They spoke about Black food businesses in this city and how they contribute to much of Toronto's food culture and diversity. Some of the featured guests in this week's events include celebrity chef and cookbook author Raquel Fox, Chef Bashir Munye who specializes in Somali cuisine and Chef Noel Cunningham who specializes in Jamaican cuisine, to name a few.
Using the hashtags #BLACKFOODIEchallenge, BlackFoodie.co has also created an interactive map that shows Black-owned restaurants in neighbourhoods around the city to encourage people to visit and order from them.
There’s something for everyone during BLACK FOODIE week so if you want to show support for Afro-Caribbean restaurants and chefs, or simply want to quench your curiosity about the variety of Afro-Caribbean foods in your own backyard, head to the website or Instagram page for more information.
