Today, Mayor John Tory announced new online content for Toronto History Museums’ Hungry for Comfort program series, an annual exploration of culinary food stories from diverse cultural groups across Toronto. This year, to coincide with Asian Heritage Month and Museums Month, Hungry for Comfort spotlights Toronto’s Chinese communities and their significant contribution to the city’s rich and diverse food culture.
Hungry for Comfort: Chinese Food, Diversity & Delights is a video series that includes conversations with members of the Chinese community as well as culinary and historical stories from renowned speakers and chefs, and cooking demonstrations that get to the heart of Chinese cuisine. For details, please www.toronto.ca/museums.
The series features four themes:
From Chop Suey to Peking Duck: Chinese Food up to the 1970s
Arlene Chan and Marjorie Chan dish on how the Chinese food scene, including little-known market gardens, has developed up to the early 1970s and the important role it played in building intercultural connections in Toronto.
Joanna Liu will demonstrate how to make shrimp with lobster sauce, a popular recipe from her family’s restaurant, Yueh Tung Restaurant, in Toronto’s first Chinatown. Joanna and her sister Jeanette Liu will also reflect upon managing the restaurant.
Culinary Journey through Toronto’s Chinatown
Professor Chef Leo Chan shares stories about the explosion and diversification of Chinese food from the 1970s to today, and Professor Daniel Bender discusses how Scarborough has gained the reputation as a food capital of the world.
A cooking demonstration by Wilson Chan, of Mandarin restaurants, features a popular dish that has endured decades of love in Toronto and around the globe – Cantonese chow mein.
Authenticity of Chinese Food
A dash of sweetness from Ann Hui’s stories about small-town Chinese restaurants and the families that run them and a pinch of salt from Sean Chen’s Qing-dynasty gastronomic guide will be blended to taste, as Chef Wallace Wong moderates a discussion that explores authenticity.
Eric Chong caps off the conversation with a cooking demonstration of char siu bao, a recipe from his restaurant, R & D, in Chinatown West.
Global and Local Perspectives on Chinese Food
Join a panel discussion with Tina Chiu, Lucia Huang and Roger Mooking to savour their unique perspectives about Chinese food and restaurants in Toronto, The panel will be moderated by Karon Liu. Cheuk Kwan will share a global perspective about Chinese food.
The Hungry for Comfort program series was created using the principles of anti-oppression, anti-colonialism, sustainability, advocacy and storytelling.
High resolution images are available on Flickr at Toronto History Museums | Flickr. For details on the Hungry for Comfort program, please visit www.toronto.ca/museums.
Quotes:
“As May marks Asian Heritage Month and Museum Month, I encourage residents to learn more and better understand the history of our city and the role Chinese Canadians have played in it. This online content allows residents to discover the substantial contributions the Chinese communities have made to the city’s rich and diverse food scene, culture and history through Hungry for Comfort. I encourage residents to participate in the month of May and to enjoy this online content that shares untold stories in our city.”
– Mayor John Tory
“Toronto History Museums is expanding its reach by creating programming that shares space and authority with community partners. Hungry for Comfort is an inspiring and nourishing series of intergenerational community-led conversations around food and the history of the Chinese community in Toronto.”
– Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson (Scarborough Centre), Chair of the City’s Economic and Community Development Committee
“Hungry for Comfort is a unique and exciting opportunity to showcase Chinese food in Toronto, past, present and future. We invite you to our communal table to feast on culinary stories and mouth-watering cooking demos from the Chinese community.”
– Leo Chan and Arlene Chan, Cultural Curators, Toronto History Museums’ Hungry for Comfort 2021
“Hungry for Comfort is an incredible celebration of how the culinary heritage of Torontonians have shaped and molded Toronto. The opportunity for me to host and moderate this year’s discussions regarding what is Chinese food and specifically Canadian Chinese food really opened up my mind and heart not just as a chef but also as a proud first generation Chinese Canadian. I encourage everyone to bring their appetite and indulge in amazing stories of the Toronto/Canada Chinese food culture”.
– Wallace Wong, Six Pack Chef, host and moderator, Toronto History Museums’ Hungry for Comfort 2021
About Toronto History Museums
Toronto History Museums are a group of 10 museums owned and operated by the City of Toronto that bring Toronto’s history to life for residents and visitors. They include Colborne Lodge, Fort York National Historic Site, Gibson House Museum, Mackenzie House, Market Gallery, Montgomery’s Inn, Scarborough Museum, Spadina Museum, Todmorden Mills and Zion Schoolhouse. More information is available at www.toronto.ca/museums, or follow Toronto History Museums on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TOHistory, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/TOHistoryMuseums, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TOHistoryMuseums and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/TOHistoryMuseums.
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.