Intercultural pop-up part of Feed the Soul's evolution
Feed the Soul YEG is presenting the Callaloo + Chow: Trini-Chinese Culinary Pop-up from Feb. 19 to 23 at Fu's Repair Shop in lieu of its annual dining week with Black-owned businesses as the organization enters a new era.
"I really wanted to showcase (not only) the Black community, but also our stories of migration, adaptation, of resilience, and (to tell) this unique story of the Chinese community's influence in Trinidad," Feed the Soul founder, Rochelle Ignacio, told Taproot. "We're using food to unite the Chinese and the Trinidadian communities."
The pop-up pairs chefs Nadine Lewis and Pat Ross of Cafe Caribbean with Winnie Chen from Fu's. Its title comes from its signature offering — a combination of one of Trinidad's national dishes, a stew called callaloo, and chow mein.
"(Callaloo) is a staple on a Sunday," Ross told Taproot. "When we say Sunday food, it's a big thing for us. Maybe during the week, if you're poor, you might not eat well, but on Sunday, you'll always have a really good meal. That is like the crown jewel — you're not going to get callaloo all week."
The cultural mix on offer at the pop-up reflects a longstanding tradition for Trinidad food, Lewis told Taproot. She said Chinese food enjoys a similar popularity to doubles, a famous street food that pairs spiced chickpeas with flatbread. "Trinidad is really a melting pot of many different cultures, and it's really good for us to be able to showcase that," Lewis said. "Chinese food, for example, is just the same as if you were to buy roti or doubles (in Trinidad). So why not bring it to the forefront?"
The callaloo and chow mein dish is one of the items on a small menu that's being whittled down from what's on deck for a ticketed opening reception on Feb. 19. (Aside from the event, reservations can be made for the pop-up on OpenTable.) That night, guests can also expect chicken wings and green onion cakes made with Chinese five spice, geera-style pork or tofu served on bao, "Trini-fried" rice, and more. A margarita and a non-alcoholic drink option, both made using a syrup derived from sorrel, a flower similar to hibiscus, will be on offer.
Ignacio, who is also the director of equity, diversity, and inclusion for the Tamarack Institute, said food can build connections between people through learning. For example, one of Feed the Soul's volunteers made a video about the history of Chinese migration to Trinidad and Tobago that played on a loop during a media preview Taproot attended on Feb. 5. It detailed how the first large group of Chinese people moved to Trinidad and Tobago in 1806, when British colonizers wanted a workforce to preempt the abolition of enslaved African labour.
