A tasteful affair

People came out to have a taste of the world at a local multicultural potluck.

It was the first social event from the Multicultural Council of Labrador West hosted at Knights of Columbus hall in Labrador City on March 28.

Tables brimmed with food including beef and mushrooms stew in peanut sauce, curried chickpeas, vegetable pakoras, biryani, hallacas, pork rolls, cod au gratin, caribou ringalls, chicken casserole, plum dumplings, and blueberry pie.

Delicacies were shared from India, Pakistan, Venezuela, South Africa, Croatia, and Canada.

"Eating is a social event," said Roy Hobson, MCLW president and Canadian Maritimer. "Whether it be in the family or in a larger group like this. It's an opportunity to just sit and chat over a meal. In this case it's also an opportunity to learn a little bit about each other. It's an opportunity to have a taste of each other's place. Food can generate some interesting discussions."

Venezuelan traditional dish

Virginia Borges brought the traditional Venezuelan dish Hallacas, (pronounced "Hajacas"), which has so many ingredients that it is usually made by several members of a family around Christmastime.

She said she learned how to cook it from her grandmother and it consists of a meat and vegetable stew wrapped in dough and steamed in a plantain leaf.

Borges explained she couldn't find all the ingredients like the plantain leaf in Labrador City, so she brought them from Toronto.

Pakistani dish

Mandy Hynes, a Canadian who teaches English as a second language in Labrador City, was invited to the potluck by one of her students from Pakistan, Nashaba Asad.

Hynes believes food is an easy way to introduce each other to different cultures because it's something that connects us all.

As a teacher, she gets her students to speak about their cultures, which she believes is the easiest way to learn a second language.

Asad brought the traditional Pakistani dish biryani, which includes chicken, spices, and rice.

South African delicious

Marcy Muyanga, who's originally from South Africa, came to Labrador City five years ago with her husband James who works in Lab. West as a surgeon.

She prepared the traditional dish of beef and mushrooms in peanut sauce, which she says is even eaten in some regions of Africa with steamed bananas.

She admits she hasn't tried Jiggs Dinner yet, but she has cooked caribou and moose stew, and she loved the codfish at the potluck.

Inuit favourite

Lucy Jararuse, who's originally from Nain with an Inuit background, brought caribou ringalls.

She said caribou meat plays an important part of the Inuit diet where nothing goes to waste.

A tolerant community

Lise Boucher brought several Labrador City residents originally hailing from Quebec to the potluck because she believes everyone in the community has to live together so it's important to share and be open.

"Some people are tolerant, some people are intolerant, I think you would find that everywhere," said Boucher. "I think Labrador City was always very tolerant to any culture. I've been here 43 years and in the past we had people from everywhere in the world and it was always open."

Hobson believes the multicultural council's first event was a success because it let everybody know that people are here from different cultures and it identified the real doers in he community when it comes to multiculturalism.

He adds the event was just a taste of what the council will plan to do on June 27 to celebrate Canada's Multiculturalism Day. The council will be looking for representatives from all over the world to feature displays, photos, food, dress, and music to illustrating their languages and cultures.