Picnics, European Style

FREE Bilingual and intercultural Version française au verso Food talks set the record straight Page 3 Since 1999 Vol 16 No 24 | July 12–August 30, 2016 www.thelasource.com Picnics, european style Trials and tribulations in the city by jake McGrail people from the same town by eduard lladó Vila Eating outdoors has long gather“Back together,”home, we’d says have Alexandre, 40–50 been a pleasure for many he journey preceding my people, with some of the ear- it was a way to bring the commu- Tarrival in Vancouver al- liest picnics occurring in the “we’dnity together.” play games, have fun, talk – Middle Ages and the word Alexandre’s mother would nothing out of the ordinary. coming from the French term cook for these gatherings, and Nonetheless,most five months I think agoit is wascen- “pique-nique,” first used in it was from helping that he tral to understanding how I the 17th century. Today pic- found his love for cooking. He have been feeling since arriv- nics are common, with people carried his love for cooking ing in the distant patch of land all around the world using with him from Angola to Portu- that is Vancouver. them as a way to eat and relax gal, after moving due to the war I come from Catalonia, a outdoors. in his country. His mom worked small European nation in in a restaurant and got him a search of independence. I Two local chefs and a picnic have had the opportunity professional share memories of Alexandre then went to a cook- of living abroad for several childhood picnics and the joys of ingjob schoolthere when in Lisbon, he was where just he14. years, most notably in Esto- eating with small children and was able to see the diversity of nia, a small but dynamic state dogs. Portuguese cuisine. searching to erase all traces of “It’s a very small country,” he the former Soviet Union, and Growing up with picnics says, “but it has such a range in then in France, a large, ancient Daniel Alexandre (Chefe Daniel), food. You can go from town to state currently questioning who was born in the Republic town and they have such differ- its many social and societal of Angola, Africa, recalls many ent recipes and meals”. exceptions. Canada, by way picnics growing up. He grew up of Vancouver, now represents in a small town in the then-Por- differences between Angola and a fourth reality that I will rub tuguese colony, where everyone Portugal,And while the there appeal are ofdefinitely picnics shoulders with for a while. would come together to eat and and other social gatherings is Photo courtesy of Picnix Up until now, my impres- The simplicity of a family picnic. socialize. still there, which leads to a lot of sion of these countries were food being consumed. lic as well as providing consulta- strongly connected to ideas “The Portuguese, we really love ago he opened his current res- tions to restaurants. His passion of homeland and nation. to barbecue,” says Alexandre, taurant,to Vancouver Chefe in 1984.Daniel, A few now years lo- for food came at a young age. Popularizing the emancipa- “there’s marinated pork, chicken, cated in Surrey, where Alexandre “My grandmother was a good tion cause of the Catalonians, beef, there’s a lot.” cook,” says Arrouzé, “and I dis- understanding the haste of Portugal is also on the coast, to the area. covered good food makes people the Estonians for hyper-mod- which means one of the main looks“I’m totrying bring toPortuguese do traditional flavor happy, and that food is good for ernization and assimilating pieces of their cuisine is seafood, Portuguese food, as well as my socializing.” the Franco-centrism of the own stuff” he says. He began his culinary appren- French, were not only givens which are widely consumed in an of daily life in those countries, especiallyalmost staggering codfish andarray sardines, of reci- Another style since then has worked in many - pes. Greens such as kale, parsley The term “pique-nique” came differentticeship whenplaces hein wasboth 16,France and derstand the roots people had and bay leaves are common, and from France, and the French are and Canada. When asked what butput downalso specific in their territory.ways to un olive oil is used everywhere. no strangers to eating outdoors. would be on the menu of a French Since arriving in Vancouver It is here in Canada that Alex- Eric Arrouzé is a French chef, picnic he says. that previous life experience Photo courtesy of Picnix Some picnic delights. andre now cooks, having moved who teaches cooking for the pub- See “Picnics” page 3 seems outdated. Words such as homeland and nation are Also in this issue almost devoid of any meaning. dealing with a country where For the first time in my life I’m neither a necessity nor a de- sire.national The tie(re)affirmation to the nation is sois tenuous that sometimes even I forget that I live in a country A page of Cuban history: A classic called Canada. Chinese presence I’m aware that these lines musical with from the Isla might have been different had I written them in Saska- Page 5 contemporary appeal toon, Laval or Iqaluit rather than Vancouver. But it so hap- Page 8 See “Verbatim” page 5 2 The Source Vol 16 No 24 | July 12–August 30, 2016 Korean community pushes boundaries by daVid lewis - The Korean population is now 2001 when the Korean popula one of the most dynamic and populationtion of Vancouver has been rose steadyby 69 visible communities in Great- everper cent since, to rising 28,850 by people. more thanThe er Vancouver. The vast majority retain their own language and often have close ties with 20,000 permanent residents ten their homeland. yearsestablished after 2001.themselves in Van- couver’sMany new suburbs, Korean immigrantsincluding From Burnaby to Port Coquitlam, - - tural Heritage Festival is to be es, churches and restaurants Burnabyheld this August.where the Korean Cul Korean supermarkets, offic That is not even taking into ac- language signs and distinctive count the large population of in- contributionsare evident byto localtheir industry.Korean- Through close attachment to their heritage, the retention of ternational students from Korea- their language and assertion of attendingtering Canada schools with in B.C.student In 2005, vi- almost 38 per cent of those en have made a substantial contri- - butiontheir identity, to the cultural Korean Canadianslandscape sas came from South Korea, and of Vancouver. people.today’s Korean student popula tion may number almost 20,000 The growth of the community A distinct cultural voice - - munity has made great strides couver offers a distinct voice Thein the Vancouver past forty Koreanyears. Before com Thewithin Korean the city’scommunity cultural in landVan- - to Canada was minimal, with ticipate in local cultural asso- boththe 1960s, the geopoliticalKorean immigration situation ciations,scape. Korean university Canadians campus andpar alumni associations, seniors’ immigration policies in Canada groups, language schools, and inplacing Korea strong and barriers discriminatory on move- business associations that to- ment between the two countries. gether assert a collective cul- Things began to change dur- tural identity. This collective identity is assisted by the population’s retention of its original economying the 1980s and withthe establishment the meteoric rise of South Korea in the world policy in Canada. The period language, with 98 per cent of the of multiculturalism as official Vancouver Korean community reporting in the 2011 Canadian from 1986 to now has seen a censuspopulation that theyis speakChristian Korean. and throughThe majority their ownof the distinctly Korean - Korean practise of Christianity, culturethey have has persistedinfluenced for the almost reli gious landscape of B.C. Korean- tory, developing traditions rang- 2000ing from years martial of independent arts to cuisine his and education. - ever, experience the balancing actMany of participating Korean Canadians, in Canadian how culture while being strongly at- Photo courtesy of the Korean Cultural Heritage Society. tached to their original identity. A traditional Korean dance that dates to the early days of Korean agriculture. Recent migrants and long-stand- ing residents alike continue to and social entrepreneurs from Canadian aspects of themselves steady influx of skilled workers whiletry to gettingreconcile involved the Korean in their and other community investments communities. Koreain Vancouver, setting upattracted businesses by andthe Celebrating a vibrant heritage ofcity’s its naturalproximity environment. to Korea across theThis Pacific new and period the ofaccessibility migration The SeeKorean “Korean Cultural community” Heritage page 6 Festival, running now for its 15th reached its peak from 1996 to The Source is taking a summer vacation! Our next issue will be published on August 30. 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