This document discusses developing a distinct cuisine to strengthen Toronto's cultural identity. It proposes creating "mosaic" or "collision" dishes that blend flavors from Toronto's diverse communities in a simple yet creative way. A panel of chefs would select up to 20 dishes annually that meet strict criteria, such as retaining the integrity of each culture's flavors and symbolizing meaningful cultural interactions. Examples of successfully blended cuisines from other cities are provided. Developing Toronto's own dishes, drinks and spices could promote the city's unique diversity on a global scale. Public involvement would help establish this cuisine throughout Toronto.

1. Toronto Cuisine Project 2011
Strengthening our sense of identity
The cities evolution depends on a
permanently shifting sense of
identity, an expansion of self concept
For Toronto. By Toronto

2. Toronto doesn’t resonate
globally in a distinct and
meaningful way. For
example, If Toronto is an
ingredient, what does it
add to the mix or what are
the flavors of Torontoness?
For example if you don’t
know what eggplant taste
like, you’ll never exclaim,
“Wow! I love this soup! It’s
full of eggplant!”, if you
can’t identify Torontoness,
your ability to appreciate
or value it will be
impaired.

3. Question: Toronto is a weird city, it’s kind of like a place where the beginning is forgotten and
the future unknown. So how do you enhance Toronto’s sense of identity or sense of place?
Answer: With culture
Question: Culture?
Answer: Culture is a distinct and uncopiable aspect of every society. Culture has the power to
communicate a places true spirit and essence and works in many different ways as a metaphor
for personality and character. When you think of a place, for example Italy, usually the first
associations that pop in mind are cultural, such as food, language, music, art and so forth.
Question: But Toronto seems to just be a city with cultural benefits and features (ex. Museums,
festivals, ethnic restaurants, performing arts, etc) and many other cities have the same things,
so how can Toronto showcase a distinct culture? What is Toronto culture anyways?
Answer: Toronto has had the most globally comprehensive diversity in the world for the past 30
years. This has unknowingly been cultivating a unique kind of ‘global mindset’ and creativity
which can only exist in this city. We now have to make this legible for ourselves and others.
People need be able to easily recognize this cities profound culture which is still a recent and
under recognized phenomenon.
Question: How??..

4. Answer: The creative challenge for Toronto is to accelerate its organic evolution from a
multicultural city of fragmented differences, to a co-created intercultural city that makes the
very most of it’s diversity! This can only be done through ‘symbolic actions’, action always speaks
louder than words, no sloganeering or logo crap.
Question: What kind of symbolic actions?
Answer: Renowned gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best “Tell me what you eat,
and I’ll tell you who you are”. A good start is food. Food is one of the most powerful elements
of every strong culture. Toronto being extremely culturally abundant, makes it poised to develop
a unique fusion cuisine that symbolizes it’s global diversity intermingling in meaningful and
creative ways.
Toronto is full of raw materials for a rich, varied and attractive cultural life which are just lying
around, waiting to be assembled in a new way. What Toronto needs are the people with the
imagination, the ambition, the creativity and the energy to make these connections, give them
life, and make extraordinary things happen. Its already happening in Toronto, however; we need
to amplify it with more original approaches.
Toronto is poised to invent heritage or culture to make it a more magnetic place. There's nothing
at all shameful or dishonest about inventing heritage, (as long as one doesn’t make false claims
about its origins, of course): after all. Even old things were new once, and part of the art of
being a good ancestor is starting lots of valuable traditions in ones own life time so that one’s
descendants can benefit from them later.

5. Lets not forget that beyond
merely nourishing the body,
what we eat and with whom
we eat can inspire and
strengthen the bonds
between individuals,
communities, and even an
entire city like Toronto.

6. Toronto is home to an abundance of authentic cultural restaurants from around the
world and with imagination and cultural collisions happening in this city all the time, it
has given birth to a series of culturally collided dishes. Most of this simple ‘fusioning’
happens within homes, and now it needs to be revealed out in the open for the world
to recognize an aspect of Toronto’s genius through food.
Fusion cuisine is a result of the accessibility of the ‘Global Village’. Increasing numbers
of people are travelling, experimenting and experiencing. Many have settled
permanently in new countries, introducing the cultures and traditions of their
homelands. This kind of cuisine has emanated from the desire to make food more
diverse and interesting and to ignite excitement in new ingredients and fresh
combinations of ingredients.
The thing is that, fusion cuisine is not distinct and has evolved to be known as
‘confusion’ cuisine. David Thompson, author of a voluminous bible on authentic Thai
fare described fusion cuisine as “An unholy united nations on a plate.” Fusion cuisine in
many cases ends up as culinary nightmares, so, this is why Toronto cuisines natural aim
is to steer away from the conventional fusion style cooking and have a more unique
approach which is the blend of cultural flavors that are carefully collided without
diminishing the integrity and authenticity of either of the traditional flavors. This is
tricky, but worth it to say the least.
Toronto ‘collision’/mosaic cuisine

7. Prototyping Method(5-7 dishes)
1. Brain storm collision
possibilities with
people knowledgeable
about food and who are
of different cultures
2. Note down all possible
dishes and further discuss
them
3. Hit the kitchen lab,
and create it.
4. Assess the finish
product by seeing if it
meets the strict criteria
of Toronto cuisine
5. Brainstorm a
creative name for the
dish and create a
compact
story/message
behind the dish.
7. Record the recipe
and instructions for
making the dish,
and take a picture
of the final dish.
6. Capitalize on
more feedback by
letting a few
random people try
the dish.

8. If Montreal can have it’s
own spice blend, why
not Toronto?

9. Toronto style
pizza’s, why not?

10. Possibilities are unlimited…
Toronto deserts
Toronto drinks

11. Panel of chefs will commission
a maximum of 20 “mosaic”
recipes every year based on a
strict criteria which symbolizes
Toronto's essence.

12. Strict criteria for Toronto “mosaic” cuisine
Simplicity: It must be apparently colliided with a max of 2-3 different cultural
flavors. We avoid using the word fusion because it has built up a reputation for
being ‘confusion’ cuisine, which is not distinct and any place can claim it.
 The dish must still allow the each cultural flavors to retain its integrity and
authentic flavor. This is the tricky element of Toronto cuisine which will actually be
the true genius of it.
Creativity. Is there a story behind the dish? Presentation? And so forth.
Over all symbolizes ‘Torontoness’ which is meaningful cultural collisions and
interactions between unusual suspects. Any kind of food or drink that will be
officially be regarded as Toronto cuisine must always be ‘on brand’.
 And it must be brilliantly delicious of course
Toronto spice
The Toronto spice must symbolize the comprehensive spectrum of Toronto's global diversity;
however, it must not be a ‘please all’ type of spice. For example, the South Asian community
is the largest ethnic minority in Toronto, so it makes sense to have the spice mix slightly spicy
which wouldn't please people who don’t like spicy food, but that it’s okay. It also makes
sense for the spice mix to be spicy because of Toronto large Caribbean community with their
jerk spice and the Asian community who also prefer spicy flavors. Besides that, other world
spices such as European, Arabic, South American, and African flavors should be symbolically
and carefully incorporated into spice mix.

13. Good examples of ‘collision’ cuisine
In Southern California, a new Korean taco has become
very popular. This is a good example collision cuisine
done right so that it doesn’t become ‘confusion’
cuisine. Because the 2 cultural flavors are apparent
and there is a regional story behind the dish because
of the dominant Mexican and Korean population in
L.A.
Ichiro Mashita, of Tokyo Kaikan, one of L.A.’s first sushi
bars, predated Puck. The Japanese immigrant’s avocado
experiments in the Sixties gave us the “inside-out”
California roll now scoffed worldwide.
Toronto’s large Italian and Indian community has
given birth to Indian style pizza. Many restaurants
across the GTA now serve pizza’s with popular
Indian ingredients such as: ginger, cilantro, spices,
and much more.

14. Another great example of organic fusion cuisine which isn’t confusion. This is Macua’s
cuisine which is a mix of Portuguese and Chinese. The Portuguese, once one of the
world's leading imperial forces, landed in Macau, a small peninsula and islands near
Hong Kong, in the 16th century. In 1887, it officially came under Portuguese rule, not
to be returned to China until 1999. During those hundred or so years, Macanese
culture as we know it came to be—and, along with it, a cuisine that expresses not
only the traditions of both ethnicities living there, but the flavors of other Portuguese
colonies, from Brazil to Mozambique.

15. “The crowds are huge and the
lineups can be long, but I've yet to
see anyone get upset or even
mildly impatient while waiting for
a fatty, flavourful Kurobuta pork
sausage loaded with fried onions,
teriyaki sauce, Japanese
mayonnaise and nori shreds.”-
Globe and Mail
The Japadog is a very cool example of what Toronto cuisine
can exemplify as well. The Japadog was invented in
Vancouver; however, Vancouver has predominantly only 2
ethnic groups (Asians and Sikhs) Toronto on the other hand
is blessed with a comprehensive global diversity making us
poised for a unique and extensive global cuisine.

16. We can have fun with this and not only mix
ingredients of different cultures, but also
mix eating style traditions, for example
eating Indian food at Japanese style dining
table and so forth.

17. Toronto cuisine will be served
all over the city, and even
served to celebrities at TIFF.
Different outlets will specialize
in different dishes.

18. Supporters
Public involvement

19. To be
continued…