Cuisine of Toronto
Encyclopedia
The cuisine
of Toronto
reflects Toronto's size and multicultural diversity. Different ethnic neighbourhoods throughout the city focus on specific cuisines, such as authentic Chinese and Vietnam
ese found in the city's six Chinatown
s, Greek
on The Danforth, Italian cuisine
in Little Italy
and Corso Italia, Indian in Little India. Numerous other world cuisines are available throughout the city, including Hungarian
, Korean
, Japanese, and Caribbean
. Toronto's large Jewish population has also ensured a variety of Jewish
restaurants and delis, with varying adherence to kosher rules. In addition to ethnic cuisines, Toronto is also home to many fine dining establishments and chain restaurants ranging from fast food to casual or upscale dining.
from or based in Toronto:
brewing
. Eugene O'Keefe, founder of O'Keefe Brewing Company
, grew up in Toronto, to which his family had emigrated from Ireland in 1832. He was the first to produce lager
beer in Canada along with the traditional ale
and porter
. See also: Canadian beer
.
The Toronto Beer Festival celebrates Canada’s rich brewing history.
There are several breweries in the city:
Toronto's surrounding region features many wineries. The Sante Wine Festival is an annual festival which features vintages, famous winemakers and celebrity chefs.
s and pre-cooked sausage
s were the only kind of street food
allowed by law. These types of hot dogs are often referred to as 'street meat' by locals, and are normally flame-grilled. The law sets extremely high requirements for street food vendors. However, there was an initiative to allow more varied and nutritious street food, which resulted in the introduction of Toronto a la Cart in 2009. There are chip wagons parked in front of Toronto City Hall
that sell french fries
, and food trucks on the University of Toronto
campus that offer Chinese food. In the summer months, ice cream
and popsicle
s are sold from vendors on bicycle
s while ice cream trucks ply the city streets. Toronto a la Cart also allows vendors to sell Halal
foods such as Kebab
, Falafel
and Shawarma
.
Sandwich, normally on a Kaiser. The most famous offerings of the sandwich are Paddington's Pump, Sausage King, and Carousel Bakery, all coincidentally enough, are located at St. Lawrence Market
.
Cuisine
Cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. Cuisines are often named after the geographic areas or regions that they originate from...
of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
reflects Toronto's size and multicultural diversity. Different ethnic neighbourhoods throughout the city focus on specific cuisines, such as authentic Chinese and Vietnam
Cuisine of Vietnam
Vietnamese cuisine is a style of cooking derived from Vietnam. Fish sauce and paste, soy paste, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables are commonly used. Vietnamese recipes utilize a diverse range of herbs, including lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander and Thai basil leaves...
ese found in the city's six Chinatown
Chinatown, Toronto
Chinatown is an ethnic enclave in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a high concentration of ethnic Chinese residents and businesses extending along Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue. First developed in the late 19th century, it is now one of the largest Chinatowns in North America and...
s, Greek
Cuisine of Greece
Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine, sharing characteristics with the cuisines of Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Levant. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of olive oil, vegetables and herbs, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry, rabbit and pork. Also...
on The Danforth, Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
in Little Italy
Little Italy, Toronto
Little Italy, sometimes referred to as College Street West, is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its numerous Italian Canadian restaurants and businesses. There is also a significant Latin American and Portuguese community in the area...
and Corso Italia, Indian in Little India. Numerous other world cuisines are available throughout the city, including Hungarian
Cuisine of Hungary
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, cheeses and honey...
, Korean
Cuisine of Korea
Korean cuisine originated from ancient prehistoric traditions in the Korean peninsula evolving through a complex interaction of environmental, political, and cultural trends....
, Japanese, and Caribbean
Caribbean cuisine
Caribbean cuisine is a fusion of African, Amerindian, British, Spanish, French, Dutch, Indian, and Chinese cuisine. These traditions were brought from the many homelands of this region's population...
. Toronto's large Jewish population has also ensured a variety of Jewish
Jewish cuisine
Jewish Cuisine is a collection of the different cooking traditions of the Jewish people worldwide. It is a diverse cuisine that has evolved over many centuries, shaped by Jewish dietary laws and Jewish Festival and Sabbath traditions...
restaurants and delis, with varying adherence to kosher rules. In addition to ethnic cuisines, Toronto is also home to many fine dining establishments and chain restaurants ranging from fast food to casual or upscale dining.
Neighbourhoods with prominent ethnic food
- Little JamaicaEglinton WestEglinton West, also known as Little Jamaica, is a neighbourhood and retail district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada situated along Eglinton Avenue West from Allen Road to Keele Street, in the former borough of York. There are a large number of Jamaican businesses along this strip. There are also...
- Caribbean food - Roncesvalles - Polish cuisine
- ChinatownChinatown, TorontoChinatown is an ethnic enclave in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with a high concentration of ethnic Chinese residents and businesses extending along Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue. First developed in the late 19th century, it is now one of the largest Chinatowns in North America and...
- Chinese and Vietnamese food - Kensington MarketKensington MarketKensington Market is a distinctive multicultural neighbourhood in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Market is an older neighbourhood and one of the city's most well-known. In November 2006, it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Robert Fulford wrote in 1999 that "Kensington...
- Latin American and others - Little ItalyLittle Italy, TorontoLittle Italy, sometimes referred to as College Street West, is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its numerous Italian Canadian restaurants and businesses. There is also a significant Latin American and Portuguese community in the area...
and Corso Italia - Italian - Little India and RexdaleRexdaleRexdale is a neighbourhood located in the north-west corner of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It covers the northern section of Etobicoke, which was an independent city until it merged with five other municipalities and a regional government to form the new City of Toronto in 1998. Rexdale was named...
- Indian, Punjabi, Pakistani - KoreatownKoreatown, TorontoToronto, Ontario, Canada's Korean Business Area, known more generally as Koreatown , is composed of the retail businesses along Bloor Street between Christie and Bathurst Streets in the Seaton Village section of The Annex...
- Korean - Little Portugal/Rua Acores - Portuguese
- The Danforth - Greek
- The AnnexThe AnnexThe Annex is a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The traditional boundaries of the neighbourhood are north to Dupont Street, south to Bloor Street, west to Bathurst Street and east to Avenue Road...
- Hungarian
Chefs
Famous chefsCelebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
from or based in Toronto:
- Susur LeeSusur LeeSusur Lee is a celebrated chef based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was born in Hong Kong, the youngest of six children. He served his culinary apprenticeship at Hong Kong's renowned Peninsula Hotel. He immigrated to Canada in 1978, where he worked his way to executive chef status at a number of...
- Jamie KennedyJamie Kennedy (chef)Jamie Kennedy is a Canadian chef and owner and operator of Gilead Café and Jamie Kennedy Kitchens based in the City of Toronto, Ontario....
- Brad LongBrad LongBrad Long is a Canadian born chef He is known for his appearances on the hit Food Network show Restaurant Makeover, which is seen in over 16 countries worldwide....
- Pasquale CarpinoPasquale CarpinoPasquale Carpino was a popular television chef in Toronto, Ontario and an operatic singer.-Early life:Born in the southern Italian community of Cosenza, Calabria in 1936, Pasquale immigrated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1958 at the age of 22, arriving alone with only a few dollars in his pocket...
- Christine CushingChristine CushingChristine Cushing has been a Canadian celebrity chef, host of the television programmes Christine Cushing Live, and Dish it Out on Food Network Canada and presently hosts "Fearless in the Kitchen" on W and Viva networks in Canada....
- Greg Couillard
- David AdjeyDavid AdjeyDavid Adjey is a world renowned chef, consulting with many restaurants in Toronto and throughout North America. He is known for his appearances on the Food Network Canada show Restaurant Makeover, which is seen in over 16 countries worldwide and ran for five seasons, starting in 2005.Adjey appeared...
- Mark McEwanMark McEwanMark McEwan is a Canadian celebrity chef based in Toronto. He is currently the host of Fine Living Network's The Heat with Mark McEwan, a judge on Superstar Chef Challenge, and head judge on Food Network Canada's Top Chef Canada.-Career:...
- Lynn CrawfordLynn CrawfordLynn Crawford is a Canadian chef, trained at George Brown College in Toronto. She is known for her appearances on the hit Food Network show Restaurant Makeover, which is seen in over 16 countries worldwide. She was formerly the executive chef at the Four Seasons in Toronto and the former...
- Marc ThuetMarc ThuetMarc Thuet is a chef based in Toronto, Canada, who most recently appeared in his second season of a docu-reality TV series called Conviction Kitchen in which he trains 12 ex-cons to run a restaurant in Vancouver....
- David RoccoDavid RoccoDavid Rocco is a Canadian actor and producer. He is most famous for producing and hosting the television series David Rocco's Dolce Vita...
Food-related personalities
- Bonnie SternBonnie SternBonnie Stern founded The Bonnie Stern School of Cooking and Cookware Shop in Toronto in 1973. She teaches special event classes and privately organized group classes as well as classes open to the public...
- Kevin BrauchKevin BrauchKevin Jeffery Brauch , "celebrity bartender," is host of the show The Thirsty Traveler on the Fine Living Network , MegaWorld on Discovery Channel Canada, and Superstar Chef Challenge on Food Network Canada...
- Jamie DrummondJamie DrummondJamie Drummond is a Canadian sommelier, wine consultant, and writer who acts as Senior Editor and Director of Programs for Toronto not-for-profit Good Food Revolution. Drummond was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a former pupil of George Watson's College. Following this Drummond went on to...
Breweries and Wineries
Toronto has a long and rich tradition of beerBeer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
. Eugene O'Keefe, founder of O'Keefe Brewing Company
Carling O'Keefe
Carling O'Keefe originated from Canadian Breweries Limited which was the first brewing conglomerate in Canada and is now owned by Molson Coors Brewing Company.-Carling 1840-1930:...
, grew up in Toronto, to which his family had emigrated from Ireland in 1832. He was the first to produce lager
Lager
Lager is a type of beer made from malted barley that is brewed and stored at low temperatures. There are many types of lager; pale lager is the most widely-consumed and commercially available style of beer in the world; Pilsner, Bock, Dortmunder Export and Märzen are all styles of lager...
beer in Canada along with the traditional ale
Ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste...
and porter
Porter (beer)
Porter is a dark-coloured style of beer. The history and development of stout and porter are intertwined. The name was first used in the 18th century from its popularity with the street and river porters of London. It is generally brewed with dark malts...
. See also: Canadian beer
Canadian beer
Beer in Canada was introduced by European settlers in the seventeenth century, and a number of commercial brewers thrived until Prohibition in Canada. Though short-lived, very few brewers survived, and it was only in the late twentieth century that new breweries opened up...
.
The Toronto Beer Festival celebrates Canada’s rich brewing history.
There are several breweries in the city:
- Amsterdam Brewing CompanyAmsterdam Brewing CompanyThe Amsterdam Brewing Company is a microbrewery based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by Dutchman Roel Bramer and is now headed by Jeff Carefoote.-History:...
- Great Lakes Brewery
- Magnotta Brewery Limited
- Mill Street BreweryMill Street BreweryMill Street is a Canadian brewery founded in December 2002 in Toronto by Steve Abrams, Jeff Cooper and Michael Duggan. Joel Manning is currently the head brewer. The brewery has won numerous awards in its relatively short existence, including Golden Tap Awards for Best Toronto Microbrewery and...
- Steam Whistle BrewingSteam Whistle BrewingSteam Whistle Brewing is a brewery in Toronto, Ontario. The company produces a premium pilsner lager packaged in distinctive green glass bottles and a non-twist cap. They only use four natural ingredients: spring water from Caledon, Ontario; hops from Germany; two-row barley; and yeast. In 2004,...
- The Granite Brewery
Toronto's surrounding region features many wineries. The Sante Wine Festival is an annual festival which features vintages, famous winemakers and celebrity chefs.
Street food
Until 2009, hot dogHot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s and pre-cooked sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s were the only kind of street food
Street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...
allowed by law. These types of hot dogs are often referred to as 'street meat' by locals, and are normally flame-grilled. The law sets extremely high requirements for street food vendors. However, there was an initiative to allow more varied and nutritious street food, which resulted in the introduction of Toronto a la Cart in 2009. There are chip wagons parked in front of Toronto City Hall
Toronto City Hall
The City Hall of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the home of the city's municipal government and one of its most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell and landscape architect Richard Strong, and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in 1965...
that sell french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, and food trucks on the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
campus that offer Chinese food. In the summer months, ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
and popsicle
Popsicle
Popsicle is the most popular brand of ice pop in the United States and Canada. The first ice pop was created by accident in 1905 when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda on his porch in cold weather overnight. The next morning he went to go get the soda and it was frozen, so he put two...
s are sold from vendors on bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s while ice cream trucks ply the city streets. Toronto a la Cart also allows vendors to sell Halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
foods such as Kebab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
, Falafel
Falafel
Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces...
and Shawarma
Shawarma
Shawarma is a Levantine Arab sandwich-like wrap of shaved lamb, goat, chicken, turkey, beef, or mixed meats. The meat is placed on a spit, and may be grilled for as long as a day. It is eaten with pita bread, tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus,...
.
Peameal Bacon Sandwich
Perhaps one of the most iconic and distinct Toronto offerings, although one that is not fairly well known is the Peameal baconPeameal bacon
Peameal bacon is a type of bacon originating in Canada. The name reflects the historic practice of rolling the bacon in ground dried yellow peas, although nowadays, it is generally rolled in yellow cornmeal...
Sandwich, normally on a Kaiser. The most famous offerings of the sandwich are Paddington's Pump, Sausage King, and Carousel Bakery, all coincidentally enough, are located at St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market is one of two major markets in Toronto, the other being Kensington Market.It features two buildings, both on the west side of Front St. East and Jarvis St. Each building holds different purposes:...
.
Miscellaneous
- PablumPablumPablum is a processed cereal for infants originally marketed by the Mead Johnson Company in 1931. The trademarked name is a contracted form of the Latin word pabulum, meaning "foodstuff", which had long been used in botany and medicine to refer to nutrition, or substances of which the nutritive...
, a pre-cooked cereal for infants, was developed at the Hospital for Sick ChildrenHospital for Sick ChildrenThe Hospital for Sick Children – is a major paediatric centre for the Greater Toronto Area, serving patients up to age 18. Located on University Avenue in Downtown Toronto, SickKids is part of the city’s Discovery District, a critical mass of scientists and entrepreneurs who are focused on...
in Toronto in the 1930s. - Food Network CanadaFood Network CanadaFood Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel with programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. Food Network is a joint venture between Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment, and Scripps Networks Interactive....
is a Toronto-based Canadian cable television specialty channel which presents programming about food and cooking. - Charlie's BurgersCharlie's BurgersCharlie's Burgers is a series of private dining events originated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 2009 operated by Franco Stalteri. In 2010, it was ranked by Food and Wine Magazine as one of the top three "word of mouth" supper clubs. Each dinner event is hosted by a different high-profile chef...
is a Toronto-based series of private dining events established in 2009.
See also
- Culture in Toronto: Food
- Food Network CanadaFood Network CanadaFood Network is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel with programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. Food Network is a joint venture between Shaw Media, Corus Entertainment, and Scripps Networks Interactive....
- Cuisine of CanadaCuisine of CanadaCanadian cuisine varies widely depending on the regions of the nation. The former Canadian prime minister Joe Clark has been paraphrased to have noted: "Canada has a cuisine of cuisines...
- Canadian Chinese cuisineCanadian Chinese cuisineCanadian Chinese cuisine is a popular style of cooking exclusive to take-out and dine-in eateries found across Canada. It was the first form of commercially available Chinese food available in Canada. This cooking style was invented by early Cantonese immigrants who adapted traditional Chinese...
External links
- The Dominion Home Cookbook - A recipe book published in Toronto in 1868. Pages are available in PDF format.
- Toronto's Key Industry Clusters: Food & Beverage
- Taste T.O. - a website covering Toronto's food & drink scene.