Toronto, Canada — Walking to Spring Into Spice, I knew it was going to be such a wonderful experience. Getting there the weather was perfect Spring and Spice were in the air. Arriving at Patois, where the dinner was hosted, I was greeted by the wonderful event host Beverly Crandon; Beverly, who is a master somolier, let Chef Craig Wong curate the perfect menu to pair Caribbean food with wonderful wine that Beverly chose.
Before the dinner began, I had the opportunity to speak with Beverly about why this event is so important beyond the food and wine. She said she is able to represent underrepresented ethnic cuisine and showcase so many wonderful flavors and how they can pair with so many different wines, including many local wines.
Furthermore, Beverly spoke about how this is an event to break bread and have tough conversations, bringing people together with amazing food and perfectly selected wines.
To start I had a canapé of oysters fermented in Trinidad pepper mignonette paired with a wonderful Fita Preta, Branco Indigenas.
For the first course, the winemaker himself was in appearance, Steve of Nyarai Cellars. This wine was paired with a Jamaican Pepper Shrimp and Red Snapper Crudo. The Jamaican pepper shrimp was the perfect spice to heat up the night. The coconut oil straight from Jamaica was the perfect thing accompanied by Red snapper Crudo and the crispy taro was fresh. Those paired amazingly with the Field Blenders White from Canada.
Our second course was inspired by Chef Craig Wong’s own background. This crisp jerk belly boa was so filling and refreshing all in one, it was the perfect bite-size piece to be paired marvelously with the wine and was an amazing course.
Each plate was absolutely delicious as Spring into Spice moved onto the third course. This time we enjoyed the perfect Jamaican Caribbean plate: Oxtail gravy glazed beef brisket. This dish was so rich and amazing and paired flawlessly with the Mas Llossanses, Au Dolemen.
The final course was a wonderful Bachelor’s Hall Chocolate Mousse, paired with a Paleokerisio Sparkling Orange from Greece. This course was the perfect end to the night with amazing sweet notes.
Overall this Spring Into Spice: Caribbean Food & Wine Pairing was a success!
This was the first of a series of events for the year. Throughout the night we took a trip around the world tasting various wines and the amazing Caribbean inspired dishes. We are so spoiled in Toronto to have a host of so many diverse amazing food and wine opportunities that showcase the most amazing cuisines from all over the world.
The next Spring into Spice event will be May 28 at Stacy Market, the Spring Into Spice Social. The Social will have 30 ethnic food vendors, wineries, and wine importers. There will also be a variety of cuisines such as Caribbean, African, Indian, and Thai to name a few.
Make sure you don’t miss this Spring into Spice event as this is such an amazing opportunity to learn about amazing food and wine and interact with the community! Grab your tickets soon.
