Taste the Diversity

Chef Johl Whiteduck Ringuette of the Anishnawbe and Algonquin Mink clan is the owner of the NishDish restaurant. For Johl, tradition, ceremony, and ancestry are very important. He is on a journey to bring back the Anishnawbe national food to his community.

"Suadade" is a Portuguese word for a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for something or someone that one cares for and/or loves. That is what Carlos Oliveira feels every time he steps into his restaurant - Mercado Negro. It's a popular family-run Portuguese spot located in the heart of Toronto, Canada.

Starting off by presenting his real traditional Japanese foot soldier armor from around 1500-1600 - which he received as a gift - Steven Mizuno makes quite an impression. Steven is one of the owners of Kiu, a high-end Japanese eatery presenting sushi, ramen, and many other amazing Japanese dishes.

Ukrainian cuisine is one of the jewels of Eastern Europe, from dishes like borscht, the famous beet soup that was created by the Cossacks, to the well-known Perogies, Ukrainian dumplings, the history of which can be traced back to medieval Turkey. Olya Grod was a board director of the Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival that has been around for 23 years.

Persian cuisine has a lot of unique dishes. Sahar Mirshafie is an author of the book "Taste of Persia" and she can tell you how many of the ingredients in Persian food contain medicinal benefits. But first, Sahar will be preparing dinner for her family on Yalda Night, which is an Iranian winter solstice, she will show us how she makes the most amazing Persian classic Zereshk Polo Ba Morgh.

Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, and therefore has a lot to offer when it comes to food. But there are some dishes that have been a staple of Canadian culture for generations, let's take a look at how they're made. "Everybody's Welcome" says chef and owner of Farmhouse Tavern Eoin Ramsbottom.