LHSC serves up international cuisine, celebrating Black History Month

LHSC's University Hospital cafeteria served up a special menu Thursday, celebrating Black History Month.

London Health Sciences Centre’s University Hospital cafeteria had a special menu for workers and visitors alike on Thursday.

Yaya’s Kitchen, a business in the Old East Village set up shop and served food from Guyanese and Ghanaian cuisine as part of LHSC’s celebration of Black History Month.

They had servings of jollof rice, ground provision soup, zobo, and masa available for purchase.

“What we do is that we showcase foods – we can take like a food from Egypt, something from East Africa, and something from the Caribbean and put it together,” said Owner Maryem Wright. “We feel that food shifts and travels – the way our forefathers ate is not the way our grandparents ate, is not the way our parents ate, and it’s not the way we are eating, so it shifts, it’s dynamic, it changes. So we want to bring that knowledge to people.”

Wright says that Black History Month is not the only time you should branch out and try new foods, and learn a bit more about how it’s made, “we are part of the culture of fast food,” she said. “You know, people don’t really know what they eat, people don’t really pay attention.”

Yaya’s Kitchen hopes to not only acquaint visitors with something they may not have tried before, but also to honour how things are made in cultures around the world.

Proceeds from the lunch will go towards the W.E.A.N Community Centre in London, which focuses on supporting and empowering the Black community.

The group will be bringing their international cuisine to Victoria Hospital’s cafeteria on February 27.