After the Food Chain – Winnipeg Free Press

What is Manitoba Food?

For historians at the University of Winnipeg, it's the wrong question to ask if you want to learn about the diverse nature of the province. A more fruitful line of inquiry – and the basis of the Manitoba Food History Project – is how food has been produced, traded and consumed here over time.

“The study of this has implications for many other aspects of history,” says professor and lead researcher Janis Thyssen. “We know not only about domestic production and reproduction, but ethnic and state regulation and half a dozen other kinds of history.”

Thiessen and his colleague Kimberly Moore have published a new book hmm…Manitoba: The stories behind the foods we eatbased on their years-long oral history project, which saw them travel far and wide in a repurposed food truck to collect stories about local cuisine.

Since launching the Manitoba Food History Project in 2018, the pair and partner Kent Davis have conducted nearly 70 interviews and cooking demonstrations in the truck with home cooks, chefs, brewers, farmers, grocers and restaurant owners.

These interviews, along with historical interviews, have been turned into archival material at the university's Oral History Center, podcast episodes, live events, and now a book.

The goal was to visit more communities, but the pandemic put a major damper on the plans.

“It wasn't safe to put our bodies in a food truck, so it had a real impact and limited the amount of interviews we could do,” says Moore. “Fortunately for us, we were locked in our houses and started writing the book … and were able to listen to all the interviews we did.”

In seven chapters and over 300 pages, ummm…Manitoba Explores everything from colonialism and migration to gender through the lens of food, with interactive elements accessible via QR codes and recipes.

The book features stories from local burger joints like Salisbury House and Junior's; the importance of barbecue among diaspora communities; underground perogy production; and the agricultural history of manomin or wild rice.

The publication is not a summary, but a comprehensive snapshot of the food history project.

“We didn't worry too much about not being able to include everyone, because that's not possible. Whoever comes after us and wants to learn about food history will have a stack of material to work with, so we've secured the future to create more stories for ourselves and others,” says Moore.

Food history is a relatively new field of study in the academy, in part due to the historical lack of attention paid to working-class, non-white, and female subjects.

“The main producers of food, who were often women and mothers, were put out of work, so it wasn't taken seriously as a scientific topic, but over time, especially in the last decade, that changed,” Thiessen says.

Thiessen became interested in looking at local history through food after visiting the Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse in downtown Winnipeg for the first time.

“It just looked like a time capsule from the '70s, and I couldn't figure out how it worked,” he says.

Further research revealed a surprising story with ties to the Jewish business community of Las Vegas and Winnipeg.

“Maybe this book will challenge some of our assumptions. I also hope it will educate (readers) about the diversity of this province.”– Kimberly Moore

Moore's interest was piqued when he learned he lived on the same West End street as Paul Faraci, the inventor of the pizza pop.

He sees food as an entry point to the past—everyone eats—and sees oral history as a way to understand the cultural features and social fabric of a place as documented in written archives.

“There is a relationship from the bottom to the top. What we do in our daily lives becomes a thing of the past,” says Moore.

Thiessen hopes ummm…Manitoba can offer both locals and outsiders new insights into the Prairie Province.

“Maybe this book will challenge some of our assumptions. I also hope it educates (readers) about the diversity of this province — it has a history that many people don't know about unless they're part of these unique communities,” he says.

The authors will host a book launch and signing event Wednesday evening at the Manitoba Museum (190 Rupert Ave.). There will be a cash bar and Fat Boy sliders provided by Diversity Foods.

When the food truck is sold, it continues with a podcast called the Manitoba Food History Project. Canned food, and archival work. Visit their website for more information.

[email protected]

X: @evawasney