By Khairoon Abbas
Sarah Czunyi rushes off a packed public bus on Ottawa’s busy Bank Street.
She adjusts the orange handbag on her shoulder while pulling her left sleeve to look at the time.
“It’s four already?” she asks aloud as she scurries towards a grocery store.
Czunyi, 21, is originally from the East African country of Tanzania and has been living in Centretown for three months.
“My friends are coming over tonight and I promised to make them Tanzanian food,” she says, adding she hopes she can get everything she needs in three stops.
Czunyi’s shopping quest is typical of many Ottawa immigrants.
According to a 2004 study by the city, Ottawa is home to Canada’s third-largest West Indian community, fourth largest African community and the fourth largest Middle-Eastern community.
Organizations such as the
Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization help new immigrants every day.
“We facilitate group sessions where we advise new immigrants, we point resources to meet their needs, such as where to get ethnic foods,” says settlement manager Velinka Nevrencan.
Czunyi’s first stop is Grace
Ottawa, which bills itself as an “international food specialist of West Indian, Asian, African and Canadian foods.” The display windows are plastered with colourful posters of hair products such as Dark and Lovely, specifically made for women of colour.
Like many of Centretown’s ethnic food variety stores, Grace Ottawa symbolizes a mix of many cultures. The four aisles mirror different foods of the world: aisle one has ethnic frozen foods, aisle two has Asian foods, aisle three has West Indian and African foods and aisle four has vegetables, spices and fish.
“Grace Ottawa is like a one-stop shop,” Czunyi says. “My ethnic food is a blend of Arab, Indian and African influences and I get most of my essentials here.” Then she disappears into the aisles.
To her basket, Czunyi adds two fish packets, red and green hot chili peppers, a bag of maize flour, a two-kilogram sack of Basmati rice, a small jar of garlic paste and a mix of spices; pilau masala, curry powder, madras curry, cinnamon, whole cloves and black pepper.
Though Grace Ottawa is Centretown’s largest ethnic food store, it’s not enough for Czunyi. She walks out three bags heavier, heading to her second location, Loblaws, only a few blocks away.
“I’m so relieved that major grocery stores now carry what I need. It makes life so much easier,” she says, as she approaches the large supermarket.
In Loblaws she collects the bulk of her regular ingredients; potatoes, onions, tomatoes, frozen peas, lemon juice and chicken.
“I’m Muslim and I always make sure any meat I buy is Halal,” Czunyi says.
According to Islamic law, Muslims must seek to eat foods defined as “Halal,” which means “that which is allowed by God.” Certain conditions must be met to produce Halal meats; only Muslims can do the animal slaughtering, and they have to pronounce Allah’s (God’s) name during the process.
Loblaws store manager, Fran Arbour, says that Loblaws has been carrying Halal meat in Ottawa for at least five years now.
“The demographic of our customers is changing, and we want to service all our clients,” says Arbour.
Czunyi’s final stop is Alpha Foods, an Iranian store on the corner of Main and Hazel Streets. She walks straight to the maze of small wooden baskets filled with nuts and reaches into the only basket of raisins, which is sitting in a corner.
“We have a variety foods, mainly Iranian, but we also have Lebanese, Greek and Indian food products,” says store owner, Hadi Tinafar.
Over the years, Tinafar says more and more Canadians have been coming to his store.
“Canadians, they always try new things and that is the best for us,” Tinafar says, as he walks to the fridge. “Look at this ice-cream, they love it. It is made of rosewater, natural milk, saffron and pistachio.”
As more Canadians embrace ethno-cultural shopping Tinafar says he feels confident in his business.
“We have our own tradition and special foods here. I don’t feel any competition with other stores,” he says.
Alpha Foods, one of the few Iranian food stores in town, was bought by Tinafar and his business partner, Hossein Pakdaman, 14 years ago. Most of their authentic Iranian foods are made right at the store.
Czunyi moves to the counter and points to a type of desert sweet she wants.
“We call it Jalebi back in Tanzania,” she says. “In Iran, we call it Zoolbia.”
Czunyi pays and exits the store with a great sigh of relief.
Two hours and three stores later, her quest is finally over and she is ready to give her friends a taste of coastal Tanzania.