According to ancient traditions in Mexico, at the beginning of November the barrier between the living and the dead worlds become blurry, and the souls of the dead have the chance to come back, and be celebrated by their families and friends. Ritual foods are prepared and offered to the souls of the dead in colourful altars, providing an opportunity for families to bond around the shared memories of those that are no longer with us.

Although most strongly identified with Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Latin America and in many places with a Latino population. Dia de los Muertos has its origins in both Aztec tradition and Catholic observance of All Saints Day (Nov 1) and All Souls Day (Nov 2). Although trick-or-treating has become more common on Dia de los Muertos, the holiday actually has nothing to do with Halloween, which is a Northern European tradition.

Imagery of calacas (skeletons), calaveras (skulls) and Catrinas (a specific type of calavera: well-dressed, wealthy women in the fashion of the early 20th century) are the well known visual symbols of the holiday. Sweets, such as pan de muertos (bread of the dead) and spun-sugar candies like the famous calaveras de azucar (sugar skulls), are eaten or left for the dead in ofrendas (small, personal altars) or gravesites; the sweets offering a balance to the bitterness of death. Dia de los Muertos celebrates death as a part of the human experience. Tradition holds that the dead would be offended by grieving and sadness, so festivities honor them with laughter and joy.

Join Iván Wadgymar of Maizal for a fun, hands-on exploration of 2 quintessential Dia de los Muertos foods: savoury meat and vegetarian tamales and sweet pan de muertos. As a local grower, miller and processor of artisanal Mexican corn, beans and chiles Iván connection to Mexican culinary traditions runs much deeper than most. More than just recipes and techniques, you will learn about the roots of the ingredients and traditions in Mexican and cuisine — literally what puts the culture in agriculture.

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$79 +HST

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Iván Wadgymar has some unfamiliar job titles for a Torontonian: tortillero, molinero, and sembrador, each one taking him deeper into the heart of an ancient culinary tradition. As a tortillero, he runs Maizal Tortilleria making artisanal Mexican tortillas and totopos (aka tortilla chips) using locally grown organic corn. As a molinero he processes raw corn using the traditional nixtamal method that transforms it into the raw masa dough that is the foundation of much of indigenous Mesoamerican cooking, making it more digestible and nutritious in the process. As a sembrador (sower), he grows his own heirloom varietals of corn and other vegetables, herbs and spices in the sustainable permaculture tradition of the small milpa farms of Mexico. Together, he connects land, seed, process and product in a way that is a celebration of both our local terroir and his hispanic heritage, putting the culture back into agriculture. Along the way he both protects and reveals the unique flavours of a culinary tradition that is both ancient and very much alive.

@maizalto

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The Depanneur is a place where Interesting Food Things Happen. For more than a decade The Dep has been showcasing Toronto’s remarkable culinary diversity through thousands of unique food events as well as the forthcoming Depanneur Cookbook, featuring 100 recipes from 100 cooks. After more than 10 years at its iconic College Street location, The Dep is now bringing all new Interesting Food Things to exciting venues all across the GTA.

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