Connections and Culture Through Cuisine
For Trixie Ling, founding the nonprofit social enterprise Flavours of Hope happened organically. As a child who moved a lot with her family — from Taiwan to Singapore to the U.S., and eventually to Vancouver, Canada — she had long been aware of the barriers women face upon arriving in a new country. “There is so much hardship and so many challenges in migration,” Ling recounts. “In trying to build a new life and pursue opportunities, immigrants and refugees face many social and economic [challenges] such as striving to integrate and [to] feel a sense of belonging in the community, and finding a job to support their families. In addition, there are language difficulties and cultural barriers in navigating through different systems.”
As an immigrant and settler on the traditional and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, Ling found solace in food, learning about different cultures, histories and traditions. “What grounds me is food,” she observes. “Food means the connection to a land and its people. It’s comforting and healing.” During her time helping other immigrants and refugees as a settlement worker, Ling realized how universal this connection to food is. It wasn’t long before Ling began to coordinate community dinners for newcomer women.
“We built friendships and belonging through food, sharing cultural meals and stories around a table,” she explains. Through these cultural connections and community food events, the inspiration for Flavours of Hope was born.
Flavours of Hope takes flight
Pre-pandemic, Ling focused Flavours of Hope on in-person, food-centred events in the Vancouver area to connect and empower newcomer refugee women through cooking and storytelling. Storytelling events hosted at local restaurants were a favourite, as were pop-up cultural food events, cooking classes and booths at Vancouver farmers’ markets. Games, stories and music were incorporated, but at the heart of these events was always food.
When COVID-19 hit, Flavours of Hope adapted so that con- necting newcomer women and building relationships in a time of isolation could continue. Instead of in-person events, the women participated in creative and engaging online events such as intercultural teatime, virtual cooking and art classes and cof- fee sessions. The focus remained the same: food, connection and friendship. “Refugees are not a monolith,” Ling explains. “We want to make a place for each unique woman’s voice and allow them to tell their unique story.”
A food business of one’s own
After connecting with Flavours of Hope, some of the women expressed interest in starting their own food businesses. Together, they brainstormed and in March 2021, launched a newcomer women’s food-business pilot program, Dream Cuisines, in partnership with Coho Commissary, Women’s Economic Council, Vancity Credit Union and Vancouver Farmers Markets. “It was a collaborative process — the women even chose the name. We wanted to support and actualize refugee women’s culinary dreams and create more equity and accessibility in the food industry,” Ling recounts.
At Dream Cuisines, newcomer women receive support and mentorship to help them start their own food businesses. “Starting a business is tough,” Ling says. “Contracts, permits, forms — there are challenging systemic barriers to navigate in launching a food business. We provide the women with access to kitchen space, peer-based knowledge and mentorships. We help them with marketing and branding to build their websites and social media to share their stories.”
In the spirit of truly supporting and empowering newcomer women, Flavours of Hope values equity and collaboration in its decision making rather than top-down power dynamics. “We have an abundance mindset,” Ling explains. “We are collaborative, not competitive.” Not only is the program built and led by women of colour, but many women of colour who work in the local food industry offer invaluable knowledge and mentorship to participants.
Dream Cuisines’ inaugural cohort is made up of three entrepreneurs: Angeles Canedo (who is originally from Mexico and whose business is Mis Cazuelas Mexican Food), Huda Abd Elhamid (who is originally from Egypt and whose halal business is Super Dishes Egyptian Cuisine) and Angelica Davalos Ramirez (who is originally from Mexico and whose baking business is Tinkerbake). Each woman showcases her traditional foods in unique ways, contributing beauty and diversity to Vancouver’s food industry.
Authentic Mexican food for Vancouverites
“I love sharing food — it’s very meaningful to me,” Canedo says. Through Dream Cuisines, she is able to do just that: share her delicious Mexican comfort food through her new food business, Mis Cazuelas Mexican Food.
It all started with her participation in Flavours of Hope, which she loves for its connection and community. “I had a very social life in Mexico,” Canedo says. “So I love to continue that here. Through Flavours of Hope, we get to gather and talk and learn what we have in common with the other women. Sometimes we talk about interesting and profound topics, and sometimes we just talk about us and share how we are feeling. By doing this, we can help other newcomers who may be struggling.”
As part of the inaugural Dream Cuisines cohort, Canedo was able to shape the program and her experience. “Trixie said, so you want to cook? And I said, yes,” Canedo says, laughing. “When I came here, I found that cooking my own family’s recipes helped me rediscover my roots and myself rather than pretend to be someone else.”
At the same time, Canedo finds it helpful to adapt some of her food to suit a Vancouver audience, such as adding more plant- based options. “I like to bring something new, but also have it accepted and well received,” she says. Her current menu includes Green Pozole (a traditional Mexican stew), Pastel Azteca (an oven- baked tortilla casserole), Cauliflower Ceviche and Vegan Chorizo.
The road to becoming a business owner has been challenging but fulfilling. Starting a business is no easy feat, and doing so during a pandemic and as an immigrant brings many more hurdles.
“At the beginning, I barely knew how to turn on a computer,” Canedo says, laughing. Fast forward to today, her business has an Instagram page and an online ordering option on her website.
At the heart of it all is her desire to share. “I do this because I want to uncover my identity as a newcomer but also because I like sharing my food and my culture. We’re not only tacos and sombreros!” she says with a laugh. “I hope that people will like to come and to try new flavours.”
Support Flavours of Hope and Dream Cuisines
In the future, Ling hopes to run the Dream Cuisines program with new women food entrepreneurs, as well as host more in- person food-based events. However, these aren’t her only goals. Ling also hopes for more funding, support and partnerships in the community.
Dream Cuisines participants sell their products at the Downtown Farmers Market every Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. People can also help support Flavours of Hope by donating directly on its website. According to Ling, they are also always interested in recruiting volunteers or building community partnerships — perhaps with an organization that can donate space or financial resources. “We are open to anyone who shares the vision and hopes of empowering newcomer women food entrepreneurs,” Ling says.
“I look up to these women — they inspire me with their resilience and courage,” Ling says. “I love that we can be part of making each other’s dreams happen. I’m proud of the relationships and the community we have built together.”
Flavours of Hope
flavoursofhope.com | @flavoursofhope
Simple, but spicy, red salsa
This salsa is perfect for barbecued meat, with huevos rancheros or just to enjoy on a corn flour tortilla.
4 tomatoes
2 tomatillos
2 garlic cloves
¼ white onion
10 chiles de árbol
Salt to taste
Put all the ingredients except the chiles on a grill. When the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion and garlic are roasted, transfer them to a blender.
Grill the chiles for about 40 seconds (they can burn quickly). Add chiles, along with half a cup of water and salt to taste, to the blender. Blend until all the ingredients are well integrated.
