• Journey:

          Finding this fruit at the beginning of winter in Toronto was nothing less than a mission. I started my journey at 9AM in the all mighty St. Lawrence were history and diversity seem to merge in perfect harmony.

After talking to a few people at the fruit stands I was told to try the Kensington Market as they apparently seem to be into more “exotical” and less “in-demand” fruits. Yet even there I was let down. It seems that once again the time of the year was not right. However I talked to one knowledgeable Asian lady at Kensington who told me to try Spadina markets aka China Town markets. It was then that a light triggered in my mind. Of course it would be there, after all, my earlier research on the fruit (where it’s cultivated) showed that it is a fruit vastly popular in Asia. My quest came to an end at around 11AM; I was happy to have found it at the first sign of the China Town Community!

          Considering I ended up visiting 3 different places in the city I do not know for which I should share its history. But since the Asian lady at the Kensington market was so nice I believe I should honor her. 

• History:

“Kensington Market is a richly multicultural downtown neighborhood in Toronto, Canada. Home to successive waves of immigration throughout the 20th century, the marketplace developed as Victorian homes were transformed into shops, first by Eastern Europeans, then by groups of immigrants from Italy, Portugal, the Caribbean, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Typically, people both lived and worked in the Market, thereby creating a vibrant street life that continues today. Its affordable rents, tolerant attitudes and Old World sensibilities have attracted both new Canadians and non-conformists – artists, start-up entrepreneurs, hippies, punks and activists. The neighborhood is a microcosm of Toronto’s diversity and remains remarkable as a place where authenticity and change coexist.”