The words "black market" and "food" don't mesh together particularly well. But the concept is less 'unsanitary nightmares' and more like grassroots street food, and it might just be making an appearance on the streets (or rather, in the basements) of Toronto. It all started back in 2009 when a San Francisco man was refused a booth at a farmers' market to sell his home-cooked food, due to stringent food safety and sales laws. Those same type of laws limit the type and diversity of foods we see sold here. That is, hopefully, until now.
The markets are meant to serve, as one source put it, as an "incubator" for budding businesses that just can't bud or thrive under tight street food regulations. I like to think of it as democratic food handling. Food power, in the hands of the people. The San Fran market has proven so popular that it's already grown from one dude to at least 50 vendors, with over 1200 attendees.
A Toronto woman, Hassel Avilles, is eager to establish the underground food market scene in Toronto, and hey, I ain't gonna be the one to stop her. Sources say she's been swarmed with offers for venues and volunteers, and apparently she's working with food safety experts, health inspectors, and even a lawyer to make sure things run smoothly. "There is a demand for alternatives," Aviles insisted in an article in Toronto Life. "It has become a community-driven event."
What the New York Times calls "civil disobedience on a plate" is actually not so, according to Avilles. It's about diversity in food, openness to those who cannot afford to cook in a commercial kitchen (as Toronto rules proclaim), the fluorishing of creativity amongst foodies and community collaboration. Aviles imagines each piece might self for $2 to $3, and is determined to overcome public health and city by-law obstacles.
I haven't been this excited/optimistic/eager about a project since BIXI hit the streets of T.O. and it became clear that, under the oftentimes apathetic faces of Torontonians, there's a burning desire for creativity and expression. Especially in food.
I plan on making pies and stuffing my face in the name of community building and food diversity (duh). Will I see you there?
