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| Nadia L. Hohn (photo: Lawrence Kerr) |
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Nadia L. Hohn is the author of several books for young readers, including A Likkle Miss Lou: How Jamaican Poet Louise Bennett Coverley Found Her Voice; Harriet Tubman: Freedom Fighter; and the Malaika series. Her new book, Patty Dreams ($18.95, Owlkids) is illustrated by Sahle Robinson, an artist who, like Hohn, was born in Canada and has Jamaican parents. In Hohn and Robinson's book, a boy whose family has emigrated from Jamaica to Canada is craving the comfort of his favorite food in this new country. Hohn spoke with Shelf Awareness about how food culture fuels her creative energy, sustains families, and strengthens communities.
What is the first time you can remember having a traditional patty?
I remember the one my dad made tasting very good. I also remember the taste of a patty that was store bought, but my dad's was distinct. I've never tasted one quite the same since, even though Toronto (the city I grew up in) has more patty bakeries than any other city in North America.
It truly is considered a "crossover food." Because if you live in the greater metropolitan area--no matter your ethnic or cultural background--you have had a patty. This has been true amongst the immigrant communities since the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, patties used to be cheaper than pizza and, when I was in high school in the 1990s, people could find them in almost any neighborhood. They were so easy to get everyone ate them. I also know this food is well known in Miami, New York, and Vancouver.
What is your favorite type of patty to make now?
Once upon a time, just about everyone made patties with only meat. Then it became meat and chicken. Versions with fish and veggies also became common.
In 2011, I returned to a plant-based diet. I was seeking recipes that would allow me to eat food that was very flavourful. During my first week of veganism, I was grumpy, had headaches, and felt lightheaded. I searched online and stumbled across a book called Caribbean Vegan by Taymer Mason. Being a Barbadian and a food scientist, Mason has an impeccable ability to replicate flavors and textures that are associated with meat-based diets. So, when I found her patty recipe, I tried it and absolutely loved the results. Everything is made from scratch, including the jerk seasoning used in the patty filling (which I now make with ground texture protein and breadcrumbs). The recipe takes a long time to make but my patties disappear quickly when I make them for events--people devour them!
What inspired you to write this story specifically for younger readers?
Because it's so much fun. Plus, I write the kinds of books I would have wanted to read as the Canadian-born kid of Jamaican immigrant parents, as well as the kinds of books I would want to share with my Black and Caribbean students now that I'm a teacher. However, this school year, I began a new role: school librarian. This position has helped me see that there is even more room to tell the diverse stories that our children need and can easily connect with. For example, my latest book may be about patties, but there are other cultures that have "pocket foods," too, like empanadas and samosas.
Which of these do you think had the most influence on the story you wrote: people, places, events, or ingredients?
I think both people and events influenced the story I wrote. The Patty Wars [a 1985 attempt by Toronto city officials to ban the use of the word "patty" by Jamaican bakery owners] had the most influence on the first draft of my manuscript--the original version of this story was a retelling of that real-life event. However, as books do, this story went through a major rewrite. All the while, as I worked on different versions, I imagined my sister Nyisha sharing a laugh with me and loving it. I was also inspired by illustrator Sahle Robinson and his family, who I've known for many years. For me, they reflect the ingenuity, entrepreneurship, unity, and creativity that is prevalent in Jamaica's Rasta community. I wanted August's family to have that kind of ethos and way of being.
How have you witnessed the role food plays in helping people stay connected to history and their cultural roots?
I often incorporate my family's immigration story into my books. Patty Dreams was inspired by my personal love of patties. I had also never seen a book for kids about this particular food or the historical event that took place in Toronto. The latter is a key component in the book's narrative that I give more specific details about in the book's back matter.
The role food plays in helping people stay connected is through recipes, whether they're written, memorized, or guesstimated. I consider these recipes to be love letters from our ancestors. Food sustains people and often reflects the histories, struggles, inequities, abundance/lack, and creativity of those who came before. The Jamaican beef patty is an example of this--it holds the histories of various ethnicities that have been part of Jamaica's history through optional ingredients some may include when making the dish.
Is there another dish you would like to write a book about?
I love ackee and bammy. Both are also rooted in Jamaica's history. Ackee originates from West Africa and forms part of Jamaica's national dish: ackee and saltfish. Most of Jamaica's population, including most of my ancestors, are descended from enslaved West African people. But I'm allergic to fish, so my homemade ackee has never included saltfish. But I adore the way my mother still makes it: with onions, oil, black pepper, and sometimes cherry tomatoes. Ackee is a fascinating fruit. It looks like scrambled eggs but has a texture similar to tofu.
Bammy is another one of my favorite foods. It is a cassava-based cake that was originally made by the Indigenous people of Jamaica. It is fried so that it gets crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Both ackee and bammy are typically eaten at breakfast time, often with fish.
Would you share one of your earliest memories related to food and/or eating with loved ones?
One of my earliest food memories is seeing my dad cook. I remember that he used to make pancakes which we ate with corn syrup until we learned that usually they were eaten with pancake syrup. I learned to enjoy pancakes much later when they were light and fluffier. I also remember the first time I remember seeing my dad make patties. We lived in an apartment building then. They were made from scratch and they were delicious.