Jamaican Patty Day Returns to Toronto this February

Jamaican Patty Day Returns to Toronto this February
Author

Marshall Fenn Communications

Release Date

Sunday, October 2, 2016

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TORONTO, ONTARIO, February 10, 2016 - Over 30 years have passed since the infamous "Patty Wars" were waged in Toronto (see history below). Now Jamaican Patty Day is a peaceful and tasty affair on February 23. This year, the Jamaica Tourist Board will be paying homage to this humble treat with a "Patty Party" at the Drake Hotel's 86'd event on February 22.

Free to the public, the event will be hosted by local food personality Ivy Knight. See here for more information on the event.

"Patty Day is a fun way to celebrate one of the unique flavours of Jamaica," said Philip Rose, Regional Director for the Jamaica Tourist Board in Canada. "Our Patty Party provides a way for us to celebrate a true Jamaican novelty. We invite patty lovers, new and old, to partake in the flaky treat straight from the source, Jamaica."

Toronto's "Patty Wars" History
Jamaican patties are a favourite snack around the world but the city of Toronto has an interesting history with this novel Jamaican treat. In February 1985 several patty vendors around Toronto received word from federal food inspectors that the product could no longer be called "beef patties" as by definition it could only include meat and seasonings. The battle between local food inspectors and Toronto patty vendors waged until negotiations were held and vendors were allowed to continue using the term without fear of harsh penalties. To mark the occasion 31 years ago, the first Patty Day was celebrated in Toronto on February 23 and in 2012, the Toronto Star printed an unofficial proclamation of Jamaican Patty Day. You can read the full history of Jamaican Patty Day along with related news in the Torontoist.

In Jamaica, patties are available island-wide and visitors can enjoy even more Jamaican flavours by planning their trip around one of Jamaica's many culinary festivals. See here for a complete list of upcoming events.

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