LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2024

INSIDE SCOOP

TRADITIONS A World of Good Cheers BY CHARLENE ROOKE The word “toast” comes from the Elizabethan era, when actual bits of toast were added to flavour wine. Today, “Cheers!”—or “Santé!” in French—isn’t the only expression used when raising a glass.

TRADITIONS Black Cake

Dense, dark and delicious, black cake is a holiday sta ple in the Caribbean and its diaspora. Here’s more on this wonderful tradition. What is it? With colonial roots, black cake evolved from both English fruitcake and plum pudding. The key differ ence is once the dried fruits have soaked—usually in rum and port or cherry brandy—they’re puréed before being mixed into the batter. The resulting cake, which is aged and brushed with more rum, has a smooth, pudding-like texture and complex flavour. What makes it so dark? Raisins, currants and prunes usually make up the bulk of the fruit in black cake, which help with the colour. But a special sauce called “browning” made from caramel ized sugar is what really earns the cake its name. When is it eaten? Besides Christmas, it’s also typically served at big occasions like weddings, anniversaries and family reunions. Where can you get it? Black cake is more in the realm of home bakers, but you can find it at many Caribbean bakeries leading up to Christmas, especially Jamaican and Trinidadian.

It can be considered impolite to refuse a toast in Chinese culture, so this “empty the cup” expression is one to try; the Cantonese equivalent is gon bui . Cin cin is the most common way to say cheers in Italian; salute , which means “health,” is used in more formal settings. In addition to this toast, which means “health,” chin-chin is another popular expression, as are á nossa (“to ours”) and á vossa (“to yours”) when in a group. Avoid toasting with water when clinking glasses with Spanish speaking pals: it can be considered bad luck.

TOAST WITH Baiju

MANDARIN Gānbēi!

TOAST WITH Amaretto or Limoncello

ITALIAN Cin Cin! or Salute!

TOAST WITH Aguardente

PORTUGUESE Suáde!

TOAST WITH Cava

SPANISH ¡Salud!

This expression derives from a custom of sharing a glass, or tagayan . Use “ Mabuhay! ” to toast “to life.”

TOAST WITH Philippine Rum

TAGALOG Tagay!

FOR TOASTING

Josh Cellars Prosecco (LCBO 16947, $21.95) Martini Sparkling Rosé (LCBO 14955, $15.95)

These two new sparklers are perfect pours for trying out different toasts over the holidays.

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———————— HOLIDAY 2024