The Joy of Food

Six Delicious Dishes that Shaped the Modern World

The Speakers Annex (November-December 2025)

Take a delightful journey through the history of six mouthwatering foods that have become staples of the modern table. We’ll learn about bagels and lox and its lip-smacking journey into the heart (and stomachs) of the Jewish diaspora. We’ll examine the role of ice cream in bringing the concept of luxury from the royal courts of Europe to your neighborhood ice cream parlour. We’ll explore the lessons that pizza, curry and the Canadian butter tart can teach us about immigration, globalization and national identity.

Pizza: How Italian Food Conquered the World

From award-winning Neapolitan pizzerias to your neighbourhood Pizza Hut franchise, pizza may be the most recognized Italian food in the world.

To kick off our series, we’ll dig deep into the story of pizza and its connections to the Columbian exchange, Italian emigration, and the rise of fast food. We’ll also explore pizza as a modern culinary chameleon, with beloved global styles ranging from Sicily to Greece to California.

Ice Cream: How a Cool Treat Democratized Dessert

The perennial treat of summer, ice cream may seem like a marvel of modern refrigeration. But as you enjoy your Rocky Road, consider how everyone from Alexander the Great to Catherine de Medici indulged in frozen treats such as sherbets, sorbets, and even icy beverages.

This week, we’ll explore the surprisingly long history of ice cream, and how frosty desserts were the ultimate status symbol until the invention of modern refrigeration.

Curry: How a Complex Dish Combatted Colonialism

Curry may be among the most difficult to define terms in cooking: applicable to tree leaves, spice blends, sauces, and, of course, complex dishes. This week, we dive deep into the term’s colonial origins in South Asia and its spread to global cuisines, conjuring discussions of immigration, globalization, and cultural appropriation.

We’ll explore the history of curry’s impressively wide range in style and form: from its roots in early Indian cuisine to Britain’s chicken tikka masala, Japan’s katsu curry, and even Germany’s currywurst.