Carrassauga

For 32 years Mississauga has been celebrating Canadian diversity by hosting pavilions from different cultures that live in the city and around the Greater Toronto Area.   About every couple years I attend the festival with my family and it has been interesting to see how it has evolved over the years.   Most  if not all communities put on a traditional show including music and dance.   They serve foods from their countries and most recently they have adapted a toownie taste program where for $2 you can get a sample of that countries food.

Some pavilions have seized the opportunity to truly showcase their culture.  Some pavilions see this as a cash grab.   Some pavilions that used to be great and full of culture have been reduced to a side show.  Then there are the pavilions that have really upped their game to truly showcase their culture.

Portugal

Portugal has always been a consistent pavilion and one of the best of Carrassauga.  Packed with entertainment and decent food.  This year the food was more expensive then usual.

Canada

Wow who dropped the ball here.   Our 150th birthday and they had the local Electric company as an exhibit,  frozen burgers and a food truck with beaver tails.  A Maple Lodge trailer promoting over processed food, a Mazda dealer trying to peddle cars.   A dreadful shame with lacklustre entertainment.   

Egypt

After suffering a dreadful terrorist attack on Friday my heart goes out to the Coptic Egyptian community for opening their church up and continuing with the festival.  Even though they did cancel the outdoor festival which in previous years included camel rides and various activities.   We were given a wonderful tour of the church by Mellisa who explained their traditions and believes and symbolism in detail.   

But what really impressed me was the open hearted and kindness of this community in mourning.  Friday night while sampling their food just before we started to get up a gentlemen approached us and brought us a dessert to try.   While many pavilions were a cash grab this pavilion showed the true nature of the community and what the true nature of Carrassauga is.

Ireland

Of course I am going to be biased but in truth they have come a long way from when they first started .   We Irish are always looking for some fun and a good time and this pavilion expressed that.   However they could have done alot more to showcase Irish history and culture.  We enjoyed the entertainment and the Guinness.  The food was on the pricey side.

 

Croatia 

The Croatian pavilion has pretty much stayed the same over the years.  Even though they have display set up you still leave the pavilion without getting a feel for what the community is about.  We tried their cheese and beef sampler and were not impressed.   It felt like the sampler was there just for the festival rather then to showcase their cuisine.   

 

      

Africa

The African pavilion has alot of vendors selling all types of trinkets and souvenirs.  Entertainment was sporadic and did not seem well co-ordinated like in previous years.   Food here we go again with the money grab attitude in some of these pavilions.  I really felt that with Africa representing a whole continent there was alot left to be desired.   It really felt like a flea market vendor bazar.

 

Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon 

Even though these were independent pavilions I simply need to say that there is more to your food then Shawarma sandwiches that are terribly overpriced.   Apart from Lebanon none of you these pavilions portrayed any true culture.    Turkey and Iraq are rich in history and culture,  their cuisine can be exquisite and enlightening.   The best part of the Turkish pavilion was the 3 flags hanging from the ceiling and the best part of the Iraqi pavilion was the 2 guys photo op outside the pavilion.

The new catch food was a mass vendor that wanted to sell you drinks from a fruit.  It seemed like the new fad where almost every fifth pavilion was selling these.

Lebanon was a superb pavilion, however food choices and prices really hurt the overall experience.

Greece

Once a great pavilion has now let it's game down.   Lots of dance, drink and very overpriced food.  This pavilion once truly held the spirit of Carrassauga with a variety of vendors that showcased Greek products.  

 

Hawaii

Hawaii was the pavilion to beat in the past.  They were simply the best 15-20 years ago.   Now simply put and I sadly say they have fallen to the bottom.   Not even worthwhile to waste the battery on my phone to take a picture.

Poland

Poland has held their own similar to Croatia for years.   A good display, food and drink was as expected.

Brasil

This pavilion seemed to be there just to sell stuff.  No real expression of their culture.

Pakistan

Food was from a mass vendor that sells pre-made sauces and spices.  This pavilion seemed to be set up to cater to the local Pakistani community rather then to enhance their culture to outsiders.

South Korea

Awesome Spicy Pork sampler and really nice red bean fish pastry.   This pavilion though small has the right idea.

China

China used to be a pavilion with many interesting displays and booths portraying the many traditions of China.  This time it seemed to have take out food and the whole pavilion seemed like it had lost funding or community support.

Spain

Spain had a nice pavilion and lots of excitement.  Food and drink was abundant but prices were really high for what you got.  A sample of paella that was slightly larger than a Costco sample cup was $2.  Spain was overall and enjoyable pavilion but once again the food was a cash grab,  which I feel goes against the spirit of Carrassauga.  This is one awesome paella pan,  it is actually being used for making paella for groups of 50 or so.

Philippines

The Philippines pavilion was enjoyable and full of culture.   However once again the food was a cash grab.   A tiny skewer of pork was $3.   However I did enjoy their local beer.  Overall a nice Pavilion.

India

India was clearly the winner this year.  Not because it was the best but because in the past it was nothing put a flea market pavilion with cheap made in China toys and junk.  This year they really stepped up their game and made it a pavilion to beat.   Through the shows they portrayed different parts of India culture.  The food was exceptional and inexpensive but most impressive was that the foods portrayed different Indian cuisine from the different parts of India.  India is a prime example of what Carrassauga should be.  

Latin America

When we go to Carrassauga we look forward to the whole roasted pork from the Latin American Pavilion.   This year it was cold, awfully salty, a small portion and expensive.  Actually this whole pavilion was a Cash Grab and absolute rip off.   Vendors did not display prices and made you line up to find out how much they were going to rip you off for.  Churros guy constantly had people leaving when it was time to order as he wanted $5 for 2 of the smallest churros I have ever seen.   The entertainment however good it was did not make up for the cash grab from the food vendors.

Bulgaria and Romania

These countries shared a pavilion and did their best to portray their cultures.  The vendors were friendly and helpful and willing to discuss their culture.   We had sampled so much and were pretty full to sample more food.  However the food did look appetizing.

Caribbean

Music, dance and typical Caribbean hospitality.   It's always a party and the community is warm and friendly.   Food was reasonable even though we did not try it.  Enjoyable pavilion.

Serbia and Ukraine

We ran out of time and did not have a chance to visit these pavilions.  However in the past the Serbian and Ukranian Pavilions have always been very enthusiastic to educate you on their culture.  Food and drink in the past has always been good and reasonable.  In the past the Serbian pavilion has gone out of their way to entertain you on an individual level.  I have no reason to believe that these pavilions have strayed from their course of enlightening visitors to their culture.  

Cyprus, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Vietnam

I ran out of memory to take more pictures however these pavilions were really uneventful.  We did not get the feeling that these pavilions wanted to educate or entertain us with their culture.

Carrassauga has come to a point where it has become more of commercial operation for vendors to make money rather then a festival to promote cultures.    You can clearly see that in the embarrassing way that Canada was portrayed.   However there is hope when countries like India turn directions and start promoting culture.  Portugal, Egypt, Lebanon, Philippines, Poland, Caribbean and I am sure Serbia and Ukraine are all pavilions that have the right idea to promote their culture, cuisine and traditions.    

Somewhere along the line Carrassauga changed from being a community organized event to more of a commercial cash grab.   This has definitely lowered the quality of this festival.   

Heres how you make Carrassauga better and more representative of the countries.  Except for food no products may be sold that are not made in the representative country or locally by an artisan from that country at the pavilion in person.   A set price on food $5 so smaller portions but a sampling of the communities cuisine. 

I am generally quite happy to pay a premium price for quality at some of the cities finer grocers.  However there is a fine line between paying $5 for a snickers bar and paying $5 to Soma Chocolatiers.