GRIOTS REPUBLIC - AN URBAN BLACK TRAVEL MAG - AUGUST 2016

all its Canadian iterations. The summer
market is the best time to enjoy
Jean-Talon, as a festive air includes
a variety of street performers nearby
for the children and their parents,
while they stock up on supplies.
Many vendors show off their stone
fruits (peaches, nectarines, two kinds
of cherries, three kinds of plums!),
and make fresh slices as quick as
the samples are eaten. In a far corner,
you can choose freshly laid eggs
from chickens, quails, ducks, and
even geese. A favorite haunt of mine
has its own four walls and door within
the market: Épices de Cru.
Husband and wife Ethné and Phillipe
de Vienne are spice trekkers, starting
Épices in 1982 as a catering endeavor
that evolved into a food-centric
pilgrimage of sorts. Having made
regular international trips with their
children to learn from the native
users and eventually source their
wares, this small spice shop boasts
an impressive collection of teas and
hard-to-find spices, alongside the
art of traditional preparation, ceremony
and a humble respect for the
knowledge shared to them.
In its colorfully decorated corner, the
store commands awe as you pour
over the meticulously labeled metal
tins of whole and finely ground
peppercorns, making hard choices
between Masala Curry from several
regions of India and Indonesia.
Needless to say, if you are coming
to Montreal for the first or thirtieth
time and enjoy fresh foods, a lively
atmosphere with some down-toearth
offerings from people from all
over the earth, Jean-Talon Market is
a must. Vendor prices range from
reasonable to specialty rate, and
there is an on-site ATM available, as
many but not all vendors prefer cash
payments. So come prepared and
hungry.
Selome Ameyo (Brathwaite) likes to look
back at history while she moves forward in
her travels and advocacy. Having studied
environmental sustainability, human rights
and international affairs policy, she is quite
aware of the value of knowing and engaging
the people of the world and their genuine
connection to the spaces in which they move.
Selome seeks to encourage women of varying
backgrounds to be curious and critical, all
the while empowering them to get out there
and never settle when they have a passion
to manifest and share with others. This is her
first written article for Griots Republic.