There’s a small store in Kensington Market called Golden Patty, which specializes in making the golden pastries known as Jamaican beef patties. I’m on a food tour of Chinatown and Kensington Market and we’ll be trying these beauties.
As the store is too small for our large group, we stand next to Golden Patty in an alcove off the street.
Our food tour guide, Mike, has gone inside to get patties and drinks. He and a volunteer pass out halves of the Jamaican jerk chicken patties made in the store.
The Toronto Patty Wars
Mike tells us about the Toronto Patty Wars of the 1980’s.
The Canadian government tried to stop Jamaican restaurants from using the name “beef patties” as it might cause confusion in the public. There was a concern that people might mistake these Jamaican beef patties for hamburgers.
The Canadian government threatened patty makers in Toronto with thousands of dollars in fines if they continued calling their product a beef patty.
The Jamaican consulate became involved before they reached a resolution. The government agreed to the use of the patty name, just not “beef patty.”
I’m guessing this is why the bakery is named “Golden Patty” instead of “Beef Patty.”
Tasting a Jerk Chicken Patty
While we listen to the history, we nibble at the jerk chicken spice patty with an accompanying cup of the non-alcoholic house ginger beer.
They just made this patty. It is still hot from the oven, thin and soft. They fill the patty full of loose shredded chicken and gravy.
The jerk chicken lives up to its name, and while spicy, it is a milder jerk chicken spice than some jerk sauces I’ve tasted.
The house-made ginger beer is sharp with real ginger and the cloudiness of the drink reminds me of apple cider.
A Caribbean Menu at Golden Patty
While they specialize in patties, at Golden Patty they have other hot foods. They serve Ox Tail, Curried Goat, Curried Chicken, Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork with rice and peas or white rice.
They offer rotis with these same meats as fillings, and a channah or potato roti, too.
There is a warming oven which has large fried balls of fish (Snapper, King, or Salt Fish).
For dessert there’s Mango Butter Cake and Bread Pudding.
Enjoyed July, 2019
Golden Patty
187 Baldwin St, Toronto, ON M5T 1L8
+1 (416) 977-3191
