Experiencing Nigeria Through Food — Blessinglicious at UTSC
Diversity and inclusion extend to the food made available to the students on campus at UTSC. African students, especially international students, can find semblance to the food they eat from home when food options that reflect their culture are provided.
Blessinglicious at KW building at University of Toronto. Photo By: (Omotayo Ayorinde//The Underground)
The sweet aroma of Jollof rice at the Kina Wiiya (KW ) building immediately reminded me of the Christmas holidays I used to have back home. My distant aunts, uncles, and cousins would visit from their respective states, making the house three times fuller than it used to be. During these moments, I am usually reminded of the joy of belonging to the larger part of the family. Irrespective of the age and gender of the members that visited, there was a common force that bound us together: food. From our classic jollof rice and chicken to our special àmàlà and ewedu, everyone always ate to their satisfaction. The intersection of food, family, and culture shows its ability to bring people together and create connections that last a lifetime.
The diversity of students at University of Toronto (UofT) allows for many kinds of foods, needed to align with cultural origins present on campus. While University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) offers a wide range of foods, from Middle Eastern to Mediterranean dishes, African students on campus have yet to see foods that reflect their culture. This was until a branch of ‘Blessinglicious’ — a Nigerian street food restaurant — opened in the KW Building in November, 2024. The restaurant offered menu items that included Jollof rice, Gizdodo, chicken, beans, and plantain, as well as snacks like puff-puff, meat pie, and sausage rolls, amongst others.
Blessing Alasan, the owner of the restaurant, moved to Saskatchewan in 2014/2015, where she studied kinesiology and health studies at the University of Regina. She also opened her first branch in Saskatchewan in 2020, where she catered to the dietary needs of people. While recounting her experience of opening her first branch, Alasan mentioned her attempts to make her food inclusive to everyone, irrespective of their dietary plan.
The restaurant also partnered with the university to provide discount to students who followed their social media. Photo via Blessinglicious Instagram
“We were selling flavor, not spice, because people had the notion that African foods are spicy,” said Alasan. She moved from Saskatchewan to Ontario and opened a branch of her restaurant on Kingston Road. Eventually, she decided to open another branch at UTSC because she loved the community. Alasan dreams of opening 250 branches all across Canada.
As Alasan recounts the journey of the branch at UTSC, she mentions that things were slow during the first month due to exams at that time. Now, the business seems to be thriving as they receive orders from a diverse mix of students. Joshua Mefful, a third-year student in media management, media studies, and French, testifies to this. “I’ve seen a wide range of races purchase food from there,” Mefful said.
Alasan spoke of the intentionality practiced when preparing food items. “If I can’t eat it, I won’t sell it to you,” she said. This means that she always provides quality and dependable dishes for everyone. Her ability to create diverse food options that meet various dietary requirements is also commendable. Anyone who knows real African food also knows it is difficult to provide vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and halal dishes due to the processes of food-making.
Examples can be seen in how she makes her jollof rice without meat broth, Moi-Moi without egg in it. While Mefful also commends her Gizdodo, he recounts an unfavourable experience he had when he purchased her puff-puff at the beginning of the semester. After making a complaint, amends were made, and it was settled.
Suya fish with plantain and cucumber side from the Blessinglicious restaurant website.
The challenges experienced by the restaurant are mostly financial due to the huge hike in food prices. Alasan adds, “We used to buy a quarter box of beef between $100 and $120. Now it’s $220, that's like double the price.” This increase might also impact the prices of dishes sold to students.
Mefful also comments on the price of dishes, “$20 for a combo of jollof rice is a bit too much. There are many options that I can get on campus for a lesser price.” This perspective is understandable, as the UTSC population is mainly full-time students. Mefful suggests that prices could be lowered to align with portion size, which could motivate students to make more purchases at the restaurant.
Diversity and inclusion also extend to the food made available to the students on campus. African students, especially international students, can find semblance to the food they eat from home when food options that reflect their culture are provided. The nostalgia of home is brought back when they eat these foods while also reinforcing their identity as African students. The benefits are not limited to African students, as students from other cultures and races are given the opportunity to experience the African culture through food. This then promotes the communication of cultures between the diverse members of students at UTSC.
