Faculty of Art
Throughout the Summer of 2022, research assistants Cat Hung and Wei Yan Yeong worked in collaboration with the Museum of Vancouver, on the “Backyard Garden” project to grow vegetables and herbs as a form of cultural and historical appreciation. The “What’s your blend?” garlic pickling workshop made use of some of these plants to teach participants pickling techniques in a hands-on event.
Participants were able to pick herbs right from the MOV garden, selecting their own personal blend of flavours, as a way to symbolize each person’s unique relation to culture and identity. Each participant was able to participate in peeling and preparing the garlic, learning the skills to repeat this process in the future.
The workshop was hosted by Carly Hilbert, president of Roots on the Roof, a student-run club at UBC that manages the garden on the roof of the AMS Student Nest. Carly was able to use her vast knowledge about pickling practices from her own heritage to give participants a strong foundation on technique and historical importance.
Participants were able to leave the workshop with their own jar of pickled garlic, new skills and knowledge, and an appreciation of how gardens and food practices can be reflective of their own culture and histories.
Read more from this personal blog post from one of the project’s research assistants!
Written by Cat Hung