Culture, Vinarterta, Events
The El Macambo Event That Changed The (Vinarterta) World
Oct
The El Macambo Event That Changed The (Vinarterta) World.
A comfy group of Toronto Icelanders, Icelandophiles and I joined the band for dinner and then witnessed the historic show of a small-town Icelandic band on the world stage at the El Macambo Tavern. That night was as unique and as memorable as nights can be.
This event coincided with my newfound passion for rolling dough as therapy for a broken arm. After a couple of months, there was so much Vinarterta in our freezer that an intervention was required.
So, I filled a suitcase with cake and rolled it down a busy Toronto sidewalk to the Icelandic music concert and shared it with the crowd.
Local Icelandic aficionados hung up rice paper art, set up tables with Icelandic candy, more art and pottery and hesitantly, I set out my Vinarterta. The music was amazing. The audience was energized. Members of the band popped over to the Vinarterta table for snacks between sets, and people who had never seen or tasted it before raved about the little Icelandic cake.
And so, I discovered a truth then, that not just Icelanders like our unique and different delicious striped Icelandic cake.
And so, six months later the Vinarterta business was born.
My life would never be the same after the heart of Icelandic North American culture went to the El Macambo.
I was reminded then, ten years ago, that truly as W.D. Valgardson says:
“At the heart of Icelandic North American culture is not Vikings, or horses or sheep or fishing, or black death or language, no, they are not the centre of our culture, nor is religion, Lutheran, Unitarian, nor the sagas, no, nope, the centre of all things Icelandic North American is Vinarterta.”
We’re celebrating our Vinarterta adventure with a time traveling Tenth Anniversary Vinarterta. Introducing:
Four layers. Traditional Plum Jam. Iced or Uniced.
It’s pure love and pioneer spirit created from a historic recipe.
Same high-quality ingredients. Same taste.
More about the original 1858 recipe next time.
Sending lots of love,
