The 10-day festival started on August 30 and will end on September 8 this year
Charlottetown-based 4 S Catering will serve up to 150 people for their Onam Sadhya set for September 6. An Indian-origin family-run business has gone to great lengths to prepare a feast consisting of more than 25 dishes as part of the annual Indian harvest festival, Onam.
The 10-day festival started on August 30 and will end on September 8 this year. It marks the first month of the calendar year for Malayalis from Kerala. Each day of the festival has its own significance, with an elaborate assortment of celebrations and events ranging from dance performances to competitive games.
An essential part of the festival is called Onam Sadhya, a traditional multi-course meal served on banana leaves and meant to be eaten by hand. That is what 4 S Catering in Charlottetown has decided to prepare for the islanders. The caterer, which many will know from their booth at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market, will be hosting the event in-person for the first time at the Jack Blanchard Family Centre.
“It’s basically a collection of the harvest, and really celebrating family connectedness and community, and sharing and cooking meals together and just eating and having a great time,” said Sandra Sunil, the catering company’s manager. Sunil runs the business with her mother Sheena Mathew, father Sunil Daniel, and brother Samel Sunil. She said they began hosting the feast last year but chose to deliver the food through a takeout option due to COVID-19 restrictions.
An essential part of the festival is called Onam Sadhya, a traditional multi-course meal served on banana leaves and meant to be eaten by hand
After receiving “overwhelming support” with more than 50 orders placed, the company decided to continue Onam Sadhya this year with an in-person dinner. The family is expecting to serve about 100 to 150 people. Sunil said the company already has 30 people registered, on top of others they know who are waiting to book until they get a final head count from relatives and friends interested in joining.
Mathew said it was difficult to find banana leaves to use on the tables for the feast, so they have resorted to cutting large pieces of green paper to recreate the experience for their guests. Sourcing the rest of their grocery list was made easier thanks to the Indian grocers on the island as well as in cities like Moncton, Halifax, and Toronto. They have also ordered online to get products directly from India, including some that most islanders would not recognize, according to a report from cbc.ca.
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