A Taste of Autumn: Family, Memory, and a Journey Across the Sea
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Autumn arrives in little moments: golden leaves beneath our feet, a cooler breeze through an open window, and the comforting aroma of something slowly cooking.
In the kitchen, a saucepan of gravy bubbles gently. Someone tastes, adds a little pepper, and tastes again. Soon, chairs are pulled closer, plates are passed, and familiar stories find their way back to the table.
This is the warmth we look forward to at Thanksgiving: food made with care, time with the people we love, and gratitude for another season together.
The flavours that help us remember
This year, Canadian Thanksgiving falls on October 12, while Cambodia observes its Pchum Ben public holidays from October 10 to 12.
For Cambodian families, Pchum Ben is a time to honour ancestors and remember loved ones who have passed away. Visits to pagodas, food offerings to monks, and family gatherings carry a deep sense of gratitude across generations.
These traditions have their own histories and meanings. Yet their place beside one another in this year’s calendar invites a quiet reflection: how often we express love through food, and how much of our family history lives in the things we cook.
Perhaps it is a gravy we learned to make by watching someone at the stove. A stew that tastes like childhood. Or a recipe remembered by instinct rather than written measurements.
Sometimes, one familiar aroma is enough to bring someone close again.
A little adventure in a familiar dish
A little Kampot pepper opens a world of possibilities in the autumn kitchen. Roast your turkey with cracked black Kampot pepper and onions, allowing their aromas to mingle with the rich pan juices. Bring those flavourful drippings together with a simple butter-and-flour roux and a splash of stock for a comforting gravy.
For velvety squash or pumpkin soup, add cracked Kampot pepper as the vegetables simmer, letting its warmth infuse the broth before blending. Fold a delicate pinch of finely cracked red Kampot pepper into pumpkin pie filling before baking—a gentle kick of spice woven into its sweetness. Or explore a pepper-infused syrup in a festive cocktail, bringing a little adventure to the glasses raised around your table.
From the roasting pan to the soup pot and the dessert oven, the possibilities are endless—familiar comforts, new discoveries, and something delicious to share.
A familiar Canadian table can hold a little of another place. Food gives us that invitation—to be curious, to learn, and to share.
Caring for what we carry forward
Traditional farming knowledge is also something passed between generations. Behind an ingredient are people, seasons, and decisions about how to tend the land.
For us, appreciating Kampot pepper means valuing more than what it brings to a dish. It means taking an interest in its origins, the farming traditions behind it, and the care needed to sustain the land for those who come next.
As October unfolds, pumpkins and Halloween lanterns bring playfulness to our neighbourhoods. In Mexico, Día de los Muertos brings its own traditions of remembering departed loved ones through offerings, flowers, and favourite foods around the end of October and beginning of November.
Across these different occasions, we find reasons to pause—to gather, remember, and make room for one another.
Join us at Toronto Artisan Market’s Fall Fest
We would love to share a little of that autumn warmth with you at our next pop-up.
Saturday, October 17, 2026
12 PM–6 PM
CF Shops at Don Mills — Aggie Hogg
Toronto, Ontario
Discover our black, white, and red Kampot Pepper collection, find inspiration for cozy seasonal cooking, and explore thoughtful gourmet gifts for the months ahead.
Come say hello, tell us what is simmering in your kitchen, and discover a flavour that has travelled a long way to meet you.
From Cambodia’s fields to a Canadian autumn table—there is always another story to share.
Written and curated by the TYKCOLLECTIVE Research & Culinary Studio.
Ethically sourced. Culturally rooted. Perfect for those who find joy in the art of cooking.