Flavourful Saskatoon, February 19, 2018

Good Food Slow Food Challenge, Mar. 4 
The Good Food Slow Food Challenge from 2-5 pm, Mar. 4, will showcase CHEP's Good Food Box program and demonstrate how many people you can feed with good, clean, and fair food. It’s a fundraiser for Slow Food Saskatoon and CHEP.

Canadian Craft Beer, Mar. 10
Sample some new Canadian craft beer on Mar. 10 at Co-op Wine Spirits Beer.

Under our Feet, Mar. 23 
Sask Organics is hosting Under our Feet on Mar. 23, a day-long conference with the latest research on soil health and weed management.

Easter Cake Contest for Kids, Mar. 31 
Kids are invited to show off their cake baking and decorating skills on March 31 at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market.

Food Renew 
A group of Saskatoon volunteers wants to save and renew food that would otherwise be wasted.

Nutrition Symbol Consumer Consultation
Canadians are invited to provide input, by Apr. 26, on the nutrition symbol to be used on the front of food packages.

Ultra-Processed Fake Meat 
Meat alternatives are a booming business, but they’re a far cry from a natural, plant-based diet. Quorn is fermented in vats from fungus found in the soil. “With artful use of additives and hi-tech ingredients in the food manufacturer’s cabinet – factory flavourings and colourings, milk proteins, tapioca starch, palm oil, pea fibre, firming and gelling agents and so on – it seems that many of us will take chameleonic Quorn at face value as a dead ringer for everything from steak and bacon to gammon, chicken supreme and hot dogs.”

Beyond Meat is made of “pea protein isolate, expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil, water, yeast extract, maltodextrin, ‘natural’ flavourings, gum arabic, sunflower oil, salt, succinic acid, acetic acid, modified food starch, cellulose from bamboo, methylcellulose, potato starch, ascorbic acid, annatto extract, citrus fruit extract and glycerin.”

Improving Access to Local Produce
Nova Scotia’s “Cost-share CSA Local Food Box programs aim to improve access to affordable, healthy, local produce for low-income individuals and families, by sharing the cost of weekly food boxes with the community through fundraising and sponsorships.”

Craft Beer Drives Social Change
From women brewers and wheelchair-accessible bars to a brewery run by autistic adults, craft beer companies are driving social change.

Manchego
Should the cheese be called Manchego if it’s made in Mexico? There’s a big difference: “The Mexican manchego is made from cow’s milk within seven days, and the authentic manchego with the milk of ewes of manchega race, is ripened for at least a month.” The Mexican manchego sells for half the price in the United States.

On the Wagon
Non-alcoholic beers, sodas, cocktails – “Non-drinkers’ cups may soon be running over.”

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post articles about food that is good, clean and fair; travel; and books. You may also enjoy EcoFriendly Sask profiling Saskatchewan environmental initiatives and events.

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