Flavourful Saskatoon, April 16, 2018

Tea on Broadway
Broadway has some great independent coffee shops. Venn Coffee Roasters faces a back alley so it’s quiet. They roast their own coffee; their baked goods are from The Night Oven; and they offer a touch of European class with tiny biscuits served alongside your cup of tea or coffee.

Museo Coffee is an old favorite and a perfect place for a quiet chat with a friend. They fill their cups to the brim!

Support the Local Economy – Buy Directly From a Farmer
A UC Davis study has found that “a dollar spent buying directly from a farmer has about twice the impact on the local economy as spending a dollar on food that goes through a middleman—a supermarket, for example. There are all kinds of reasons for that: Farmers who sell directly to consumers tend to buy more supplies locally, which can benefit seed and equipment sellers in the area; and they also tend to hire more local labor, which in turn benefits in the community.” One more good reason to shop at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market.

Turning Surplus Food into Gold
Entrepreneurs are turning surplus food into opportunity – from avocado pit tea to snack bars made from spent brewer’s grain. Philadelphia’s largest food bank is partnering with farmers to make cheese from surplus milk.

You have to watch your terminology though. Upcycled surplus food will appeal to consumers, but “If you put ‘food waste’ on package they’ll feel like they’re getting trash.”

Instant Tea 
Many of us have switched from tea bags to loose tea, but there’s something new/old on the horizon – instant crystallized tea, “an ancient method for turning tea leaves into a form of medicine through a process of boiling and reduction known as Cha Gao, or tea paste.” The founder of Pique Tea wants to “to deliver on the health benefits and the quality parameters of loose leaf tea, combined with the convenience of something that’s in a crystal form.”

Movies 
Roman gladiators, gorillas, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have two things in common: super-powered strength and a plant-based diet. The Game Changers is one man’s quest to debunk the myth that you have to eat meat to be strong and healthy.

Jean-Marc Roulot, is an actor and a winemaker. As actor, script consultant, and technical adviser, he set out to ensure that Back to Burgundy was authentic.

What Should I Read? 
If you’re wondering what to read next, Eater recommends 4 memoirs and a handful of other food-focused books.

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. 

You can follow Wanderlust and Words on Facebook, Twitter, or by email (top right corner).