July 14, 2025

A Humid Evening and a Cup of Cappuccino

 

Cappuccino and Caesar Wrap


This blog began as a suggestion from my professor. I was encouraged to visit a specialty café and share my experience as an aspiring foodie exploring organic food, single-origin coffee, and Canadiano. So, on the evening of Tuesday, June 24th, I finally headed to Williams Fresh Café in Brampton with my older sister.

It was a hot and humid summer evening, with a heat warning in effect in all the Greater Toronto Area. We chose this café after reading many positive comments about it online. Also, since it was just 10 minutes away, it felt like an easy pick.

When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was how cool and comfortable it felt inside, compared to the heat outside. The café was spacious, with natural light coming in through the big front windows. Large paintings hung on the walls, showing beautiful artwork of bicycles, coffee beans, and scenic views. Along one side, there were outlets and a row of tables and chairs facing the wall, set up as a space to study or work. Behind the counter, the members of staff were busy working, and the smell of fresh coffee hung in the air.

It was quite busy considering it was a Tuesday evening. Students were typing away on laptops, small groups of people were sitting and chatting over drinks and food. The sound of piano music played softly in the background, which had a light rhythm that made the whole café feel calm.

After being seated and reading the menu, I decided to order a cappuccino with caramel flavoring and a chicken Caesar wrap. My sister also ordered a cup of cappuccino without the caramel flavoring.

The chicken Caesar wrap to go with the drink was packed with chopped grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, croutons, and Caesar dressing, all neatly wrapped. On the side, there was a sauce and a sliced pickle. Nothing too over-the-top, but it looked fresh and healthy.

The caramel cappuccino came out in a small white cup, with light foam piled on top with caramel drizzled in a careful pattern. I could tell the barista paid attention to the details. That’s part of what makes this café’s beverages feel so special. The aroma was also magnificent!

The cappuccino reminded me how popular milk-based espresso drinks have become more sophisticated (Adekunle). "A perfect cappuccino stands out from other coffee drinks...[since] it has a unique mix of espresso, steamed milk, and foam" (Foxwell). A cappuccino is one of the most classic espresso-based drinks you’ll find in a café (Adekunle). What makes a cappuccino stand out is the foam thick and airy on top (Foxwell). Sometimes, people add flavors like caramel, vanilla, or chocolate for a sweeter taste (like I did with mine).

Fresh and dark-roasted coffee beans usually work best for cappuccinos (Foxwell). Unfortunately, I was unable to find out which coffee beans were used to make the drink.

 

While drinking the cappuccino, I was reminded of the waves of coffee that I learned about in my Introduction to Global Management (GMS 200) course taught by Professor Adekunle.

There are four waves of coffee. Although this café cannot be categorized as a fourth wave, the fourth wave plus (4thW+) really stands out to me. It’s about sustainability, ethics, traceability, and essentially making sure that the coffee we enjoy supports farmers, the environment, and transparency in how it’s made (Adekunle). As Professor Adekunle explains further, coffee is a craft, and everything from the type of bean, to how it’s roasted, brewed, and served, reflects care, ethics, and traceability.

Since I’m not someone who usually visits cafés a lot, I wouldn’t call myself a regular. I think I’d fit into Category C, more of a casual or occasional coffee drinker who goes mainly for the experience (Adekunle).

The cozy atmosphere and the sense of belonging made the moment feel meaningful. What sticks in my mind when thinking about the success of cafés is this quote:

"Cafés keep winning because they offer what people want: a warm space, good food, and a great cup of coffee. But what really makes a café special is the connection it builds with the people who walk through the door. Create a welcoming atmosphere that makes customers feel at home and gives them a local gathering spot that they’d want to return to time and again" (Hebert).

While my cappuccino at Williams Fresh Café wasn’t necessarily a single origin or fourth wave brew, learning about the importance of authenticity in coffee helped me appreciate it more. It made me wonder about the beans used in my drink, their origin, and the story behind them (Adekunle).

If I had to rate the drink, I’d give it a solid 8 out of 10. I really enjoyed the taste, it was smooth, had just the right amount of sweetness from the caramel, and the foam made every sip feel soft and comforting. It wasn’t too strong or too sweet. Personally, I found it to be a good balance. What I like about cappuccinos is the richness of espresso with the soft texture of foam. It was overall comforting.

The Space


Hence, that evening at Williams Fresh Café allowed me to enjoy some time off my schedule. The atmosphere combined with the chill piano music playing in the background as well as my cappuccino and chicken Caesar wrap, all came together perfectly. Honestly, it wasn’t just about the drink, it was about the whole vibe. I'm glad I got the opportunity to explore the café as suggested by my professor. A warm evening and a cup of cappuccino turned into a moment I didn’t know I needed!

 

Harsimr Dhillon

Undergrad, Ted Rogers School of Management, TMU

Research Assistant, ECVOntario

   

Bibliography

Adekunle, B. 2025. Food Authenticity. ECV Ontario. https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2025/05/food-authenticity.html

Adekunle, B. 2025. Part I: Understanding Coffee. Substack. https://bamideleadekunle.substack.com/p/part-i-understanding-coffee

Foxwell, A. 2024. What is a Cappuccino? Tank Coffee. https://www.tankcoffee.com/what-is-cappuccino/

Hebert, R. 2025. What is a Café? 7shifts. https://www.7shifts.com/blog/café/

Read More »

June 20, 2025

Part I: Understanding Coffee

 

Fourth wave of coffee. Guji from Ethiopia going through the pour over funnel. This is truly a single origin.

*This is the first part of my three-part treatise on coffee.

 

Understanding Preferences

Coffee can be defined based on sustainable practices (organic, fair trade, ethical), brand (Starbucks, Balzac’s, Tim Horton’s, Planet Bean, Vereda Central, etc.), origin (Li Maya, Yirgachefe, Sidamo, Peruvian Café Femenino etc.), roasting approach (dark or light), variety or cultivar (Geisha, Caturra, Bourbon), process (washed, anaerobic, aerobic) and scientifically (Arabica or Robusta). These different definitions notwithstanding, people’s coffee preferences are affected by available information, culture, and lifestyle. My exploration[1] also indicates that people drink coffee for sophistication and a signal of a better quality of life though most of the time its unconscious – thus the nudge to visit a specialty café to enjoy the ambiance or buy a single origin coffee. Another classification of coffee is the way they appear on the menu of cafes such as Americano (now Canadiano in Canada), café latte, cappuccino, espresso, flat white, cortado, macchiato, mocha, among others. These beverages are mostly about the combination of milk and espresso and whether the milk is steamed or not.

Another attribute of coffee presentation in specialty café especially those in the fourth wave coffee space is the ‘Pour over'. ‘Pour over’ is a process of coffee filtration of single origin that is clean and easy to drink. ‘Pour over’ involves making coffee in a meticulous way with extractions that produces a more flavourful drink with pronounced notes and desirable aromas. There is also a nexus between single origin coffee and Geographical Indications (GI).

The consumption of coffee differs among people. Some people don’t drink coffee at all while some drink a little or occasionally, and there are frequent consumers. The propensity to consume is higher in developed countries except in countries where it is cultural like Ethiopia.

Coffee: The Journey[2][3]

Understanding coffee will be incomplete without the story about its development.  There are different myths about the creation of coffee including the Kaldi’s story that posits that the coffee originated from Ethiopia. It is also generally accepted by coffee scholars and enthusiasts that coffee truly originated from present day Ethiopia. The plant was moved from Ethiopia to Mocha in Yemen with the help of traders. It was popularized by the Sufis who made the consumption part of their religious rituals. The Turks conquered the Arabs, and coffee became part of the culture. There was a significant spread of coffee during the Ottoman Empire. Smuggling also occurred and that was how the produce entered India.

Coffee was so precious and sought after that the Dutch started growing it in Amsterdam inside greenhouses and later in their colonies in place such as Java, Indonesia – because of the climate. They forced the cultivation of coffee on the natives. The coffees, Mocha (Yemen) and Java (Indonesia), are based on the names of cities that contributed to the dissemination of coffee. Coffee was modernized in Vienna (Austria) but was perfected in Italy. The first café in Venice was in 1720. The development of coffee in France was with the help of the Italians. They were great craftsmen with the addition of authenticity and aesthetic value to the consumption of coffee.

The popularity of coffee may also have stemmed from a replacement. It allows active discussion while avoiding the alcoholic danger of drunkenness. England received coffee from Turkey in the mid 17th century although tea overtook the consumption by the end of the 17th century. Even though the consumption of coffee declined in England in the entire Europe the consumption of coffee multiplied by 20 times in century from 1700 – 1800. To increase production to match the demand, countries started developing coffee plantations in colonies and increased the use of slaves in its production, mostly from Africa. For example, the French developed plantations in Martinique and San Domingo (now Haiti) until the revolt in Haiti in 1791 that led to destruction of sugar and coffee plantations.

Brazil also developed its production of coffee using slaves. Whether in Latin America, Central or North America the growth of coffee was strengthened by slaves, indentured servants including native Indians as witnessed in Guatemala.

The new waves of coffee, starting from the third wave, expects the production and marketing of coffee to be fairly traded, organic, and traceable. So, fair-trade by the rainforest alliance, organic certification, and single origin are important attributes for which some consumers are willing to pay a premium. Furthermore, cafés are expected to be meticulous and processes more scientific.

 

Coffee as a Cultural Ritual

As part of my exploration of the coffee landscape, I participated in more than 10 coffee rituals at events organized by Ethiopian Canadians in different parts of Ontario from 2017 – 2025 accompanied by our research fellow who is Ethiopian-Eritrean. The coffee ceremony is an integral part of all their ceremonies. Coffee is prepared and served at mourning, festive periods, christenings, and all other get-togethers.

The food served is usually injera and different types of meat and vegetable stews. I also witnessed some eating their injera with raw meat (Tire Siga) or spiced raw meat (kitfo). The most important beverage is coffee served in the traditional way. The preparation starts with the roasting of the green coffee beans imported from Ethiopia (specifically from a particular region based on the ethnicity of the host). The smoke is perceived and allowed to diffuse around the room and the clothes of guests because it’s assumed that it brings blessings.

Along with the smoke from roasting coffee – this is done at home no matter where they are in the world, there is the burning of incense. They travel with the paraphernalia as they move around the world.  Waving of smoke towards the body by all present is recommended because Ethiopians believe that it brings good luck. Burning of incense (usually frankincense) is done throughout the ceremony as part of the ritual. After roasting, the coffee beans are ground and then brewed. The final stage is to brew the coffee[4] and serve it using a traditional cup like the cups used to serve espresso in specialty cafes. There are usually three rounds of serving: the first serving is abol, the second is tona, and the last and final serving is the blessing, baraka. My observation indicates that some people don’t consume the three rounds while some consume more.

 

Amaretti almond cookie and single origin espresso - Sweet Habit, and sparkling water. 


Coffee Waves: Fourth Wave Plus (4thW+)

Coffee has attributes as a plant, food, beverage and culture. It has evolved over the years with different attributes. These attributes define the different coffee waves.  The first wave coffee (20th century) was when we had commodity coffee. This was the advent of cheap and easily accessible coffee which led to a significant increase in the consumption of coffee. The second wave coffee (mid 1990s) was characterized by coffee shops, the development of brands and differentiation and competition in the coffee industry. During this period there was an increase in café visits. The third wave (late 2000s/early 2010s) was when coffee started climbing the sophistication rope. Coffee is now sympathetically roasted and “scientifically’ prepared. Preparation can be in different ways to express their complex flavours. The quality turn has made specialty café pricey.

Fourth wave is the present situation in some of the spaces in the coffee industry. It’s more scientific and both traceability and ethical production are very important. A five wave model was proposed by Giuli and Pascuss in 2014 by separating the first wave to pioneering and industrial. Based on my observation studying the coffee landscape over ten years I propose that there is a fourth wave plus (4thW+) which is inclusive futuristic, and sustainable. Under this wave coffee are custom made and there is emphasis on bespoke, ethics, direct contact with farmers, single origin, published information, excellent baristas service, and the rise of pour over.

A truly fourth wave should be bespoke production and consumption of coffee where consumers are catered to based on their preferences and in an atmosphere that complements cultures and lifestyle. The key ideas are authenticity, traceability and transparency. In other words, opacity and food authenticity are inversely related  in the fourth wave coffee market. The fourth wave plus (4thW+) is well grounded, inclusive and antifragile. This coffee wave has incorporated coffee rituals from different cultures where coffee is a staple. Some align with the Ethiopian culture, others Turkish and some are a blend of coffee cultures. The most important attribute is that 4thW+ takes people on a journey closer to the original coffee cultures where it all started.

Brazil has been the largest producer of coffee since the 19th century till date. Consumption has also increased in this country because of the continuous evolvement of the different waves of coffee and the role of different Latin American countries in the promotion of single origin coffee. This results in the strengthening of geographical indications and the ethical promotion of  intellectual property rights in the agricultural sector. 

 

Café Visit: Reasons

Imagine a thought experiment where there are three types of people (A, B, and C) with respect to coffee consumption. Let’s assume that out of the three categories of people who visit cafes, two of them are coffee drinkers and the last group are non-drinkers. The two categories of consumers can be sub-divided to A {cultural background; ability to discern good coffee based on tacit knowledge acquired by growing up in coffee growing community; appreciate the aesthetic associated with drinking coffee; visiting a café gives a reminiscence of the past, nostalgic and socialization} and B {based on family lifestyle; ability to discern good coffee; neutral to aesthetic value; café is seen as space for work and socialization – interactions strengthen expensive and authentic coffee}. These categories are regulars if they visit the cafes often and regulars can be regarded as café explorers because they visit cafes to learn and hopefully discover new things. These explorers are café elites if they only visit specialty cafes where coffee is organic, ethical, single origin and meticulously selected, ground, brewed and cupped by the baristas.

The last category is C. This set of people do not drink coffee because of its bitterness and caffeine, but some do drink occasionally for social reasons, and this is how cafés present other values. A subset of this group can be regarded as café loafers – people who need a place to kill time while they enjoy the ambience of the space.

All groups – A, B, and C – visit specialty cafés because of the atmosphere, and the baristas attention to details with respect to customer service. Furthermore, it is seen as a place to de-stress, a workspace with unlimited internet access, and a place to discuss new business ideas and have regular meetings.

A café can also be regarded as a third place. The third-place idea was developed by Ray Oldenburg. It’s a place that is not home or place of work and the café is a typical example. The nexus between cafes and third place is obvious at Kanoo coffee where there is no internet connection and the use of laptops is disallowed on weekends. The owners indicated that they want customers to mingle instead of staring at the screens of their laptops or smart devices. Moreover, cafés give inspiration[5]. In fact, for the GenZ and millennial, it is a place to meet people. It increases their confidence level and sense of belonging.

To confirm that the attributes in the framework or thought experiment presented above is universal, I contacted people[6] in different parts of the world[7]. A brief discussion with consumers in different parts of the world indicates that people belong to different categories with respect to their consumption of coffee. There were non-drinkers such as Tunde because of the bitter taste or Christine because of caffeine, occasional drinker like Kageha who drinks latte at Mugg & Bean as a monthly treat or to calm her nerves when there is a challenge at work, and substantial drinkers such as Dazogbo and Sridharan who drink with cream or black (without cream or milk). In my small global sample, there were more tea than coffee drinkers. This is the reason why cafes include tea prominently in their menu. In fact, there is a 4thW+ café in Cambridge, Disko Coffee, owned by a GenZ who has a signature masala tea based on a recipe from his parents based on their Indian descent. This recipe has been tweaked to suit his taste and for ownership.

Scholars, both active and retired, are addicted to a lifestyle of coffee consumption. For example, a retired professor, author, researcher, political economist and avid coffee drinker has the following impression about coffee.

Coffee is a daily beverage for me, and I like it black. The caffeine gives me inspiration and alertness

In sum, there are different types of coffee consumers. People who don’t drink, those who drink a little (minimal), moderate consumers, and substantial consumers. Location of the consumer also affects the level of consumption. Based on our empirical evidence, observations and discussion with people globally, Growth of fourth wave coffee = f (T, A, Tr, LAI, E, Ar, R, S, Pr, L). Where T= Transparency (+); A = Authenticity (+); Tr = Traceability (+); LAI = Level of Asymmetric Information (-); E = Exclusive customer service (+); Ar = Artisanal (+); R = Risk sharing {café, farmer, consumer} (+); S = Space (not clear); Pr = Price (+); L = Location including proximity to consumers; and other variables not captured by this model. Distance is a very interesting concept; if a café or produce market offers good quality, people will still patronize the location though the closer the better. I have documented people who travel from Guelph to Toronto (108 km) or Guelph to Cambridge (25 km) just to get a cup of coffee from a preferred café.

 


Single origin cortado and espresso as served at Kanoo Coffee, Guelph
                            

A definition of Sustainability

Ethical production is an attribute of the present wave and future of coffee. It is important for coffee to be organically produced or at least ecologically friendly. An organic production guarantees the healthy nutrient balance of the soil and the balance of biodiversity with respect to fauna and flora. The use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers may compromise the future use of soil and enhances the extinction of important microbes and the natural interaction of prey and predators. The use of cultivars that are well developed may strengthen the adaptation of the plant to the challenges of climatic change that is more profound in this 21st century.

Coffee production and consumption should be sustainability driven from farm to table. In other words, production should be ethical, organic, traceable, authentic and transparent. Crypto-labelling, a blockchain technology, can be used to promote these desirable attributes.  The value and supply chain should be well documented, and monitoring and regulation should be appropriate, and the stakeholders should be involved in the strengthening of the value and supply chain. At cafes, baristas should pay attention to weighing, temperature and the brewing processes. This will ensure that drinks are of the best quality and flavour. In sum, sustainability is enhanced when all the stakeholders including farmers, producers, cooperatives, importers, employees along the value chain, and the consumers are all satisfied.

 

Conclusion:

Coffee can be defined using different parameters and consumption is a function of lifestyle and culture. The journey of coffee started in Ethiopia and is a beverage consumed globally. The Arabs helped with the movement of coffee around the world and the Italians perfected its consumption to the extent that they named an espresso adulterated with warm water as Americano (which Canadians now refer to as Canadiano because of trade policies of the United States towards Canada). With respect to culture, in the Turkish culture there is coffee cup reading where the sediments of the coffee ground in cups can be used for soothsaying and foretelling the future. There is even an app – Faladdin [8]– that can be used to implement the activity without consulting an expert.

There are different waves of coffee based on the production and consumption of the beverage. The coffee landscape became sophisticated after the third wave, and this is why the description of coffee in this essay is regarded as 4thW+ an inclusive and sustainable wave where all stakeholders are not worse off. We are not there yet but significant progress has been made.

Just like the story of coffee with different stops at different locations, ideas documented in this essay were developed on my commute between Guelph and Toronto. The conceptualization was done while drinking hojicha at Kanoo coffee and this part of the treatise was completed at Cavan Coffee. It is apparent that cafes are a place where the intelligentsia resides.

Though Nietzsche and Schopenhauer assert that it may be better not to be born, I want to take an optimistic view that only mortals write essays about the consumption of coffee and the café culture.

 

Bibliography:

Adekunle, B. 2016. How nations can navigate the difficult path to food sovereignty. The Conversation. How technology can help nations navigate the difficult path to food sovereignty.

Adekunle, B. 2024.  Understanding Intellectnomics. Dialectics. Substack. https://bamideleadekunle.substack.com/p/understanding-intellectnomics.

Adekunle, B. 2025. Food Authenticity. ECVOntario: Guelph. https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2025/05/food-authenticity.html.

Adekunle, B. and Filson G. (EP) 2023. Opacity and Food Authenticity. Behind the Aroma.  ECVOntario: Guelph. https://open.spotify.com/episode/14SFW2iMplE52PBZyMddji?si=GDeowIL-Raa04Zful38X9g.

Adekunle, B. and Filson G. (EP) 2023. Geographical Indications. Behind the Aroma.  ECVOntario: Guelph. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6CoNMldPXsfdonxIjHyBIi?si=iGPFVIHBRj6fhB3i99fKYA.

Airin M. 2024. Cup of Excellence: The Journey of the Perfect Sip. ECVOntario: Guelph. https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2024/03/cup-of-excellence-journey-of-perfect-sip.html.

Angelico I. 2005. Black Coffee – The Irresistible Bean, La fete Productions (Coffee) Inc. TVO/PBS.

Bielski, Z. 2024. Need a mini digital detox? These screen-free spaces nudge people offline and back into real life. Globe and Mail: Toronto.

Giuli, M., Pascucci, F., 2014. Il ritorno alla competitivita` dell’espresso italiano. Angeli, Milan. Grinspan, J., July 9, 2014. How Coffee Fueled the Civil War. New York Times. Available from: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/09/how-coffee-fueled-the-civil-war/.

Morris, J. 2017. We Consumers – Tastes, Rituals, and Waves. In The Craft and Science of Coffee. Folmer, B. (ed.)  Academic Press: UK. chapter 19:457-491). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128035207000190.

Oldenburg, R. and Christensen, K. (2023) Third places, true citizen spaces. UNESCO Courier: France. https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/third-places-true-citizen-spaces.

Ozerkan F. 2023. Turkish coffee, not just a drink but a culture. UNESCO Courier: France. https://courier.unesco.org/en/articles/turkish-coffee-not-just-drink-culture.

Pendergrast M. 1999. Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World. New York: Basic Books.

Teles, C. R Arcanjo, and J.H. Behrens. 2020. “The Waves of Coffee and the Emergence of the new Brazilian Consumer.” In Coffee Consumption and Industry Strategies in Brazil, edited by Eduardo Eugenio Spers, 257–274. Elsevier.

 

Special thanks to Rufus Cavan, the chief roaster at Cavan Coffee and the Intellectnomics Research Group (IRG) coffee specialist – Wondimu Gashaw and fellow – Kajumba Kaahwa. Deserving special commendation is Emeritus Prof. Glen Filson for his comments on earlier drafts of this essay and the facilitation of our weekly meetings where we discuss different issues including gastronomy. I also thank El-Patron (Lennin Ruano-Ruiz), Erika Baker, Robbie McGill and Mackenzie Foote of Balzac’s Coffee Roasters, The Cavan brothers of Cavan Coffee, the baristas at Planet Bean downtown, and Kanoo Coffee (Amanda, Steve and the Baristas).

 

Bamidele Adekunle|IRG & ECVOntario|SEDRD|University of Guelph.

 

 

 

 

 

 



[1] Ethnographic study

[2] Melitta.“HistoryofCoffee.”MelittaUSA.(n.d.).https://www.melitta.com/en/History-of-Coffee-629.html.1

 

[3] Please see Irene Angelico (2005) Black Coffee – The Irresistible Bean, La fete Productions (Coffee) Inc. TVO/PBS;

Pendergrast Mark (1999), Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World. New York: Basic Books.

 

[4] Usually thick and dark.

[5] A place to read books or for their solitude time

[6] More than 30 people.

[7] Living in the American bubble can be deceptive.

[8] This app has more than 25 million downloads on all platforms as of 2025.

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May 11, 2025

Food Authenticity

 

Food Authenticity

“What is food authenticity? Is it defined by the consumer or producer?” A listener to our podcast, Behind the Aroma – Opacity and Food Authenticity, once asked me. To make it easy for consumers, foodies, and other stakeholders in our food systems, I decided to explore different scenarios to aid our understanding of the phenomenon.

                                Roasting of Coffee in Kenya. Recorded by Ndarua Steve Gitu


Experiment I: Geographical Indications

In the winter of 2024, I invited a single origin coffee expert, roaster, and café (Cavan Coffee) owner to expose my students to the concepts of fourth wave and single origin coffee. He presented to my international trade class on a Friday evening about how he imports coffee directly from farmers in Colombia, Ethiopia, and other parts of the world. This indicates that his procurement process is both ethical and authentic. At the end of the lectures, students said that they’ve not heard the phrase ‘fourth wave coffee’ let alone ‘single origin’ coffee. He left us with sachets of single origin coffee for the students to enjoy. Though instant coffee is supposed to be of low quality, this is a premium coffee packaged as instant for people who don’t have the equipment and time to meticulously brew a premium coffee.

The students, friends and policy makers love the instant single origin, so I decided to do a single origin coffee ‘Challenge’ in another undergraduate student class. In my Management of International Enterprise class students were asked to explore the instant coffee offered by Cavan coffee (packaged by Hasty coffee.com). After consumption, they were expected to post their comments and pictures/videos on Instagram while tagging ECVOntario and Cavan Coffee. This exposed the students to testing the desirability of a new product – in this case a premium instant coffee. It also strengthens students’ skills to use social media to promote the desirability of products across platforms and borders that are based on authenticity, traceability and ‘skin in the game’.

A Sachet of a Single Origin Instant Coffee


This scenario shows that food authenticity can be explained through single origin. Single origin is related to ‘geographical indications’ which is a type of intellectual property rights. Examples of single origin coffees are Yirgacheffee, Mexican Li Maya, Peruvian Café Femenino, Sidamo, Fig Mood -Costa Rica, Los Diamentes – Colombia, Mauricio Perez – Guatemala, and El Horizonte, Geisha – Colombia.

 

Experiment II: Local Foods

In our exploration of the meaning of authenticity, local food is usually more authentic because it is easy to monitor the activities of the farmers and processors and there is little or no need for preservatives to extend the shelf life of a fruit or vegetable. In the winter of 2024, a group of students in a final year undergraduate class were asked to document their impressions about an apple from an orchard in the Brampton area of the Greater Toronto Area. I have known the farmer for more than nine years.

On the issue of local production

To explain the impact of proximity or distance on quality, I bought a basket of fresh apples from the Guelph Farmers’ Market and offered them to my students. 19 out of 98 students, 20 percent of the class, participated and submitted their observations. The other students gave general feedback during the semester. The apples were in season: October (Fall) – May/June (Spring) from Applevue Apples, located between Brampton and Georgetown. This farm sells different apples at the market such as Honey Crisp, Gala, Empire, Portland, Mutsu, Ambrosia, and MacIntosh.

The students were told to pick an apple and indicate the variety and their impressions about the apple.

Below are the students’ impressions.

Results

The students ranked the apple high in times of freshness (8.92 /10) and taste (8.34/10). The students were unable to identify the apple’s variety. This was to be expected because food is an experience good where prior knowledge and consumption is required in the identification process. As seen in the table below, they misclassified the apple. The apple administered was Ambrosia which only 21% of the students got right.

Identification by students

Name

Frequency

Percentage

Gala

3

16

Royal Gala

3

16

Honey Crisp

6

32

Ambrosia

4

21

Spanish Apple

1

05

Fuji Apple

2

10

Total

19

100

 

Students also added notes that the apple was juicy, crisp, not soft, no bruises but can be easily bruised, less than a week old, firmness, aroma, appearance, No wax ( a cover or veil to hide the state of the produce, commonly used to protect produce travelling long distance, use to increase the aesthetic shelf life but this compromises quality and taste).

Although the students struggled to identify the apple’s variety, they were clear and unanimous in the desirable qualities of a locally produced apple.

Information economics

The lesson from this small experiment is that opacity is reduced with proximity and relationship with producers. The apples for the experiment are from a family we know of their orchard. In-season is better than off season because nutrients diminish with time. It is also important to note that apples and most foods are experience goods. Physical inspection is usually not adequate and may be misleading for goods like apples. An apple may look fresh (covered with wax) but not good enough when consumed. Experience goods – need to be tasted and consumed, though authenticity is not necessarily guaranteed. For example, significant experience is required to discern halal or grass-fed meat from non-halal or intensive beef production.

 

Experiment III: Cultural Exploration

Sunfest, a festival to celebrate culture, food and music, is a yearly event in London, Ontario. We attended the last day of the event last year on July 5, 2024.  Our yearly ritual at this festival is to listen to music from different parts of the world and try a new experience of the restaurant landscape of the city. After we saw Alpha Yaya Diallo who was a new album tour we decided to visit Addis Ababa Restaurant, an Ethiopian restaurant.

We shared a platter of injera, beans, collard green potatoes, beef stew, and chicken stew with family friends. The injera was far better, not sour, than some injera I have eaten before. Injera does not necessarily taste the same. Teff varieties may be different, and mode of preparation affects taste. The best stew on the platter for me was collard green mixed with potatoes. This combination goes well with the injera. Coffee was also served in the traditional cups. As per authenticity, the beans were freshly roasted, and we were told to perceive aroma because according to the Ethiopian culture it brings blessing. Frankincense was burnt throughout our stay which contributed to the ambience and heavenliness of space. All meals were prepared in-house based on our specifications.  

Overall, it was an excellent experience. It is good to try old and familiar experiences in a new space or place because the experience may be different.

 

An Ethiopian platter as presented to us in Addis Ababa restaurant, London. Ontario.

*Special thanks to Rufus Cavan, my winter 2024 TRSM students, and the Maitland’s.

Bamidele Adekunle| IRG &ECVOntario | SEDRD| University of Guelph


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