Behind the Aroma

In a figurative sense, spices are behind the aroma, so what better way to wrap up the season than talking about spices? The very thing that is Behind the Aroma.

Have you ever felt uneasy about approaching a customs officer when returning from your dream vacation? Perhaps because you have wrapped and tucked away an empty conch shell you picked up from the shoreline of a beautiful Bahamian beach. Or from your trip back home? Perhaps because deep away in your luggage is your favourite snack, Gala, a sausage roll snack. That tinge of uneasiness you feel is probably the guilt of smuggling. Yes, smuggling. We talk about smuggling in this episode, and as we get to understand smuggling, we realize that what is considered smuggling will depend on the policies of a nation; one nation's contraband may be another nation's legitimate good. Smuggling lies in the eyes of the beholder - Hanna Mark. The Balinese music featured in this episode is “Kapi Radja (Ape King)” by Peliatan Gamelan. Fela Kuti's music featured in this episode is “Fela Kuti struggling to stay up at bedtime between Berwick and Redcar” by the Travelling Mongoose.  To learn some more: https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2023/11/behind-aroma-podcast-notes-for-season.html

In this episode, we share the story of our fictional farmer, Ajoke from Ijebu Ishiwo in Ogun State, Nigeria who wants to grow fonio. Along the way, she discovers a few technologies to help her with her fonio growing ambition. To learn some more: https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2023/08/behind-aroma-podcast-notes-for-season.html  Note: We said “ undocumented oral traditional language” when we meant “undocumented oral traditional knowledge.” We're human, and we make mistakes. Even ChatGPT, which we discuss in this episode, with all its fancy algorithms makes mistakes too;)

Opacity and food authenticity are inversely related. What does it mean, you might ask? Well, you'll find that out in this episode. And in the process, you'll also learn about fourth-wave coffee, DNA barcoding, and that Georgia does not only refer to a U.S. state but is also the name of a country in Europe! The Georgian folk music featured in this episode is “Chakrulo” by the Georgian State Folk Song and Dance Ensemble. Renegade Tea: https://www.renegadetea.com/ Cavan Coffee: https://cavan.coffee/ Crazy Carrot: https://crazycarrot.ca/ By the way, for suggestions on what to order from Crazy Carrot, listen to the very end ;) To learn some more: https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2023/06/behind-aroma-podcast-notes-for-season.html

Some people want to eat mangos but cannot, and others might want to stop eating wheat but cannot; why the dilemma, you might ask? Listen and find out. To learn some more: https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2023/04/behind-aroma-podcast-notes-for-season_23.html

Imagine yourself on New Year's Eve; a few minutes before the clock strikes 12, you're at a party, and you grab yourself a bottle of sparkling wine. You place your thumb on the wooden cork and wrap the rest of your fingers around the bottle's neck. Five..Four..Three... You push upwards on the cork. Two...One... POP! The cork flies, and the bottle releases with effervescence. Happy New Year!!! You scream. You pour yourself a glass and drink with satisfaction at the thought of flawlessly executing a New Year tradition of popping champagne. Unfortunately, this is not true. The bottle you popped was not from the Champagne region in Northern France, so it was just a bottle of sparkling wine. There's a difference between the two, and you'll find out why in this episode. To learn some more: https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2023/04/behind-aroma-podcast-notes-for-season.html

Three years later, and we're back with the second season of our podcast, Behind the Aroma. In this episode, we share what to expect this season, from discussions on geographical indications to DNA barcoding. In all our episodes, one theme runs through, and that is to discover what truly lies behind the aroma. Producer: Dr. Bamidele Adekunle Associate Producer: Christine Kajumba Executive Producers: Dr. Bamidele Adekunle & Dr. Glen Filson Script Writer, Narrator & Digital Editor: Olaitan Ogunnote

Sharing is something we do quite well as humans. Follow us across time and cultures to discover how and why we share foods. Special thanks to Beautiful Nubia for the song, Pass de Kalabash. To learn some more: http://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2020/04/behind-aroma-episode-5-shared-platter.html?m=1

Protein plays a crucial role in our lives, from meatless Mondays to meatfull Mondays, whatever your fancy is, follow us as we discover the gastronomy of proteins. To learn some more: http://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2020/02/behind-aroma-episode-4-proteinous.html

From a long, arduous journey into the Peruvian jungle, to a fancy tasting experience at Central, we find our way back to Canada, to our Indigenous people and their three sisters, as we discover the story of food sovereignty. To learn some more: http://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2020/01/behind-aroma-episode-3-three-sisters.html

A beast of burden, a beauty in the eye of some beholders, we ride on the back of camels striding through the sandy sea of deserts as we discover the story of cultural economics it tells. To learn some more: https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2019/12/behind-aroma-episode-2-camels-culture.html

In this episode, we follow the travels of Akara from West Africa to East Africa to South America to North America, and we discover the story of integration it tells. To learn some more: https://evcontario2011.blogspot.com/2019/11/behind-aroma-episode-1-breakfast-in.html

Welcome to Behind the Aroma.