Issue 23 (The Food Issue) (Volume 143) (March 27, 2023)

FOOD ISSUE

T HE VAR SI T Y

The Varsity would like to acknowledge that our office is built on the traditional territory of several First Nations, including the Huron-Wendat, the Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit. Journalists have historically harmed Indigenous communities by overlooking their stories, contributing to stereotypes, and telling their stories without their input. Therefore, we make this acknowledgement as a starting point for our responsibility to tell those stories more accurately, critically, and in accordance with the wishes of Indigenous Peoples.

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U of T terminates lease agreement for iconic Innis Café, asks them to vacate by June 15

PhD student petition for U of T to keep Innis Café on campus gains 3,100 signatures

Student reactions

Alana Boisvert Associate News Editor

This past month, U of T asked Gunash and Ali Shahidi, the owners and operators of the beloved Innis Café, to move out of their space in Innis College by June 15 due to impending construction. The university does not currently plan to provide the café with a temporary location to operate from during the construction, which will last until 2025. In an email to The Varsity, Gunash wrote, “We don’t know if we will come back [to Innis].”

In response, Sanchia deSouza, a UTSG PhD candidate studying history, created a petition asking U of T to provide Innis Café with a new kitchen on campus during the construction. Since its creation three weeks ago, the petition received over 3,100 signatures as of March 26.

The order to vacate

In June 2021, the university first informed the Shahidi family that Innis College would undergo construction and that the café might have to close. The university then paused its plans due to COVID-19.

During an interview with The Varsity, Gunash, co-owner and manager of Innis Café, said that, about a month ago, the University of Toronto informed Innis Café that the university would terminate its agreement with the Shahidis, ending their lease on August 3. During the week of March 6, the Shahidis received a letter from the Governing Council telling them that they would have to vacate by June 15, earlier than initially informed.

ed to open the café because the university was “looking for healthier [food] options for students and reasonable prices.”

When the café first opened, the menu consisted of a juice and salad bar along with two sandwich options. Now the café has an extensive menu including hot and lighter meals and vegetarian, vegan, and halal options. “[Students] can get a complete meal with very reasonable prices,” Gunash said.

In addition to operating the café, the Shahidis also provide catering services on campus. The Innis Café catered barbecues in the Innis courtyard during the summer, as well as orientations around campus. Gunash wrote to The Varsity that, across the café’s history, the café has also hired approximately 70 students.

The petition

In the petition description, deSouza called on the U of T administration to provide the Innis Café with an alternative space including an on-site kitchen until the Innis College renovations finish. This would allow the Shahidi family to continue cooking for the U of T community. The petition also asks the university to “recognize that Innis Café” plays an important role in providing fresh and healthy food on campus, noting that the café sees up to 200 customers a day.

In an email to The Varsity, deSouza wrote that she started the petition to “offer other customers… a way to show their support for the Shahidis and to show their interest in keeping Innis Café on campus and serving freshly made food.”

In an email to The Varsity, deSouza explained that she moved to Canada from India in 2014 to begin her PhD program. She went to the café in her first week at U of T after a faculty member advised her to try the food.

“For a newly arrived, very anxious, lonely and overwhelmed international student that I was back in 2014-2015, a warm smile and a friendly hello from Gunash, Ali or Damon meant a great deal,” deSouza wrote. “I felt like community and connection would be possible in Toronto, a place that was very different in terms of social dynamics from the cities in India I’d previously lived in.”

Anya Carter, a fourth-year student in English and book and media studies, worked at the café from September 2019 to March 2020. She wrote in an email to The Varsity that “it was really interesting to be in a workplace that wasn’t part of a big conglomerate — they care about their customers a lot.” Carter recalls a worker letting a frequent customer pay late because the customer and employee had formed a bond of trust. “That wouldn’t happen in a Starbucks or a Tim Hortons, for example,” she wrote.

“I’ve had multiple friends say that the only thing getting them through the day was an Innis Café chicken burrito. When [the COVID] lockdown happened, I missed their chicken burritos more than any other attribute of campus life,” she said. She agrees with the petition’s demands and wants U of T to “acknowledge the students’ frustration about this situation.”

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BUSINESS OFFICE

Parmis Mehdiyar business@thevarsity.ca

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Ishir Wadhwa ishirw@thevarsity.ca

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In a statement to The Varsity, a U of T spokesperson explained that U of T decided to end the lease because Innis College is “undertaking a major renewal and expansion [project] beginning this summer.” The university hopes to create new student focused spaces that will “enhance the student experience and improve accessibility.”

Gunash said that she and Ali respect the University of Toronto for their decision to close the café during the expected two years of construction. Gunash noted that, to stay on campus while Innis College is under construction, they would require a new space with a kitchen. The Shahidis plan to go to a new location for a while and do not know if they will return to Innis after the construction.

The U of T spokesperson wrote that the Shahidis “are welcome to participate in competitive processes the University holds from time to time to select food service providers for other oncampus spaces.”

Part of the construction at Innis College will include installing a larger café space. According to the university spokesperson, U of T will hold a “competitive process” to determine who will provide food in the renovated space. The spokesperson wrote that such a process is “consistent with the University’s normal practice for all food service locations on the St. George campus.”

Innis Café

The Innis Café, a family-run and operated food vendor, has operated out of Innis College at 2 Sussex Avenue for more than 22 years. Gunash and her husband Ali both obtained PhDs in nutritional sciences and worked in nutritional research in Türkiye. Gunash said that they decid-

DeSouza explained that she also created the petition, in part, to highlight the importance of having a family-owned and family-run business on campus. She wrote that many other food options on campus have a “much more corporate and impersonal feel.”

In an email to The Varsity, Gunash wrote that the petition organizers contacted the Shahidis before creating the petition. “We appreciate what they did for us,” she wrote, noting that they value students’ recognition that the café plays an important role in providing fresh and healthy food to U of T’s community.

In comments posted on the petition website, many expressed disappointment about U of T’s decision to remove an affordable, healthier alternative to campus food. The Innis Café accepts TBucks from student meal plans, allowing many students living in residence to buy food without

DeSouza wrote that “[Innis Café] has been, over the years, a great place to meet friends and colleagues to eat together and talk about work and life, as well as share those killer Innis Café brownies.” As a grad student who spends a lot of time in Robarts Library, she highlighted the café’s convenient location.

Cassandra Gu is a third-year Innis College student specializing in biological chemistry. In an interview with The Varsity at the Innis Café, she said she knows “a lot of people come here just to hang out or to study. It’s nice to have a place to grab a snack.”

After being informed that the Innis Café would close in June, Gu characterized the upcoming closure as “unfortunate,” highlighting the nice atmosphere of the café.

“It’s a loss for Innis College,” she said.

With files from Sarah Artemia Kronenfeld.

U of T student unions see increased demand for food centres

Food centres cope by extending hours, hiring staff, increasing supplies and pickups

Alyanna Denise Chua, Al Aref Helal, Alice Boyle Varsity Editors

Food centres run by U of T’s three undergraduate student unions have seen increased demand for their services this academic year from students. This has encouraged student unions on all three campuses to extend their food centre operating hours, hire more staff members, and increase orders from suppliers.

According to the “Who’s Hungry Report 2022” by Daily Bread Food Bank and North York Harvest, food banks across Toronto saw a record of 1.68 million visits from April 2021 to March 2022, representing a 16 per cent increase from the previous year’s 1.45 million visits.

SCSU Food Centre

One of Daily Bread’s 126 member agencies is the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) Food Centre. “The demand for the Food Centre has increased paramountly since the summer,” said Carlos Arturo Paez Gonzalez — one of the centre’s coordinators — in an interview with The Varsity . According to the “Who’s Hungry Report 2022,” Scarborough saw a 29 per cent increase in food bank use from April 2021 to March 2022, the highest percentage increase out of all the districts in Toronto.

Gonzalez said that the SCSU Food Centre sees 200 visits a week. To meet this increased demand, the SCSU has almost tripled its orders from Daily Bread since the summer, increased its weekly grocery pickups to two times a week — on Mondays and Fridays — and, in January, hired two more Food Centre coordinators. Riddhi Danani — one of the Food Centre coor-

dinators — told The Varsity that around 80 to 100 volunteers assist the centre weekly. The Food Centre also hosts cooking workshops throughout the year.

Gonzalez said that the Food Centre can be “such a life-changer” for people facing difficult circumstances. Last year, he depended on the centre for food after his family’s main financial provider passed away. “The Food Centre was the reason that I was fed every day,” he said.

The SCSU Food Centre is located in SL 210-B at the Student Centre and is open from 1:00–5:00 pm on grocery pickup dates. Each user may only sign up for one pickup a week.

Danani said that slots for grocery pickups fill up quickly. She suggested that people sign up for early timeslots, noting that “you get the best items in the first two hours.”

SCSU Vice-President Operations Mathooshan Manoharan encourages students to volunteer with the centre, and in an interview

with The Varsity , said that the centre accepts financial and food-related donations.

UTMSU Food Centre

In an interview with The Varsity, University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) Vice-President Equity Reagan Roopnarine noted that the UTMSU Food Centre has seen a 600 per cent increase in visits compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roopnarine said that when she joined the equity team years ago, only around 12 people visited the centre every week. “Last week, we had 160 orders,” said Roopnarine.

Jazmmeyn Barnett — a second-year biology student and regular patron of the UTMSU Food Centre — highlighted that the centre supports students’ mental and financial stability. “Dealing with school is hard enough, and then also being hungry… it affects my studying… it’s really stressful,” she told The Varsity. Now, she uses the cen-

tre to get food items, especially when her finances are “running tight.”

Even though the centre caters to those who face food insecurity, Roopnarine emphasized that the UTMSU does not ask users for proof or documentation. “We trust your word,” she said. Students who wish to get groceries from the UTMSU Food Centre must fill in a pick-up form by Sunday each week.

UTSU Food Bank

As of November 2022, 140 students had registered with the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) Food Bank, a 100 per cent increase compared to 2021. The UTSU offers food bank services in room 136 in the Student Commons building every Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. To access its services, students must register for slots, which are made available every Wednesday between 9:00–10:00 am.

The UTSU also launched a food rescue program on March 6, which aims to provide prepared frozen food to U of T students in need. It runs on a first-come-first-serve basis every Monday and Tuesday from 12:00–1:30 pm at the food bank.

Increased food bank use across Toronto

The 2022 “Who’s Hungry” report determined that increased rates of precarious employment, fewer social assistance programs, lack of affordable housing, and increased cost of living increased food insecurity and food bank use.

Inflation rates for food remain high in Canada. While Canada’s overall annual inflation rate sat at 5.2 per cent in February, the price of grocery food increased 10.6 per cent from last year, according to a Statistics Canada report.

The UTSU did not respond to The Varsity’s request for comment.

The Breakdown: Halal

The Varsity went to all 28 food locations at UTSC, 15 of which were able to produce halal certificates.

Many students at UTSC are not able to enjoy the variety of food locations on the campus due to a lack of halal options. Staff at 11 locations claim that all of their menu items are halal, while staff at seven locations confirmed that none of their meats are halal. Eight locations serve halal proteins alongside non halal proteins, but staff claim that they prepare the proteins separately. Meanwhile, two other locations also serve halal proteins alongside non halal proteins, but the extent to which these proteins come into contact with each other remains unclear.

The Varsity was not able to verify whether the proteins available in on-campus vending machines are halal. The Varsity also did not include beverage outlets such as Booster Juice and Chatime in its analysis.

Student Centre

Staff at Hero Certified Burgers and Pitalite claim that they only serve halal food. Their menus do not contain any pork or alcoholic beverages. 1265 Bistro also exclusively serves halal proteins and does not serve any pork, but the establishment does serve alcohol. Staff at Hero Certified Burgers and 1265 Bistro showed The Varsity their halal certificates, while staff at Pitalite were not able to produce its certificate to The Varsity in time for publication.

The packed sandwiches at the INS Market are halal certified, while its patties are not.

Staff at Asian Gourmet claim that the four chicken dishes they serve are halal, but could not clarify whether the chicken comes into contact with other types of meat in the kitchen. They told The Varsity that they do not have a halal certificate because not all of their proteins are halal.

Lastly, staff at KFC and Subway told The Varsity that none of their meats are halal.

Market Place

“Ninety-nine per cent of the time, our products are halal,” said Leroy Whisker — the executive chef for Aramark at UTSC — in an interview with The Varsity. He said that everything made in house at the Market Place is halal except for pork, turkey, and veal dishes.

Whisker was able to show The Varsity copies of the Market Place’s halal certificate. He said that the Market Place sources all their proteins from Sysco — a US-based multinational food distribution company that offers halal-certified meat.

In addition, staff do not cook halal and non halal proteins with the same equipment at the same time. “The two are never crossing one another… We keep them separate as much as possible,” he said.

Whisker said that when he started in his role last

August, he converted the majority of proteins at the Market Place into halal because he wanted to prevent confusion among customers.

For example, he switched the pepperoni used for pizzas in Pizza Pizza from regular to halal. He also eliminated pork from Noodle Fix and Zoca in order to reduce the opportunities for halal and non halal proteins to come into close contact with each other. “If [a dish is] not halal, we’ll put a sign out,” he said.

Now, Whisker is working to get hotdog sausages and Italian sausages that are halal. “Whatever we can get halal, we’ll do halal,” he said.

All menu items at Food Lab, Make Bakery, Pizza Pizza, Salad Bar, Noodle Fix, and Zoca are halal. Meanwhile, The Local Grill House, Chopsticks, Tavolino, Ready to Go, and Hot Grab and Go serve non halal meals alongside halal meals. The Local Grill House sells bacon and non halal sausages in

the mornings for breakfast; Chopsticks sells pork bellies; and Ready to Go sells turkey sandwiches. While the beef patties, meat pie, beef savoury pastries, and chicken savoury pastries at Hot Grab and Go are halal, its chicken patties are not halal because the Market Place orders them from an external company.

Lastly, the packaged chicken teriyaki at Bento Sushi is not halal as the Market Place chefs do not make that dish in the kitchen. Bento Sushi also serves pork gyoza and barbeque pork steamed buns.

North Campus

Staff at La Prep told The Varsity that their roast beef is halal certified but could not clarify whether the roast beef comes into contact with other types of meat in the kitchen.

At the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, staff at Tim Hortons and Pizza Pizza said that none of their meats are halal. Meanwhile, staff at Poolsides Bar and Grill told The Varsity that only their chickens are halal, except for their chicken tenders and chicken wings. However, they use separate pans, cutting boards, and knives to prepare their halal and non halal proteins. Poolsides staff were able to show The Varsity their halal certificate.

The rest Staff at the Starbucks and the Tim Hortons in the Bladen Wing said that none of their meats are halal. Meanwhile, staff at the Tim Hortons Express Kiosk in the Humanities Wing said that all their menu items are halal as they only serve coffee and meatless pastries at that location.

Gathering Grounds is run by Aramark. Whisker said that while the chicken patties there are not halal, the beef patties are.

At the Social Sciences Building, Alijandro’s serves all halal food items. Staff were able to show The Varsity their halal certificate.

food at UTSC

Out of 28 food locations, 11 claim that all their menu items are halal

Alyanna Denise Chua

UTSC Bureau Chief

The UTSU food centre has 140 students registered to use the service.

ZEYNEP POYANLI/THEVARSITY

SARAH ARTEMIA KRONENFELD/THEVARSITY

Thrive UTM slate elected to all UTMSU executive positions in unofficial results

Gulfy Bekbolatova elected UTMSU president

Alana Boisvert Associate News Editor

On March 20, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) published unofficial results for its 2023–2024 general elections on Instagram. The Thrive UTM slate received the most votes in all elections for executive positions, surpassing candidates in the It’s Time UTM and United UTM slates. At the time of publication, the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Elias Ancer and Election and Referenda Committee (EARC) are still examining complaints and appeals, and are expected to release official results shortly.

The voting occurred in person from March 14–16.

Results

Gulfy Bekbolatova led the UTMSU president race with 1,102 votes. Bekbolatova is currently an assistant to the Vice-President External Alistair Kirk, and plans to continue UTMSU’s Education for All campaign during her term as president. The runner-up, Sam Aboul Hosn of the It’s Time UTM slate, received 667 votes. 2,112 students voted in the presidential election — about 14 per cent of the undergraduate student body.

John (Yongxin) Liang, who served as an associate for this year’s Vice-President Internal, Wenhan (Berry) Lou, received 1,122 votes for

election as vice president internal. Runner-up Linda Tamim received 635 votes.

Kiki Ayoola led the race for vice president external with 1,036 votes. She is a member of the African Students’ Association, UTM Black Students Association, and Caribbean Connections. Niguel Walker, the runner-up, garnered 652 votes. Ayoola received 40 demerit points, which warrants a disqualification from the elections according to the Demerit Points Tracker. However, these demerit points and further complaints remain under examination by the CRO and EARC and are subject to change.

Layana Alnabhan is expected to receive the vice-president university affairs position with 1,030 votes. The runner-up was Jinze (Michael) Wang, who received 594 votes.

For the election of vice president equity, Ruth Alemayehu received 987 votes. This year, Alemayehu served as the UTM Black Student Association’s co-president. In the second place, Jonathan (Divine) Angubua received 613 votes.

The campaign manager of the It’s Time UTM slate, Adam Aboul Hosn, left a comment on the UTMSU’s Instagram post condemning the CRO for not publicly clarifying the demerit points that the slates received during the elections, which Aboul Hosn wrote were “filed a while back.”

UTMSU election candidates raise concerns about demerit points system, elections committee

CRO, executive members dispute conflict of interest allegations

Lexey Burns Deputy News Editor

On March 20, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) announced that, according to the unofficial results, Thrive UTM swept the 2023–24 executive position elections. Since the announcement, other slates and Transparent UTMSU have raised concerns about the demerit points system. They also alleged that ties between Thrive UTM’s campaign managers and the UTMSU’s Elections and Referenda Committee (EARC) — which handles candidate appeals — indicate a conflict of interest.

The Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Elias Ancer and current UTMSU executives disputed these claims.

Demerit points

The Elections Procedure Code allows the CRO to issue demerit points to candidates who have violated it. Executive candidates who receive at least 40 demerit points are automatically disqualified.

According to the Demerit Points Tracker — UTMSU’s public display of candidate demerit points — all members of Thrive UTM received 25 demerit points on March 14 for “Failure to comply with the spirit of elections.” The CRO indicated that he assigned these demerit points because the slate sent the CRO a nonconsensual recording of Niguel Walker — It’s Time UTM’s candidate for vice-president external. Thrive UTM appealed the decision, and the EARC reduced the penalty to 10 demerit points on March 15.

The following day, the CRO gave all Thrive UTM members 15 demerit points for harassment, which the slate also appealed. The EARC reduced the number of demerit points from 15 to 10.

The Demerit Points Tracker indicates that Kiki Ayoola — Thrive UTM’s candidate for vice-president external and unofficial win -

ner of the election — later received 15 more demerit points for “making false allegations,” bringing her total to 40 points. The CRO did not provide a public explanation for this penalty. After Thrive UTM appealed, the EARC lowered Ayoola’s points for “false allegations” to 10, bringing Ayoola’s total to 30 demerit points. When The Varsity asked Reagan Roopnarine — UTMSU vice-president equity and a member of the EARC — about this decision, she did not provide a reason.

CRO Ancer has not maintained accurate demerit point updates on the Demerit Point Tracker where students can stay updated on the appeals process. In an interview with The Varsity on March 23, Ancer said that instead of updating the public Wall of Transparency, he shifted to using a spreadsheet only available to specific individuals. He wanted to prevent confusion because the appeals process leads to fluctuations in demerit points. Ancer also explained that he was more focused on updating the unofficial results.

The EARC UTMSU executives Roopnarine and Wenhan (Berry) Lou, and Alistair Kirk — vice-presidents internal, and external, respectively — make up the EARC, along with a few Board of Directors (BOD) members.

In an interview with The Varsity , Sam Aboul Hosn, the presidential candidate for It’s Time UTM, said that he and his slate do not trust the EARC. He noted that EARC members personally know Thrive UTM candidates but don’t know members of It’s Time UTM.

UTMSU President Maëlis Barre and VicePresident University Affairs Suraqa Noor took a leave of absence from their roles at the union to act as Thrive UTM’s campaign managers. Roopnarine, Lou, and Kir ran in the Inspire UTM slate with Barre and Noor during the 2022 election.

Discussing the executives on the EARC, Aboul Hosn said, “At the end of the day,

they’ve been coworkers for the past year. So there’s always going to be bias toward [Barre’s] team.”

In an interview with The Varsity , Roopnarine explained that she sits on the EARC and many other committees. She said that, to prevent bias within the EARC, BOD members and the CRO also attend EARC meetings. Each person on the committee has one vote and all meetings follow Robert’s Rules of Order, which permits individuals to ask questions and follow up.

Roopnarine said that EARC meeting minutes should be posted on the UTMSU’s website. The Varsity confirmed that these meeting minutes are not available on the UTMSU’s website at the time of publication.

Transparent UTSMU allegations

Transparent UTMSU is an anonymous Instagram account that aims to encourage accountability and transparency at the union. On March 23, Transparent UTMSU admins published a post condemning the actions of the CRO, Thrive UTM, and UTMSU executives, calling the election not “legitimate.”

The post explicitly called out Barre’s decision to send the recording of Walker to the CRO. It’s Time, along with two other slates, United UTM and Elevate UTM, published a statement condemning the use of the recording to award demerit points to Walker. Transparent UTMSU claimed that the CRO “suppressed the voices of other parties” by having the slates take down their statement.

Transparent UTMSU also alleged that Barre demonstrated a lack of concern for students’ privacy by sending the recording of Walker to the CRO. In response, Barre said that she could have posted the recording on social media. Instead, she forwarded the recording to the CRO because she was concerned that another candidate made a student feel uncomfortable to the point where the student decided to record the conversation.

“It’s not immoral. It’s just giving the CRO every possible information he needs to make sure that the election remains a fair one,” Barre said of her decision.

Transparent UTMSU argued that the CRO should hold all candidates accountable and disqualify any candidate who received 40 demerit points, as per the EPC. They also highlighted that Barre and Lou hired the CRO.

In an interview with The Varsity , Barre confirmed that she, current UTMSU Executive Director Felipe Nagata, and Lou hired Ancer as the 2023 CRO. The three UTMSU members sit on the Human Resources (HR) Committee, which hires individuals to work for the UTMSU. “That is just how things work in a normal organization. That is mandated by our Constitution, bylaws and policies,” Barre said. She highlighted that she only spoke with Thrive UTM’s presidential candidate, Gulfy Bekbolatova, about working with the Thrive UTM slate after the HR Committee had hired the CRO.

Barre confirmed that the UTMSU published the CRO job position on their website at least two weeks before the application deadline, as per the UTMSU’s constitution. Ancer was the only applicant for the CRO position. In an interview with The Varsity , Ancer explained that one of his and Nagata’s mutual friends brought the job posting to his attention.

Ancer believes that Barre’s involvement with the hiring process for the CRO does not qualify as a conflict of interest. He explained that Nagata and Lou supervise him because Barre stepped down as president for the election period.

In an interview, Barre told The Varsity that Transparent UTMSU’s post is “misinformation with the aim to slander a team that won an election fair and square because some people are not ready to accept the outcome.”

The UTMSU BOD will vote on ratifying the election results at its March 31 meeting.

The 2023–2024 UTMSU executive results will be ratified at the UTMSU’s March BOD meeting. COURTESY OF UTMSU

SCSU directors accept 2023 general elections results

CRO concerned with low voter turnout and spoiled ballots, makes recommendations

Alyanna Denise Chua UTSC Bureau Chief

At its monthly Board of Directors (BOD) meeting on March 22, the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) BOD approved the 2023 SCSU general elections results.

Amrith David, Afsana Miah, Abdulrahman Diab, Denise Nmashie, Khadidja Roble, and Akaash Palaparthy — all from the Transform UTSC slate — will officially form the union’s executive team in the 2023–2024 academic year.

Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Niya Hussen also presented her final elections report at the meeting. She said that her only issue with the elections was the low voter turnout, which The Varsity calculated was less than four per cent.

Hussen attributed students’ lack of interest in the elections to “poor advertisement for the elections” and “the lack of in-person campaigning by the candidates.” She said that candidates may

not have been interested in campaigning more actively because only one slate was running in the elections and most positions were uncontested.

Hussen also reported that “a lot of ballots” were spoiled because of polling clerks’ failure to sign the backs. She recommended that, for next year’s elections, the CRO and dispute relations officers supervise polling clerks more closely and that the union advertise the elections more frequently.

Otherwise, Hussen said, “All duties pertaining to [the elections] were conducted professionally, impartially, and securely.”

The SCSU will hold its Winter General Meeting on March 27. The union will attempt to pass the motions it included in the Annual General Meeting (AGM) agenda last November. The union was not able to pass any motions during the AGM, because it did not meet its required quorum of 500 members.

UTGSU BOD discusses fee increases, General Assembly hears from course unions

Union approves increase to Health and Dental fees

Emma Livingstone Graduate Bureau Chief

The University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) met virtually on March 20 for a Board of Directors (BOD) meeting, followed by a General Assembly meeting.

Board of Directors

The main items on the meeting agenda included motions to approve increases to levy fees. The union collects these fees from students to help fund services such as Bikechain, the Toronto Sexual Education Centre, membership in the Canadian Federation of Students — both the national and Ontario branches — and the UTGSU Health and Dental plans.

UTGSU President Lwanga Musisi explained that the BOD must first approve levy fees, which the BOD would then send to U of T governing bodies for their approval.

The largest proposed fee increases included those for the UTGSU Health Plan — by 16.85 per cent — and the UTGSU Dental Plan — by

10.91 per cent. Some BOD members discussed whether the BOD should approve increases in fees without direct approval from the students. Musisi explained that the UTGSU saw a significant increase in the number of claims made for mental health care from September 2022 to January 2023. This increased usage follows the BOD’s decision last year for the UTGSU plan to cover 100 per cent of mental health care costs, for up to $750 in total per student. Musisi added that the fee increase was needed to continue providing the same amount of coverage to students.

Vice-President Finance Neelofar Ahmed expressed reservations about the motion to increase fees to the Health and Dental plans, noting that the document outlining the proposed increases was circulated last-minute. She also expressed concerns that the UTGSU had not provided a full picture of how much money was going to the insurance companies from the claims, nor had the union fully explored alternative coverage options besides the option to raise the levy fee collected from graduate students.

Danielle Karakas, vice-president academics and funding for the School of Graduate Studies divisions 3 and 4, added that the union was not against revisiting the terms of the Health and Dental Plans, but based on the usage amount, the plans appeared to be something the general membership would be invested in maintaining.

After the discussion was exhausted, the motion to approve the fee changes was carried out.

Karakas then motioned to extend the meeting from 7:00–7:30 pm so the union could have longer to discuss an in-camera item, but the motion ultimately failed. The union still moved the meeting to an in-camera discussion, whereby non-voting members of the UTGSU were removed.

General Assembly

After the BOD meeting, the members reconvened for the General Assembly meetings with course union representatives present. The meeting began with reports from UTGSU standing committees. UTGSU general member Lynne Alexandrova shared that at the March 13 BOD meeting, the BOD had appointed general members to several

standing committees, but was still short on a few committees to meet quorum.

Neha Anwar, a graduate student in the Master of Public Policy Program at the Munk School, gauged the Assembly’s thoughts about advocating for a new fee structure for the shuttle bus that travels between the UTM and UTSG campuses.

Anwar explained that for UTSG students to take the shuttle from UTSG to UTM, each ticket is $7, whereas the shuttle service is included as part of tuition fees for UTM students. She also explained that many students live in Mississauga and commute to UTSG, so it may be beneficial for there to be an option to include the shuttle service as part of their tuition.

Anwar said she would keep the members updated on their advocacy efforts at the next meeting. After a few more event announcements, including an announcement from the Chief Returning Officer about the candidacy nominations for the upcoming UTGSU elections, the meeting adjourned at 8:04 pm.

With files from Lexey Burns.

UTSC Academic Affairs Committee recommends allowing students to retake courses for credit

UTM Campus Affairs Committee reviews plans to increase international student enrolment

Alana Boisvert, Jessie Schwalb

During a March 22 meeting, the UTSC Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) recommended that UTSC introduce a program allowing students to retake past courses for a higher grade, which the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) has been lobbying for this academic year. The UTM Campus Affairs Committee met the same day to review UTM’s Campus Operating Budget for the 2023–2024 school year. The budget indicates that UTM plans to increase international student enrollment to help resolve the campus’s budgetary challenges.

UTSC Academic Affairs Committee

Professor Katherine Larson, vice-dean teaching, learning and undergraduate programs at UTSC, presented a proposal to amend section 6C.4 of the Undergraduate Academic Calendar Regulations. The amendment would introduce a “Second Attempt for Credit” (SAC) policy, by which UTSC students could retake up to 1.0 credits from courses they’ve passed. In such cases, a student’s first attempt at the course would be marked as “Extra” on their transcript and would not count towards

their CGPA. The amendment would give students the opportunity to receive a higher grade, allowing them to apply for programs or take further courses that require attainment of a certain grade.

The proposal follows the Faculty of Arts & Science and UTM’s existing SAC policies. At the meeting, the SCSU Vice-President Academics and University Affairs Amrith David told the board, “I really believe that this policy is a step towards removing academic barriers for students.”

The UTSC AAC passed a motion recommending the proposed changes. If the Committee on Academic Policy and Programs approves the proposal at their April 13 meeting, the changes will go into effect in the upcoming fall semester.

Additionally, the Department of Language Studies proposed classifying the specialist and specialist co-op in psycholinguistics as an Honours Bachelor of Science (HBSc) degree instead of Honours Bachelor of Arts (HBA) to better reflect the program’s contents. The AAC approved the change, which will go into effect in September 2024. Once the HBSc becomes available, students currently enrolled in the HBA will have the opportunity to switch to the HBSc. New students will no longer be able to enrol in the HBA.

The AAC also approved minor modifications to

the Management, Humanities, Sciences, and Social Science curricula, and added a PhD in Medieval Studies to the existing Collaborative Specialization in Food Studies.

UTM Campus Affairs Committee

Staff from UTM’s Sustainability Office highlighted the campus’s sustainability initiatives and presented a preliminary overview of their Carbon Action Plan.

Over the past year, the office introduced a sustainability and waste ambassador program with almost 50 student volunteers and a Green Revolving fund to support energy and sustainability projects that the students and faculty proposed. The office is currently developing a free online system where students and faculty will be able to find secondhand furniture that UTM no longer uses.

The office is currently developing a Carbon Action Plan to reduce facilities’ emissions. Some expected elements of the plan include placing solar panels on buildings and transitioning UTM’s centralized heating and water system from fossil fuels to clean energy. UTM is currently conducting a campus-wide energy audit — an in-depth examination of their energy usage — that will allow them to identify areas where the campus can reduce en-

ergy consumption.

Christine Esteban — executive director of financial and budget services — and Rabeeya Amjadm — director of planning and analysis — presented the UTM Campus Operating Budget for 2023–2024, which anticipates $425 million in total revenue. Esteban noted that UTM faces a number of budget challenges including fluctuating and lowerthan-expected enrolment in the past few years, less government support, and high building costs due to supply chain issues.

The budget contains measures to admit more international students so that international students make up 32.5 per cent of new undergraduate students in 2023–2024, compared to 22.5 per cent admitted in fall 2022. International tuition will increase by two per cent, effective fall 2023. The university associated the Ontario government’s freeze on domestic tuition with a two million dollars reduction in revenues. UTM also plans to hire fewer faculty and staff in the next academic year. Esteban told the committee members that “we made sure not to have reductions [in student services], especially in the student support area,” noting the increased funding for student wellness.

With files from Makena Mwenda.

JESSICA LAM AND MICHAEL PHOON/THEVARSITY

News Team

Business & Labour

Financial lows and food truck woes

Operators must navigate bylaw struggles, soaring food prices, lockdown debt

Georgia Kelly Associate Business & Labour Editor

Wherever U of T students step at UTSG, they are greeted with several colourful food trucks lining up on St. George Street. Grabbing lunch from one of these trucks in between classes is a U of T staple. While enjoying the convenience and affordability of food trucks, what students don’t see is the effort that goes on behind the scenes, as food truck owners struggle to keep their businesses afloat. Their financial troubles have been exacerbated by

Brutal bylaws

Every five hours, food trucks including Pita Express, Food From East, and others along St. George Street must shut down and pack everything up in order to switch parking spots with another food truck and unpack everything again.

This seemingly pointless move is necessary for food trucks with temporary licenses to comply with city bylaws. Toronto allows most food trucks to operate in any location for a maximum of five hours.

The City increased the time limit for food trucks from three hours in 2015. In 2017, CBC News reported that the number of food trucks operating in Toronto increased from 14 to 56 as a result of operating food trucks becoming more convenient.

“The staff [gets] so tired… [because] we have to organize everything… it’s too much work,”

described Muhammad

Saqib,

manager of Food

From East truck in an interview with The Varsity

Increased competition

“[Business is] getting worse everyday,” says Dimitar Georgiev, who owns Blue Chip Truck. As more food trucks showed up on campus, the competition diminished their customer base, he described in an interview with The Varsity. He has been running the truck since 2006 and expects that he will close the truck next year.

Ramo Shoka pulls into St. George Street every morning at 5:00 am. He has been selling shawarmas, falafels, and other portable meals to UTSG students out of his food truck, Pita Express, since 2015. “You have to come early, early, to park. If you don’t have the spot, you lose your day,” he told The Varsity in an interview.

“We are the city’s busiest truck, I can tell you, but it’s not like before,” says Hatice Onurman, who has been serving customers at UTSG out of the Brown Food Truck for almost 18 years.

To increase prices or not to increase amidst inflation

According to Statistics Canada, food prices in Canada have been rising dramatically for two years in a row.

Saqib noted that the cost of food among Food From East’s operating costs went from 25 percent before the pandemic to 45 percent after lockdowns. Onurman described that prices get higher “for ketchup, for potatoes, each [item],” every time the Brown Food Truck restocks.

Still, the St. George food trucks are reluctant, on the whole, to increase their menu prices. “Since 2006 till now, I have increased my prices [by] one dollar,” said Georgiev. Mohammed Sayeed, who manages The Shawarma Truck, told The Varsity in an interview that their menu prices also haven’t budged: “We are trying to give [students] good quality plus [good] price.” The truck has been op-

erating on St. George street since 2015.

Saqib noted that Food From East is aware of customers’ “student budget,” and that low prices help the business compete with indoor food options.

Surviving the lockdown

U of T campuses shut down in March 2020 and did not open until September 2021,, leaving St. George Street devoid of students and thus customers for the food trucks. During this time, food trucks stopped their operations. Food from East tried opening on campus for a couple days during the pandemic, Saqib recalled, but did not make any sales whatsoever.

“Like six, seven months, we survived without a single penny,” described Sayeed.

“I am in debt — 80,000 dollars,” said Georgiev. He described that he had to continue making insurance payments on the Blue Chip Truck while the business was shut down, and that the only help he could get from the city was a loan.

Onurman recalled that business was initially very slow as the Brown Food Truck returned to campus, because students were wary of buying food in the wake of lockdown restrictions despite the truck following sanitizing and cleaning protocols.

A connection to the community

“I like the people here. I enjoy it,” said Onurman, no matter if business is good or bad. Even when her customers pass by without getting anything, she described, she will still call out to them to say hi.

“We feel like we are families… it’s not just business between us and the students,” said Shoka. For St. George food trucks, business is precarious. But they are also a valuable and inseparable part of campus life for those in the U of T community.

Tipping culture in Canada is a hot topic with controversial opinions. While some believe tipping should be a norm, others don’t think they should be forced to tip.

According to a recent report by the Angus Reid Institute, “tip-flation” has three in five Canadians feeling obliged to tip more money, more often.

According to an article by Narcity, tipping culture in Canada has been a trending topic on TikTok. The article mentions tiktoker Morten Rand-Hendriksen, also known by his TikTok handle @mor10web, who went viral for his take on the topic. Morten explained that the expectation for tipping in food and delivery services ranges between 18 per cent to 20 per cent on their receipts as employees rely on tips to earn a livable income.

With that said, some people believe that if you can’t afford to tip, then you shouldn’t be going out altogether. They believe that it is basic etiquette to tip someone for the service they provide you. Personally, I see both sides. However, in light of these reports, it is clear that the tipping culture has gotten out of hand.

I believe the cycle of tipping culture reveals a deeper flaw that can’t be resolved by tipping more money, more frequently.

A culture shock

As an international student, the Canadian tipping culture was a huge culture shock, as it was not the norm where I grew up. I grew up in the United Arab Emirates where tipping is not a required task but

a genuine gesture to show gratitude for services. There is no mandatory amount either, you usually tip whatever you feel like. Sometimes, you don’t even have to tip.

The motto that I grew up with was that if you were a student or someone who was unable to tip, then you didn’t have to. If you were someone with a stable source of income and could afford to tip, then tipping is seen as a nice, genuine gesture. From my experience, the restaurant owners are the ones who are tasked with paying employees more, not the customers. When I moved to Toronto, I realized quickly that not tipping is not an option.

There have even been occasions where my friends who also grew up in the Middle East have been told off for the amount that they have tipped.

To increase wages or to increase tips

The system for tips is messy and undefined.

There is no guarantee that employees reap the full benefits of the tips they receive. Instead, tips are sometimes piled up into a pool and are split evenly amongst all employees.

In an article by CBC, Danielle Nerman reported that sometimes business owners are also included in these pools, despite that being illegal in Ontario.

In other scenarios, employees may never even get a chance to benefit from these tips, as there have been cases of employers keeping them to themselves.

Morten Rand-Hendriksen explains that business owners don’t pay their workers a livable wage because then they will be forced to increase their prices. The increase in price will drive customers away.

With that said, some restaurant owners do agree that the tipping culture has become too aggressive and that all staff members shouldn’t rely on tips to survive. Bampot Bohemian House of Tea and Board Games is one of the few places in Toronto that has a no-tipping policy. Other restaurants following a similar model include Then and Now, Richmond Station, and Dispatch Restaurant.

Owners of restaurants like these have opted to increase their prices or include a hospitality fee so that they can afford to give their employees fairer wages. According to an article by Narcity, the owner of Bampot Bohemian House of Tea and Board Games, Alex, revealed that his team earns $25 an hour, which is almost $10 more than minimum wage. Furthermore, Alex believes that tips shouldn’t be used “as a way to subsidize wages” and that customers should tip only if they want to.

Tipping culture in Canada is a broken system. I think the best way to move forward is to tip if it’s affordable to you. As Tristan Wheeler explains, not tipping makes it easier for customer service workers to be exploited. While tipping is not the solution, it is the current system we live in and if you can afford to, you should tip.

Food trucks line up on St. George Street. GEORGIA KELLY/THEVARSITY

Opinion: “Tip-flation” reveals a deeper problem

Hiba Faisal Varsity Contributor

ARTHUR HAMDANI/THE VARSITY

U of T, give us good food and our money back

Food is subjective. Every U of T college has different types of food and meal plans, so every student’s experience with meal plans also differs. However, there seems to be a fairly common and recurring cycle of mutual experiences that ring in the chamber of r/uoft and real life student conversations under the outcry: “How am I going to spend all this money?”

Unfortunately, this isn’t some hypothetically fantastical dilemma of being dumped with a great sum of lottery winnings. Rather, it is an emblem of the significant pressure that U of T students living in residence take on in the face of compulsory meal plans that force higher prices and even higher food consumption.

If we are paying so much, we might as well get a bang for our buck — but the horror stories of U of T colleges’ dining hall food are manifold. Under this light, the meal plan prices seem especially disproportionately overpriced. Despite telling myself that I can rightfully demand food of better quality and price accessibility, I constantly fall into the pattern of reassuring myself and settling with the idea that it really isn’t that bad.

However, while I’m able to refuse to eat from U of T’s dining halls, other students may not have the same financial liberties — since school dining halls should technically be the most affordable and accessible spaces for quality food. Nevertheless, no student should be forced to swallow the bitter pill of overpriced bad food without complaint. U of T and its affiliated colleges can afford to lower the costs and increase the quality of a basic necessity like food for their student residents.

Miss a meal, lose a bill

Throughout my first year of living at the Trinity College residence, one of the concerns that preoccupied the minds of my friends and I was that we were so far from finishing our meal plans. While all of my friends and I had selected the “light” meal plan — which requires a payment of $6,315 as the cheapest option — we still struggled to use up the prepaid meal plan money.

The reason for this scramble to spend it all comes from Trinity College’s refusal to refund any unused meal plan money or have it remain in our accounts. The Trinity College Residence Meal Plan is divided into two: Base Dollars and Flex Dollars. The former is used for most of the dining hall food purchases and the latter for snacks and grocery items.

For the 2022–2023 academic year, Trinity College converted only a maximum of $500 unused Base Dollars from the previous year to Flex for students to use. While it seems reasonable at first glance — with the college writing how it was “pleased to share” the news in an email — Base Dollars provide a 15 per cent discount on posted prices, while Flex Dollars do not. Base Dollars are also HST exempt, while Flex Dollars are not. In accordance, students inevitably pay more for less meals because Trinity College simply would not refund or keep the unused Base Dollars that students paid for.

However, this is not unique to Trinity College. Even a quick search on r/uoft would result in a myriad of posts and comments from frustrated students of different associated colleges who have exceedingly high meal plan dollars remaining on their accounts – despite choosing the lightest plan. Ana Tarc, a second-year student who lived in Victoria College residence in her first year with the smallest meal plan, tells

me that she and some of her friends each had over $1,000 left from their meal plans that went to waste — or back to U of T. Lucy Borbash, a second-year at University College, also had more than $1,000 slip out of their pockets just like that.

While acknowledging that the benefits of meal plans include accessibility and convenience, Tarc points out a major flaw: U of T schedules lectures that span from 6:00–8:00 pm in the evening while closing its dining halls at overlapping times. Under the current declining balance system of Trinity, Victoria, University, and New College, students like Tarc, Borbash, and I are literally losing money every time we miss a meal, and this is wrong.

In addition, the aforementioned colleges also place limits on where the paid meal plan money can be used on campus. While the exemplary New College requires a meal plan, that plan covers purchases at retail outlets across campus, and its cheapest plan is still $650 cheaper than that of Trinity College. Trinity is one of the colleges that does not allow the use of meal plan dollars at anywhere other than Trinity-associated dining spaces. To Borbash, using up their University College meal plan money would not be a big deal if only they were not restricted from using it in retail outlets like Starbucks or Second Cup within U of T buildings as a U of T student. In their words, it simply “does not make sense.”

Increased transparency for the key to students’ hearts U of T’s associated colleges’ food services are already equipped with the tool that will help them become more accessible, equitable, and delicious: student input. Jared Madarang, a first-year at St. Michael’s College, relayed to

me how satisfied he was when his dining hall conducted a survey between the academic semesters, which resulted in a significantly improved set of menus and desserts. Under his college’s “all you care to eat” meal plan, Madarang can swipe his card to access the dining hall’s buffet of food stations and he labels himself as an “avid supporter” of the meal plan and residency life at St. Michael’s College — all because of the incredible improvement of the college’s food.

I don’t deny that colleges are trying to seek feedback: Trinity College food services’ staffmanaged Instagram account has a linked student feedback form in its bio. The actual discussions, however, can only start after forms are submitted. Students deserve to see the whole picture: what sort of feedback is submitted by the majority of students, how has the feedback been applied to recent menus and services, and are there any pressing food safety issues that students must be aware of? Students must hear from the colleges themselves.

Food is important. Our need to take care of our most fundamental needs as humans should not be trampled on by U of T as part of a bigger ploy to simply grab more cash. Most importantly, U of T and its associated colleges can most definitely afford to improve food quality, regulate meal plan prices, and maintain transparency all the while; the extraordinary endowment of a single U of T college like Victoria College is comparable to that of an entire university institution like the University of Waterloo. So, U of T, give us good food and our money back, because you will be fine either way.

Eleanor Park is a second-year student at Trinity College studying English and religion. She is The Varsity’s associate comment editor.

Students are suffering under U of T’s current meal plan system

Eleanor Park

Associate Comment Editor

Strachan Hall, the dining hall of Trinity College at U of T. NATHAN CHAN/THEVARSITY

The climate crisis and food costs are innately intertwined

Rising temperatures go hand in hand with rising prices

Chloe MacVicar Comment Columnist

As a university student, I’m familiar with the trials and tribulations of grocery shopping on a budget. Produce is neither cheap nor fresh, and basic necessities seem excessively expensive. I dread the weekly trip to the grocery store, knowing I’ll be leaving with a cart full of food and a drained bank account.

It’s not just the price of food that’s been increasing as of late — several types of products, from clothing to electronic devices, are facing a gradual rise in cost. However, according to the United Nations, changes in the economic state of the food industry are likely to have more pertinent effects worldwide.

The climate crisis, agriculture, and the economy

According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius will effectively make eight per cent of farmland worldwide unusable for agricultural purposes. For each degree Celsius that the temperature warms, crop production declines by five to 15 per cent. As the trajectory of global average temperature — which placed 2022 as the sixth warmest year on record — demonstrates, these declines in land availability and productivity are seemingly inevitable.

Rising temperatures go hand in hand with rising prices. Not only do these increases in global temperature affect food security, but this insecurity also contributes to an increase in cost. In 2022, the United Nations reported that, globally, the price of food was 23 per cent higher than the previous year.

Current events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have been cited as reasons for this increase, and there’s no doubt that the subsequent impacts on supply chains have contributed to the abnormally high cost of food. However, the climate crisis continues to dominate the narrative, and its continual impact on the economy and agriculture industry has devastating implications for food prices.

Effects of the climate crisis on agriculture

Higher temperatures and altered weather patterns have shifted growing seasons, thus making it harder for farmers to predict when these growing seasons will occur. The intensification of extreme weather events is also a major reason for concern, creating problems for production and threatening the health of existing crops and farmland.

Widespread water stress and water shortage complicate irrigation, especially in arid regions that happen to be the centres of agricultural production. Perpetual drought in California has already proven to be problematic, especially since the region is the world’s fifth largest supplier of food and cotton; as water becomes more scarce, nations worldwide will feel the effects in the form of product availability and extreme prices for currently accessible products.

However, it’s not only fruit and vegetable yields that are suffering at the hands of the climate crisis — grains and meat are experiencing a similar fate.

Many of the world’s nations depend on grains as a staple food source. In fact, the three crops that make up almost half of the global food supply are rice, wheat, and maize. Due to the impacts of global warming and extreme weather, however, supplies of these staple grains have been deci-

mated worldwide — leading to some of the most expensive prices ever recorded, an issue which subsequently compromises the ability of certain populations to sustain themselves.

Meat is a complex challenge, partly due to the impact of factory farms on the environment. Livestock is a major contributor to emissions that drive global warming, and the conversion of land to provide feed for these animals decreases the amount of arable land. Combined with unpredictable weather and the spread of disease driven by temperature rise, the price of meat is predicted to further increase.

The effects of rising meat costs are apparent in our own backyard. In January, a viral tweet sent waves of confusion throughout Canada — a photo of chicken breast priced at $27 per kilogram caused many to question the rationale and legality of the extreme price. The picture was taken at a Toronto Loblaws, and while the company issued a statement explaining that the chicken came from a premium poultry line, this didn’t prevent people from criticizing the company for the absurd pricing decision. Given this situation, it’s apparent that food prices are already becoming more extreme than normal.

What does this mean for Canada?

As the climate crisis continues to wreak havoc on global agriculture, the effects will be noticeable across Canada.

The agriculture sector is a major industry — it employed 2.1 million people and contributed 6.8 per cent to Canadian gross domestic product in 2021. Farms occupy 6.3 per cent of Canada’s land area, and the exportation of food and crops to other countries helps support the economy.

According to Statistics Canada, since last August, the rate of food price inflation has been over 10 per cent. For the average Canadian, this means a likely increase in the monthly grocery bill or a potential shortage of imported produce such as bananas. For low-income Canadians, this means a choice between feeding the family or paying for other expenses. Food is a basic necessity, but as prices increase, some find themselves struggling to meet this need.

A future of food insecurity

The climate crisis is no longer just an environmental, health, and social justice problem. Now, it’s an economic issue that poses significant threats to food.

Worldwide, this means an increase in malnutrition, food insecurity, and the potential for conflicts over food availability. The agriculture industry soon won’t be able to meet the demands of an ever increasing world population, creating a vicious cycle of insecurity and price surges.

I’ve seen the impacts firsthand. The current costs of dairy products are ridiculous and the price of meat is impossible to justify. If these increases continue, eating meat or dairy-free diets won’t be a choice — it will become a necessity.

We can’t solve the food crisis without first addressing the climate crisis. The two are innately intertwined and, until there is a meaningful collective effort to rectify the root causes of the climate crisis or adapt our agricultural practices, there is little hope to slow the rising cost of food and insecurity that will come to dominate our future.

Chloe MacVicar is a third-year student at University College, studying environmental studies, political science, and writing and rhetoric. She is a climate columnist for The Varsity’s comment section.

I remember being in grade 10 science and discussing the dangers of the chemical called monosodium glutamate (MSG). The symptoms — including headaches, problems with digestion, and the possibility of long-term nerve damage — seemed terrifying to me at the time. I learned in this class that the MSG that Chinese restaurants put in their food was damaging our health and as such, Chinese food was to be avoided.

Since my time in high school, public perceptions surrounding the use of MSG have not changed and people still fear MSG. While it’s justifiable to fear chemicals that we don’t really understand, it is important to recognize how racist stereotypes have led to misconceptions about food.

What is MSG?

MSG is a sodium salt form of glutamic acid. The ingredient was first discovered in 1908 by University of Tokyo chemist Professor Kikunae Ikeda, who was searching for something that would deliver the sought after ‘umami’ taste. Professor Ikeda was looking for a flavour that would go beyond the basics of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter.

Glutamate exists naturally in foods like tomatoes, parmesan cheese, dried mushrooms, soy

sauce, and even human breast milk. Ikeda first discovered glutamate while drinking seaweed soup. As he was drinking the soup, Ikeda wondered why dashi, the soup base, had a meaty flavour despite being vegetarian. To understand the basis of the meaty flavour, he treated and evaporated the seaweed until little crystals formed on it — thus leading to the discovery of MSG.

While Ikeda’s research marked the true beginning of MSG, it is not the story that most people know today. In 1968, the New England Journal of Medicine published a letter titled “ChineseRestaurant Syndrome,” which detailed a series of symptoms, such as general weakness, that was allegedly caused by eating at Chinese restaurants. This letter became immensely popular and led to widespread fear of MSG being used in cuisine.

It is important to note that subsequent research on MSG revealed that large amounts of monosodium glutamate do, in fact, have some dangerous effects on mice. However, several studies have proven that MSG is not toxic in humans when consumed in controlled doses.

MSG and racism

Although subsequent scientific research has called the validity of the letter into question, its damage to East Asian communities has persisted. To this day, some people in Western societies

still use the term “Chinese restaurant syndrome” to refer to the supposed danger that comes with eating Chinese food seasoned with monosodium glutamate. It’s no surprise then, that in the last few decades, Chinese restaurants have begun posting “No MSG” signs.

When examining the racism surrounding MSG and Asian cuisine, it is important to recognize how deep our ties are with our cultural foods. After all, food is an identifiable piece of every culture and holds incredibly important memories. Food is international and immensely historical. The deep connections we have to food are why we associate dumplings with China, pizza with Italy, and poutine with Canada. When we observe our cultural foods being treated as unhealthy, toxic, and dirty, it can make us feel ashamed of our culture.

When I look back at my experience in grade 10 science, I can’t help but wonder why I was given such biased and misinformed information about Chinese cuisine. The information I received about

MSG was biased, sensationalist, and downright racist. This makes me wonder how much of the information we receive from research and the media is biased. Furthermore, I wonder how this biased information affects the way we interact with other cultures.

Take MSG for instance. Although MSG naturally occurs in several foods and is used in nonChinese packaged foods like Doritos and frozen meals, many people still have a stigma against both MSG and Chinese cuisine. While this is not to say that Doritos are the healthiest food option, it does demonstrate how the fear of MSG has manifested into a fear of Asian food.

Overall, it is important to make informed decisions about food before you let racist stereotypes perpetuate your stigma against certain cuisines.

Jasmin Akbari is a third-year industrial relations and human resources, digital humanities, and writing & rhetoric student at Woodsworth College.

It is important to acknowledge how racism has impacted food

Misconceptions surrounding MSG perpetuate racist views of East Asian food

Jasmin Akbari Varsity Staff

There’s a racist history surrounding MSG. NICHOLAS TAM/THEVARSITY

ISAGANI CABEZAS/THEVARSITY

We need to stop giving food critics so much credibility On the Michelin star and all the problems that come with it

Isabella Liu Associate Comment Editor

Content warning: this article contains a brief mention of suicide

In 1999, renowned Chef Marco Pierre White, known for being the youngest chef to ever receive three stars from the famed Michelin guide, made waves when he decided to “give back” his Michelin stars and renounce the status. White eventually explained, “The people who gave me Michelin stars had less knowledge than me. You have to place value on something that is given to you: that’s why it was so easy for me to walk away. They had no value for me.”

White’s move against the big red book has sparked many to follow suit in the last few decades. In 2005, Chef Alain Senderens of threestar restaurant Lucas Carton gave back his stars. In 2017, high-profile Chef Sébastian Bras also gave back his stars for his restaurant Le Suquet à Laguiole.

The fact that chefs around the world have decided to separate themselves from the Michelin stars, which are so typically coveted, should come as a surprise to many. After all, why renounce such a highly acclaimed title? But the chefs all seem to give back their stars for one singular reason: the star takes away the meaning of cooking. That is, the experience of providing an experience.

When Chef Frederick Dhooge of ‘t Huis van Lede in Belgium gave back his one star in 2014, he justified his decision as one of “freedom” and honouring the true meaning of his restaurant. According to Dhooge, “the essence of the kitchen lies with the product, prepared according to the classical way and with respect for our own gourmet traditions and values. We noticed that this is not always understood by a group of customers that expect a spectacle of stars and points

kitchen.”

But the concept of Michelin stars isn’t just binding, it’s pressuring, too. Bras noted when explaining his own decision to give back his stars that, “we want to proceed with a free spirit and without stress.” Senderens concurs in his interview — “I feel like having fun.” But having fun and letting go of stress only scratches the surface of reasons why chefs are giving back their stars.

The truth is that Michelin has a deep and twisted history with the standards it sets, and the weight it places on chefs who are lucky — and unfortunate — to fall under them.

In 2003, Bernard Loiseau, celebrated chef of the three-starred French restaurant La Côte d’Or, died by suicide just before the release of that year’s Michelin guide. It had been speculated that

Loiseau had been personally “warned” about the possibility of losing his third star over supposed quality concerns. In 2016, these rumours were proven true through a set of meeting minutes that documented an exchange between Loiseau and Michelin officials. The minutes described Loiseau as “visibly shocked” — news that undoubtedly carried a horrifying amount of pressure.

The whole concept of Michelin stars is outrageous. The fact that a handful, a conglomeration of third party reviewers carry so much weight over the world’s food scene is absurd. I also raise the question: why, how, and since when did these people achieve such credibility?

Food is so incredibly subjective and diverse. Cuisines span hundreds of years, cultures, and histories, each with their own methods, stan-

dards, and ideas. It’s impossible for a chef to ever master every dish, every cuisine, because of this sheer diversity — so who is a food critic to act as if they can, as if they know, as if they have the ability to judge? Taste will forever be unique to the individual, immeasurable, and impossible to universalize; putting a standard to it doesn’t seem practical. The concept of Michelin stars is flawed, pretentious even.

Reiterating White’s sentiments from an interview with The Taste Magazine: “The people giving out those stars have less knowledge than the individual behind the stove. What is a star worth, or two stars or three stars? They are worthless. Because you are being given them by people who have less knowledge than yourself.”

This isn’t to say that the work of a food critic is completely baseless, or to dismantle the system entirely. Discourse is necessary in any field to keep players in check and to keep ideas constantly flowing. But when the weight of a restaurant’s entire reputation falls into the hands of one singular review or award or status; when literal lives are being lost over the maintenance of these critiques that come from third parties who will never know your work as well as you do — that’s when it’s time to start questioning things.

To quote Chef Julian Slowik in The Menu, one of 2022’s most popular films, “There is no way to avoid the mess. The mess you make of your life, of your body, of your sanity, by giving everything you have to pleasing people you will never know.”

In a world of Lillian Blooms, putting objectivity onto food ruins the art, reduces it to a standardized, soulless plate of absolute bullshit. It isn’t that serious — it shouldn’t be that serious. Just eat, goddamn.

Isabella Liu is a second-year student at Victoria College studying public policy and international relations. She is an associate comment editor at The Varsity

ers. Of course, Toronto is not unique. Municipal elections across Canada have been plagued by low turnover for decades.

I was in a workshop when I heard that John Tory resigned. A jolt of excitement ran through me. With urgency, I called my partner, barely able to get through my sentences as I told him the news. He felt it too: this was a huge opportunity. I had been in the organizing space for a year, fighting for the federated colleges to divest for fossil free research and cutting-off ties between the UTSU and Royal Bank of Canada, but my partner never got involved. He has progressive views and wanted to see change happen in the city and country, but life is busy, and it never felt like there was anything he could do about it directly. This time is different. John Tory is out, and a progressive vision has the chance to step in.

As organizers, most of the work we do is fighting the small battles, trying to chip away at the large-scale problems our city faces — unaffordable housing, underfunded public transit, climate change, lack of support for people with addiction and mental illness — in hopes that our efforts will lead to change. It is not very often that one event — maybe even a handful of votes — has the opportunity to directly change the course of our city for decades: we have a chance to change things.

Local politics are where we possess the most power

As youth in Toronto, we live in a culture that incessantly focuses on national and international

politics; people are more likely to know who the president of the United States is than their own city councillor. But our lives are directly shaped by local politics as housing, transit, police surveillance, and green space are all local decisions. Many of the programs we take for granted started at a local level; local politics shape our lives, and Toronto’s politics is closely watched throughout Canada. Moreover, local politics is where we possess the most power.

National politics in Canada can be frustrating. Sometimes, it feels like an endless stream of corporate triumphs, as the interests of the wealthy and powerful public figures prevail in election after election. On a local level, however, elections can and have been determined by just a few votes. For instance, Chiara Padovani — a progressive candidate challenging the incumbent on city council in Ward 5 — lost by only 94 votes in the last municpal election. Every last effort we make could be the deciding factor for whether we would be able to purchase a home someday, afford rent, or have green spaces and city planning that is not just designed for the most privileged residents. Whoever we elect will likely be in office for at least the next decade. This is our chance to change things.

The core problem of local political elections

Local politics tend to have low turnover rates. We reelect the same people every election — and as rents soar to record heights, we keep electing landlords and homeowners, even though almost half of Torontonians are rent-

John Tory’s resignation offers an unprecedented opportunity; its effects will be formative for decades to come, as doors are wide open for change with no incumbency to protect the establishment candidate. As students, we live with the consequences of local politics; the lack of affordable housing, the scourge of developers buying up land, the decreasing funding towards public transit, and the increasing funding towards the police, climate change and environmental issues. The importance of this election cannot be overstated. There are no second chances in politics.

The key to change: community

Young people have altered the course of politics before. We were instrumental in the fight for key policy breakthroughs like the introduction of social security in 1935 in the US and Canadian universal healthcare in 1984. We have a chance to reclaim our seat at the table after all that has been taken from us by waves of neoliberal governments disinterested in making any strong progressive strides. It might be 20 more years before another achievable mayoral election is held.

Our generation has had to live with the consequences of our parents and grandparents’ political choices, but things don’t have to stay the same. Our political realities and socio-economic systems have changed a lot throughout history, and they will no doubt continue to do so. We can make new choices and set forth a different course for the future. It is time to take action and express our political choices. Please, help your friends make voting plans, call everyone you know to remind them to vote, knock on doors, phone bank for a candidate, and vote. Excitement, energy, and engagement have a way of spreading, filling in the space in our homes and communities, blossoming into something so much more. Caring is a radical act.

Amy Mann is a second-year student studying mathematics. She is an organizer with the Climate Justice U of T, VUSAC Sustainability Commission, and the coordinator of U of T Votes, a university-wide campaign to reduce barriers for students to vote in the 2023 Toronto municipal election (follow @uoft.votes for more information).

by-election for Toronto mayor is currently set to take place on June 26.

Op-ed: Students have the power to radically reimagine Toronto this election

With John Tory gone, the 2023 mayoral race will be a fresh and competitive affair

Amy Mann

Varsity Contributor

Questioning the validity of the food critic. ZEYNEP POYANLI/THEVARSITY

made potstickers growing up.

I lived in Shanghai, China for 17 years with a Chinese mom and an American dad. Potstickers, a type of dumpling cooked by slightly charring its bottom while also steaming it, were not something that I grew up eating at home. In Shanghai, my mom much preferred wrapping wontons — another type of dumpling that used square wrappers, which we usually ate in a soup. Wontons were much less labourintensive than potstickers. At home, our family constantly wrapped and stored wontons in our freezer and made them for lunch when we

were in a rush.

It was a meal that could be made and consumed within an hour.

This all changed when the COVID-19 pandemic happened and we found ourselves stranded outside our home country due to border closures, living with my dad’s family in Salt Lake City, Utah. Unknowingly, I left the perpetual humidity and sensory overload of Shanghai and was plunged into the bone-dry Salt Lake Valley. After weeks of chapped lips, sunburn, and long, pointless drives up and down canyon

roads, I felt as windswept and arid as the salt flats around me. I think my mom felt it too. One day, she asked me if I could drive her to the Asian grocery store that we often passed before taking the on ramp to the interstate. I had noth

When I stepped into that grocery store, I was hit with a wall of pack aging labels written in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. It was as if the store owners had tried to take advantage of every inch of the space they had and crammed it with products. From floor to ceiling were produce, packaging, and characters that I hadn’t seen, touched, or I stood in the midst of chaos, but that chaos made more sense to me than any of the identical manicured lawns I now walked past every day. I had never set foot in that grocery store before, but that was the first time in a while where I knew what I

That night, for the first time, I learned how to wrap potstickers. Folding those intricate pleats in the dumpling skin came so naturally that it never occurred to me how strange it was to engage with an aspect of my culture for the first time in a foreign coun try at 18 years of age. Potstickers — something that my mom and I never usually made at home — became a food that carried more significance than we realized the day we went to the Asian grocery store, be it a bid for acceptance, a gesture of love when words fail, or a prayer to one day finally make it home.

Frostbitten ears

In China, the dumpling is an umbrella term, covering a wide array of foods that involve wrapping filling of any kind inside a thin piece of dough. The term “potsticker” is a literal transla tion of the Chinese word 锅贴 (guō tiē). It is a pan-fried variation of jiaozi, a type of crescentshaped dumpling said to be invented during the Eastern Han dynasty, almost two thousand years ago.

Zhang Zhongjing, a famous herbalist deemed

remedy, he warmed up the villagers by plac ing mutton, chili, and medicinal herbs in a thin piece of dough and wrapping the ingredients into the shape of an ear. After boiling the pockets of dough, Zhang Zhongjing distributed them to the villagers, and the first jiaozi were born.

Nowadays, jiaozi are one of the most widespread types of dumpling in China. In some regions of China, they are wrapped and eaten during Lunar New Year’s Eve. Because the shape of jiaozi looks like gold ingots, eating it on New Year’s Eve represents a blessing for an auspicious year to come. The process of wrapping and cooking the jiaozi creates family cohesion like no other activity.

Belonging

Because the entire dumpling-making process is so labour-intensive, making jiaozi is almost never a solo effort. In a few lonely November afternoons in Toronto, I have made potstickers from scratch by myself. It took me almost five hours to prepare, wrap, and cook about 90 dumplings.

Wrapping potstickers takes some skill. There are various ways to pleat the dumpling wrappers so the filling doesn’t spill out into the pan when cooking them. The time it takes to make a large amount thus depends on the number and the skill level of the people wrapping the potstickers.

By September 2020, the potsticker assembly line consisting of my mom, my sister, and me was a well oiled machine. My sister and I would talk among ourselves and a YouTube video would play in the background while we wrapped potstickers, silently hoping our rapid Mandarin and methodic focus would ward off the intrusion of our extended family and their casual microaggressions from the home we carved out in the middle of the Salt Lake Valley.

Ironically, the potsticker assembly line we

锅贴心: Home is where the dumpling wrappers are I learned to make potstickers outside China; now they’re my strongest connection to home

in my hometown. Even so, in an environment where I stuck out like a sore thumb, I was going to take all the acceptance I could get.

In Toronto, this bid for belonging shifted from a tactic for survival to a ritual to remember my family from afar. I taught a few close friends how to wrap potstickers, and every so often, we’d spend a few hours on a weekend cooking. Like the assembly line that my mom created in Salt Lake City, the dining room table that my friends occupied would be covered in potsticker wrappers and uncooked dumplings while I stood in front of the stove, putting out plate after plate of warm, crispy potstickers. Afterward, when we’d sit our sweaty and flour-covered selves down to take that first, indescribable bite of food, I’d feel a joy that only food made from a collaborative effort could bring. Potstickers brought me closer to my friends and family in a way that words and phone calls could not.

Expressing affection

I still remember the first time I made potsticker filling by myself. I was in my residence hall in Toronto, a month after I moved to Canada. On my computer was an opened notes page with ingredients written haphazardly in Mandarin across the page, a half-formed recipe that I typed the night before over a FaceTime call with my mom. Like most of the recipes my mom shares with me, there were no measurements for any of the ingredients in it. I was just supposed to know how much of each ingre worried voice in my head, directing me on what to do.

I’m a lot better at making potstickers now. Anytime I want to catch up with friends and I feel like eating potstickers that week, I invite them over to help wrap them.

When we talk and laugh, it almost feels like I’m talking to my sister — who I haven’t seen in three years. Everyone who helps with the cooking process leaves with a Tupperware full of dumplings.

Love through potstickers I find expressing love difficult. In China, 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ), the Mandarin equivalent to “I love you” holds a lot more weight than the English phrase. My family said “I love you” to each

other all the time, but when we spoke in Mandarin, we fell silent at the words of affection, the phrase almost too heavy to utter into existence. The moment only lasted for a split second before we quickly switched to saying “I love you” in English, but the hesitation is tangible.

The weight that the words “I love you” holds falls significantly short of the love I have for those close to me. Words don’t fail — they just seem insufficient. 我爱你 is far more appropriate, but none of my friends speak Mandarin. To remedy this gap in communication, I make potstickers in hope that the love, care, and appreciation I have for the food I make translates to the feelings I have for those I care for most.

A prayer

At the start of 2023, China opened its borders for the first time since early 2020.

At the end of 2022, I caught the flu. In January 2023, my feeble body rose in the midst of piles of laundry and class notes, which were covering every inch of my bedroom floor. I looked around, conscious of my surroundings for the first time in days and told myself, “I’m going home.”

Thus, I began the long slog of getting a visa approved to go back to China. Over the Lunar New Year, I followed rituals for luck to a tee. On New Year’s Day, I didn’t sweep my floor, take out the trash, or wash my hair, for fear of sweeping, of throwing, of washing my luck away. I hoarded luck and took a mental tally of all the things I could do that could somehow bring me closer to my family. I asked two friends to help wrap dumplings on New Year’s Eve in a desperate bid to emulate the sense of togetherness. I almost always spend Lunar New Year — a holiday where, traditionally, the entire family must be present to celebrate — away from home.

When my hands mix filling for potstickers, when my fingers gently pinch and pleat the dumpling skin, I build a little part of home in my Toronto apartment, even if I’m preparing a food that I technically have no childhood connection with whatsoever. I often have to fight to carve out this piece of home, to wrest it from the unforgiving clutches of distance.

But disaster struck the night before New Year’s Eve. I was awake until 5:00 am trying to finish an assignment. The day we were supposed to make potstickers, I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open. We ordered takeout for dinner.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, the last day of the 15-day Chinese New Year, my sister called me and urgently reminded me to eat some tang yuan. Tang yuan are glutinous rice balls with filling, cooked in a hot broth or syrup. They are eaten on the last day of the Chinese New Year, and the dish symbolizes family togetherness.

That night, I ate tang yuan with conviction. Those balls of glutinous rice, and my repeated rituals of wrapping and cooking potstickers, were desperate bids to finally stand amidst the only chaos that I understood.

When I came to Toronto, making potstickers was a bid for belonging. CAROLINE BELLAMY/THEVARSITY

Arts & Culture

Here’s what you’re going to eat for lunch today

Eight meals you can get for under $10 — within walking distance of UTSG

Jadine Ngan & Sarah Artemia Kronenfeld Editor in Chief & Managing Editor, Internal

Hungry and on campus, but don’t have a lot of time and money to spare? We’ve got a few suggestions.

We don’t claim to be experts — these are just the places to which the two of us and our friends regularly default. We highly encourage you to test the replicability of the conclusions we’ve come to.

1. Banh Mi Nguyen Huong

A random man once approached me on Spadina Avenue and offered an unsolicited piece of Chinatown lore: Banh Mi Nguyen Huong used to operate next door to another bánh mì shop, and for years, the two of them competed for customers until eventually the other one folded. Survival of the fittest, or whatever. We haven’t checked whether that’s true, but we do know for sure that this place by Spadina and Dundas makes a pretty good cheap and portable lunch.

Bánh Mì Nguyen Huong’s prices have gone up in recent years, but almost all of the sandwiches are a respectable $4.00 for a small and $5.00 for a large. The cold cut bánh mì is probably the classic choice, but lemongrass tofu is a good vegetarian option! Bring cash, because they don’t take anything else, and plan to eat your meal elsewhere — Banh Mi Nguyen Huong is essentially a sandwich counter.

If you can make it home without devouring your bánh mì, put it in the oven for a few minutes, then add Kewpie mayo and sriracha sauce. It will be worth the wait. :)

Distance to Robarts: 18-minute walk

2. 大龍鳯餅家 (Chinese Bakery)

Okay, confession: I love food, and I love trying out new lunch spots, but 90 per cent of the time when I’m looking for a cheap place to eat — especially early in the day — I try to squeeze in a

trip down to Dundas to get something from here.

It’s got the advantage of nostalgia for me, from childhood trips to the Art Gallery of Ontario, but it’s also just straight-up one of my favourite bakeries in town.

Food ranges from $0.70 to about $3.00 for most standard small items, meaning you can usually get a very enjoyable lunch for well under $10, although the price will vary by your appetite and tastes. I always have an eye on the desserts, but on the savoury side, I’d highly recommend the taro cakes and flaky curry beef pastries.

This is another cash-only place, and, depending on what you’re getting, it’s usually better to go in the late morning or early afternoon, when everything’s still fresh and plentiful. Hot tip: the sesame balls come out fresh from the oven at 10:00 am! Or, at least, they did the one time I actually got there at 10:00 am exactly, and so that’s what I’ve been telling everyone I know, because I’ve been daydreaming about that day ever since.

Distance to Robarts: 18-minute walk

3. Sizzler Kabab

When we’re producing The Varsity late on Sunday nights, we often send someone on a walk down to Sizzler Kabab to pick up dinner for everyone. This Pakistani joint in Chinatown serves up generous portions for student-friendly prices, and you can either eat in or join the many other people ordering take-out. The veggie biryani ($9.99) is more of a pulao but still very good, and feels like heaps and heaps of rice — enough food that you could easily stretch it into multiple meals or share it with a friend. There are also a few menu options, like saag paneer ($7.99) and daal makhani ($7.99) that will still come in just under $10 with roti ($1.99).

Distance from Robarts: 14-minute walk

4. Corner Crepe Co.

I spent months eyeing this jian bing shop before I

finally stepped inside. It’s a small shop, and it’s located around the corner from campus on College Street, which means I always ended up passing it right after I’d made lunch plans. It’s also closed on Tuesdays. Suffice it to say, I had pretty high expectations and hopes by the time I finally got around to trying it.

It was definitely worth the wait, though. The jian bing, with its layers of crepe and egg and cracker and veggies, is tasty and hot and crunchy in just the right ways. It also comes in a pretty big portion, which makes a standard order’s price tag of $6.99 all the more impressive.

Distance from Robarts: 12-minute walk

5. Manpuku

I’m willing to bet that this Japanese restaurant in Village by the Grange offers the best-value udon in the downtown area.

When I last swung by in the fall, the kake udon was $4.29. You could get a salad on the side of that for $2.29 — or several noodle refills for $1.50 each — and still stay under a $10 total. My personal favourite Manpuku order is the $6.99 vegetable curry udon, but if rice is more your thing, you can go for a curry don ($7.99) or a shigure don ($7.49).

Unlike several spots on this list, Manpuku is a sit-down restaurant, meaning that you can catch up with a friend over a meal at a collective bill of under $15. It’s also right next to Ontario College of Art & Design University, so if you like to peoplewatch for outfits, see if you can get a table by the window. I’ve seen some of the city’s best knitwear in the Village by the Grange food court just outside.

Distance from Robarts: 20-minute walk

6. Zaad

With its perfect Bloor Street university adjacentlocation and pretty, minimalistic mosaic signage, when I first saw Zaad, I was worried the food

would be Instagram-spot pricey.

I’m so glad I was wrong. I’ve consistently found Zaad to be a good stop for on-campus lunch or dinner, with a friendly environment and a very reasonable price point. A falafel pita pocket will set you back $8, and a shawarma pita pocket is only a dollar more. Bring your student ID card and you’ll get a discount.

Distance from Robarts: 9-minute walk

7. T&T Supermarket

This isn’t exactly a well kept secret, but might still be news to some people: T&T has an excellent hot food section, which offers a wide range of meals for under $10. Packed containers of soy sauce fried noodles ($5.99) or yang chou fried rice ($6.99) are almost always available next to the baked goods section, and various kinds of sushi ($5.49 and up) are located next to checkout. For more of a balanced meal, you can opt for teriyaki chicken don ($8.49) or unagi don ($9.99). Just don’t forget to pick up utensils after you check out — there are small containers of chopsticks and cutlery sets between checkout and the escalators.

If you go close to closing — I’m not sure exactly which time — most of these ready-to-go meals will be discounted, meaning you can eat well for even less money!

Distance from Robarts: 14-minute walk

8. Papa Ceo/Cora’s

If you’re looking for the best quick $5.50 slice of pizza right next to campus, go to Papa Ceo’s — but if you’re looking to order a full pizza, go next door to Cora’s. In this case, and this case alone, we’re not just speaking for ourselves; unless and until a future volume explicitly states otherwise, this is the official opinion of The Varsity. Take it as you will.

Distance from Robarts: 5-minute walk

When hunger strikes there’s no need to break the bank. JADINE NGAN/THEVARSITY

U of T students’ cultural comfort foods will leave you wanting more

Students discuss where to find their favourite comfort foods in the GTA

Rhea Jerath Varsity Contributor

Food has always been a comfort in my life. I grew up exploring different cuisines while living in five countries — India, Singapore, the UAE, Bahrain, and Canada. As a teenager, partaking in culturally authentic meals allowed me to adjust to my periodically changing lifestyle.

Growing up in India, I impatiently waited for rainy days so I could savour the mouth-watering scent of freshly prepared nankhatai — shortbread butter cookies — wafting from my grandma’s kitchen. Singapore’s rich flavours and blistering tropical heat brought with it the scent of coconuts, frangipani, and durian fruits. There was affordable food, thanks to hawker centres — communal centres packed with local food vendors — where each meal captured Singapore’s diverse cultural heritage.

Since moving to Canada, I’ve had the opportunity to revisit cultural childhood foods due to the city’s diverse immigrant communities. I’ve even become more comfortable cooking and experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients in my pantry.

U of T’s student body captures the diversity in cultural experiences that exist across Canada, with Toronto’s food scene boasting over 7,500 restaurants across 158 neighbourhoods. These restaurants represent diverse immigrant communities that have preserved their cuisines over the years, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Caribbean, Japanese, and Indian influences.

Comfort foods for the soul

For U of T students, university life and their packed schedules mean take-out containers and dirty dishes piling up in the sink weekly. Cooking can become tedious, and our cravings for home-cooked comfort food grow exponentially.

While some students try to cook to emulate their favourite foods, certain flavours and ingredients are hard to come by in Toronto. Despite various ethnic food stores and aisles, some key ingredients simply don’t get imported over to the country or are only infrequently available, making them expensive.

For Natasha Tweneboah, a fourth-year student double majoring in biology and psychology, West African food bridges the gap between her upbringing and ethnicity. Despite being born and raised in Toronto, authentic Ghanaian foods remained a central aspect of her childhood.

“I grew up with my Ghanaian culture because that’s where my parents immigrated from to come to Canada. So I’m most used to eating West African cultural food, like jollof rice and meat,” Tweneboah said in an interview with The Varsity Tweneboah further recalls some of her favourite meals, describing a rich, flavourful diet. Her favourite dishes include waakye, a popular Ghanaian dish made up of rice and beans, served with sides of spaghetti or avocado. Ghanaian feasts are rich with spices and include soups and stews such as light soup, groundnut soup, and cocoyam leaf soup usually served with fufu.

These authentic comfort foods are difficult to find in the GTA. For Tweneboah, specific eateries and catering services such as the African Chop Bar in North York provide an opportunity for her to share traditional Ghanaian food with her friends. Tweneboah values the act of sharing and cooking to cherish her cultural roots and her love for these foods.

“My mom taught me how to cook Ghanaian food and that’s my DNA — [it’s] what I eat, even when I’m going to school. When I bring lunch, it’s mostly African food. I’m able to cook it on my own and even make food for others,” said Tweneboah.

A shared experience

Similarly, as Shania Meira, a third-year biology specialist, shared in an interview, Toronto’s cultural centres, such as Chinatown, allow her to stay connected to her diverse roots through its authentic eateries.

Growing up in Canada and being of both Chinese and Portuguese descent, Meira describes herself as someone who “grew up eating almost everything.”

However, her comfort meal remains to be sweet and sour pork, which she only occasionally finds

at special banquet dinners or ceremonies. Thus, finding authentic Chinese foods in the GTA has become a distinct aspect of her relationship with her mother and her culture.

“I don’t speak any type of Chinese, but my mom does, so she’ll always do the ordering,” Meira shared.

Comfort foods can strengthen family connections. The memories of sharing our favourite foods remain an integral aspect of childhood for bicultural students. For international students, having access to traditional cultural spaces through restaurants can be a source of comfort and support while adjusting to life in Canada.

In an interview with The Varsity, Kristen Lee Pack, a first-year U of T student, shared her childhood nostalgia for traditional Caribbean foods. In the Caribbean, rotis and doubles are a common street food consisting of two deep fried mini rotis, a rich chickpea mixture, and various tangy sauces — with flavours such as tamarind, lime, and mango.

“Every Friday when I was a kid, my dad would take us to get doubles. And it’s just a very core memory for me, standing on the road eating doubles at seven o’clock in the morning before school,” Pack detailed.

Pack values her mixed cultural roots as Chinese, Portuguese, Scottish, and African, but her connection to Caribbean culture is clear in her love for these foods. When asked to share her favourite spots in the GTA, she eagerly recommended Lila’s Roti Shop in Mississauga.

“It’s not extremely authentic but there’s a little bit of Caribbean essence in it,” she explained. “So it’s just very reminiscent to me.”

Something new

Toronto’s immigrant communities have created a multicultural combination of cuisines from one neighbourhood to another. For U of T students looking to reconnect with cultural comfort foods, there are options available across Toronto and the GTA.

More importantly, Toronto’s rich food options give students a chance to step out of their comfort zone and explore cultural meals they may be unfamiliar with. Our city’s diverse environment is a perfect playground for the curious and experimental foodie.

As Pack put it, exploring flavours is a must: “Don’t be afraid to add pepper!”

Seven months ago, I packed my bags, excited to move to a bustling Canadian city. I had dreams and was excited to see them come true. Two weeks in, I had a rude awakening. As an Indian vegetarian, I had grown up with different spices and different flavoured foods daily, and the dining hall was not cutting it. Between the lack of flavour and the inconsistency in my schedule, I had to start cooking.

My love for cooking began during the COVID-19 pandemic when I turned toward making extravagant sauces and mixing spices — but afterward, I realized I did not have time for that

anymore. This was the start of my quest to find the easiest and quickest meals that tasted good. When beginning this journey, two issues stood out to me: the price of groceries and the time-consuming nature of cooking. After some experimentation and research, I was able to find three easy recipes that are cheap and quick. To avoid the high grocery prices, all my vegetables and proteins came from salads and sides from the dining hall. For those living off residence, all of these recipes use items that are easy to find at your local 7-ELEVEN or Shoppers Drug Mart!

Vegetarian mac and cheese

Ingredients:

• Frozen mac and cheese

• Garlic powder

• Pepper

• Salt

• Sriracha (or preferred hot sauce)

• Any vegetables in your fridge

Heat your frozen mac and cheese half way, for two minutes. Take a bowl, and mix your vegetables and spices as needed with 1/8 cup of water. Mix and microwave until the vegetables are soft. Transfer the mac and cheese into the bowl with the vegetables and microwave until cooked, another two minutes.

TIP: This recipe is so easy because the base of the meal is already given in frozen form. You can apply this recipe to any other frozen dish that can be deemed unhealthy on its own. If you add protein and vegetables, it will become a fulfilling meal that takes 10 minutes to make.

Gourmet ramen

Ingredients:

• Ramen packet

• Oil or butter

• Garlic powder

• Salt

• Pepper

• Sriracha or preferred hot sauce

• Vegetables

• One egg or other protein of choice

• Soy sauce

• Ginger paste

• Broth (optional)

Take your ramen and cook the noodles as normal without the spice. Once you drain the noodles, add a teaspoon of butter or oil and scramble the egg in the pan with the ramen. Spice the eggs as needed and mix. Add one more teaspoon of oil or butter, add your vegetables, and mix. After two minutes, add two cups of water or broth, and add the flavour packet — if you’re using broth don’t add the

flavour packet. Once you mix it, take it off the stove, and spice as needed with garlic powder, ginger paste, and Sriracha or any preferred hot sauce.

TIP: Sometimes unhealthy cravings can be given some nutrients and become a better meal. Think about what you can add to make a meal healthier rather than forcing yourself to eat healthily. University is rough, and sometimes we need a good pick me up. Food is fun when you enjoy what you are eating!

Shallow-fried ravioli — a good snack for friends!

Ingredients:

• Ravioli

• Pasta sauce

• Paremesan

• Honey

• Sriracha (or hot sauce of your choice)

• Garlic paste

• Oil or butter

Boil your ravioli until it’s cooked. Put three tablespoons of oil in a pan and wait until hot. Keep your hand over the pan and feel the heat. Put four raviolis in the pan, and cook until each side is golden brown. Once the ravioli is fried, put it on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Once the oil is removed, mix the ravioli with parmesan, honey garlic paste, hot sauce, and other spices as you see fit. Mix the pasta sauce and hot sauce for a dipping sauce.

TIP: You can use frozen ravioli packets and separate the sauce from the ravioli!

While some of these meals require a stove, these are all easy, quick, and most accessible for dorm living. Moving away from home and managing food for the first time is not easy, and sometimes the dining hall food is not the best. Next time you’re in a bind, try these recipes!

I don’t have any food at home!

Quick, easy, and accessible recipes that will make you feel fulfilled

Shonita Srinivasan

Varsity Contributor

Eat with your eyes

Food can be more than something you eat

James Bullanoff Varsity Contributor

“Yes, Chef!”

This scene of The Menu starts with the sound of a gentle bell as the room goes silent. A loud clap echoes through the room as if the very earth had shaken. Everyone stands at attention, awaiting Chef’s words. He begins a monologue about the intricacies of the dish specially prepared for the elements around the characters. He asks you not to eat, but rather to be mindful and savour each moment, each taste, and each sensation to the fullest.

This is the world of The Menu , an exciting thriller movie that follows a young couple who visit a remote restaurant that is

structure of the movie follows the formatting of a literal menu as it takes you on this incredible experience. It blends social commentary on the service industry and the death of artistry. I highly suggest watching it — especially as an arts kid myself — but beyond the quality of the movie, it got me thinking about the social status that food can possess. How can simple meals become extravagant experiences that make you wonder if you’re even eating anymore?

Fine dining

When you look at an average meal, you can pretty much find an equivalent of it that caters to a completely different tax bracket. One of the most common things that elevate meals is edible gold. Industry Kitchen in New York serves a ‘24k -

za’ and as the name suggests, it is covered in edible gold leaves worth hundreds of dollars. It even has Ossetra caviar, foie gras, imported white stilton cheese, and truffles. If you’ve ever been interested in eating literal gold, this pizza will set you back USD 2,700.

The tradition of edible gold started with ancient Egyptians. Gold was eaten as a sacred food because of its connection to the gods they worshipped. It was even loved by European lords in the middle ages.

The historical context doesn’t give eating gold any value, especially since gold has no nutritional value and will simply just pass through your body. There’s no reason for that level of extravagance other than the status you can gain from being able to say, “Hey, I ate a gold pizza.”

Abstract designs

The notable difference between these types of dishes and your average corner street joint comes from how the food is presented. Eventually, there comes a point where the food no longer looks edible.

The Fortress Resort and Spa in Galle, Sri Lanka is known for making the most expensive dessert in the world. The ‘Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence’ is renowned for its intricate handcrafted chocolate fisherman. It is served alongside a mango and pomegranate compote and, you guessed it, a gold leaf. This bad boy will set you back USD 14,500. While the dish looks stunning, I would rather buy a Honda Civic.

This dessert is beyond food — it genuinely looks like a sculpture. It’s handcrafted art with the high price of a valuable painting. It transcends the dining experience and really makes you wonder who would genuinely buy this. These types of products are catered to specific demographics — all they do is show off

Checking ciabatta

Malaika Mitra Varsity Contributor

Food is one of the most intimate ways to experience another culture. It is prepared by another person for you, to be consumed — no, subsumed — by you. Whereas “to consume” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is “to eat or drink especially in great quantity,” to subsume is to “encompass as a subordinate or component element.” Food becomes a part of you, a component element; it becomes a part of your body as it is stored in your cells and it becomes a part of your actions as you expend it through energy.

So, when coming across a new culture that we’re curious about, it makes sense to explore it through food first. But it’s not the contemporary cuisine that we are after — it’s the traditional, ‘authentic’ foods that we reach for first, looking back in time to understand the present. Maybe it’s because we feel that it’s more true to the culture, though this notion could, and should, be questioned. Maybe it’s because traditional food has history, generations of being passed down, refined, and adapted to local conditions and historical events. Maybe it’s because tradition offers comfort in our own cultures, and so it feels the most comfortable in other cultures. Regardless, when we seek out the food of another culture, it is often the tradition that we seek out first.

Yet, what if I told you that many of the “traditional” foods you consume are tailored to your taste as a cultural tourist? Consider ciabatta bread, a food created by Arnaldo Cavallari in 1982 to outcompete the imported French baguette. The names he licensed were “ciabatta polesana” and “ciabatta italiano,” both implying a deep connection to Italian culture through regional ties.

When looking at the relationship between tradition and food to capitalism, it is easy to see that tradition, particularly in terms of authenticity, is one of the finest weapons for marketing. Ciabatta is often marketed as “artisanal,” a word that has now essentially be-

come an empty signifier, since it is clear that grocery chains are not “artisans.” But food is not the only place where we fall victim to this — the competition between tradition, modernity, and postmodernity rules all the cultural artifacts of our lives. Is our need to try out the true “cultural” foods of a region a product of marketing campaigns, or is it something that happens despite that?

In his 1931 essay “A Small History of Pho-

to signify warmth in a product: to signify home.

Ciabatta is interesting to me because it is an example of reproducing the “authenticity” of culture in food. When ciabatta is mass produced, it is often baked then frozen. Someone who is dogmatic about tradition may look at this fact and say that it is inauthentic to eat ciabatta pre-made in such a way. And yet, there is no such tradition for ciabatta — there is no history of eating it handmade and fresh. Within

the status of eating a dish that is that luxurious.

From plate to painting

Food itself has even gone beyond simply looking like art and is occasionally considered to be art itself. Food as art has had a long history that started with Italian artist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, who considered dishes to be art.

Nowadays, we see modern art blending with food. Lazy Mom — a collaboration between New York artists Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma — took “Geometric Floral,” a photograph that showcases bodega flowers and foods inside a cube made of gelatin. The photograph’s driving concept is that of a “bad mother” that has jumbled food together to conceive a meal.

Rather than paying for a meal that has flamboyant ingredients, this form takes food and composes it into an art piece strictly for viewing.

Culinary arts

Food and art have an intricate history that dates back thousands of years. Not only has this history influenced different niche forms of dining, but it also influences the creation of art pieces. We see how food represents power dynamics and how it can even transform meals from basic ingredients to specialized experiences.

Rather than simply eating, these meals are designed to be enjoyed for their sensations, rather than for sustenance, which creates an odd imbalance between who can afford them and who cannot. The Menu masterfully shows the absurdity that comes with certain levels of the culinary arts. It shows how humans as social creatures love the show-off, but I think I will keep enjoying a simple cheeseburger, minus the gold.

tography,” Walter Benjamin describes how old photographic elements such as blurriness and faulty lighting are surprisingly desirable. This is because technology had reached a point where it could replicate the flaws of past photography — a callback to a bygone era. In both photography and food, we feel the need to return to the comforting arms of tradition. Regardless of the impressive advances made in technology, the words “homemade,” “traditional,” and “handmade” continue to be used

ten years of its creation, it was reproduced internationally — its tradition is the reproduction.

When discussing reproductions of images, Benjamin says that “the reproduction distinguishes itself unmistakably from the image… Singularity and permanence are so tightly bound up in the one as fleetingness and reproducibility are in the other.” In some ways, focusing on the reproduction contradicts the existence of the image. The act of “licensing” a food goes against the idea of it being ‘tradi-

tional.’ By the late 1980s, ciabatta was being mass produced in the UK and the US, even though it was allegedly emulating an image of authentic Italian cuisine.

If not authenticity, then what is our fixation on tradition really about? In his essay “In Praise of Shadows,” Jun’ichirō Tanizaki describes the difference between how silverware is seen in Japanese and Western culture, saying that Westerners “use silver and steel and nickel tableware, and [polish] it to a fine brilliance, but we object to the practice… On the contrary, we begin to enjoy it only when the lustre has worn off, when it has begun to take on a dark, smoky patina.” Perhaps our investment in “tradition” and real culture could also be what is blinding us from the enjoyment of traditional foods.

While travelling, we pursue authenticity and yet are drawn to things that shine and glitter. We let the shimmering marketing of cultural authenticity distract us from what truly reflects the culture of the region. In fact, what I found the most interesting in my research on ciabatta is the fact that Cavallari marketed this bread as traditional to Italians as well, saying that “My ciabatta is the taste of an old-fashioned bread. It reminds people of the older breads, the ones that were made with natural ingredients, no chemicals.”

In the face of economic pressure, tradition, authenticity, and culture become blurred. What we think is ‘traditional’ ends up being fraudulent, and authenticity is both valourized and questioned. It is difficult to know if we are truly experiencing another culture if we don’t know what forms the basis of that culture. Ciabatta is just one example of a phenomenon that we will only see grow — the expansion of ‘authenticity’ into the marketplace, creating a tension between the slow changes of tradition and the fast-paced nature of global economic systems.

To this, I offer only one solution: the next time you see an item marketed as authentic, think “Why do I want this?” Maybe then, we can start to challenge our ideas of how we can understand culture.

A philosophical challenge to “authentic food”

The “authentic” cultural foods we enjoy are the product of capitalism, not culture.

JISHNA SUNKARA/THEVARSITY

Ridiculously expensive gold-flaked pizza, anyone? COURTESY OF DELIGHTINDEE/UNSPLASH

What do bread and cancer cells have in common?

The pastry AI that was repurposed to detect cancer cells

Salma Ragheb Associate Science Editor

Computer vision is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) whose objective is to derive meaningful information — particularly regarding recognition and identification — from visual input. Examples of how this visual input is used include image classification, object detection, object tracking, and contentbased image retrieval.

Distinguishing between different variations of one categorical object is a mutual problem among bakeries and hospitals. For example, distinguishing between types of pastries and detecting cancer cells among normal cells, surprisingly, require the

This is particularly a problem for Japanese bakeries that want to employ automated checkout systems. Japanese bakeries prioritize range. Bread has always been an import in Japan, and Japan’s rich history of trade has left consumers with a taste for variety. A large variety of pastries, almost hundreds of different types, are invented all the time.

Analysts at a new bakery venture conducted market research and found that bakeries offering a larger variety sell more and pastries unwrapped sell more than individually wrapped pastries because they appear more fresh. To accommodate these two conditions — selling a vast variety of pastries without wrapping, while making checkout sanitary and quick — the bakery venture wanted to incor-

what

different textures look like, et cetera.

There is a repertoire of context that makes us quick at deducing the category of a particular object even if we have never seen it before. For example, you can recognize a doughnut even if it’s a type of doughnut you have never seen before. You know glass is reflective because you have seen it in different contexts, at different times of the day. This circumstantial context complicates how objects appear under different conditions or in different variations, and computers have a limited understanding of it.

Hisashi Kambe and the pastry AI

Hisashi Kambe founded BRAIN Co., Ltd. in 1982 after years working at Matsushita Electric Works, which later became Panasonic.

In 2007, the aforementioned bakery venture approached BRAIN. A financial crisis in 2008 discontinued BRAIN’s other projects, and Kambe bet his company on the bakery’s pastry project. The company developed ten algorithm prototypes in two years. By combining and rewriting algorithms from different prototypes, they achieved a system with 98 per cent accuracy across 50 varieties of bread.

The problem was that this system had only been tested in perfectly controlled conditions, whereas in a bakery, BRAIN’s system had to work at different times of the day, with different lighting conditions,

ows cast by the pastry, including the shadow of the doughnut across the donut hole, which would cause the scanner to read the item as a pastry without a hole. Kambe’s team even developed a mathematical model that related baking time to the

By 2013, Kambe’s team mersed in bread before they built the device that

lyzed their features and

The myth of the tongue map

tinguished a variety of pastries from one another. They called it BakeryScan. This is a hand-tuned system different from systems that use deeplearning techniques. When BRAIN tried replacing their BakeryScan with a deep neural network that used deep-learning techniques, the network system recognized pastries just as effectively as BakeryScan, but it required thousands of training examples. This is a problem in a Japanese bakery that might introduce new pastry types on a weekly basis. BakeryScan, however, can recognize a new pastry after just five samples with 90 per cent accuracy and after 20 samples, it’s nearly perfect.

One of BRAIN’s biggest customers, Andersen Bakery, has deployed the system in hundreds of bakeries. The BRAIN team included a feedback mechanism in the physical BakeryScan system for operators, where the system lights up in yellow or red instead of green when it isn’t confident in its identification of the pastry. The system then asks the operator to specify from a short selection of its best guesses. In this way, BakeryScan learns and progressively achieves a higher level of accuracy.

From bakeries to hospitals

In 2017, a doctor at Kyoto’s Louis Pasteur Center for Medical Research noticed that the bread identified by BakeryScan looked like cancer cells under a microscope. The doctor reached out to BRAIN and eventually, the company began researching and developing a pathology-centered prototype of BakeryScan.

In 2018, at a conference in Sapporo about the AI identification of cancer cells, Kambe argued that deep learning was still impractical for certain tasks because of how much data it requires.

In 2021, a prototype of BakeryScan repurposed to detect cancer cells, now called Cyto-AiSCAN, was being tested in two major hospitals in Kobe and Kyoto. It had become capable of looking at an entire microscope slide and identifying the potential cancer cells.

In November of 2021, James Somers — a New York-based writer and programmer — interviewed Kambe, who demonstrated how Cyto-AiSCAN flags the cancer-cell candidates on a sample from a stage-four cancer patient. Cyto-AiSCAN was working at a 99 per cent accuracy in cancer-cell detection. Somers asked Kambe how the model is so successful or if he used deep learning, to which Kambe smiled and said, “Original way, same as bread.”

Exploring the historical and physiological understanding of taste

proved by researcher Virginia Collings in 1974.

For decades, teachers and textbooks have perpetuated the idea that different parts of the tongue are exclusively correlated with different basic tastes. However, this idea is a misconception with no basis in modern physiology. In reality, taste buds are capable of detecting all five modalities of taste –– sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and umami –– with individual perception of each taste being influenced by various factors like age, genetics, and cultural background.

This common misconception of a “tongue map” is believed to have originated from Dr. E. Boring’s poor analysis of a German paper, “Zur Psychophysik des Geschmackssinnes,” On the Psychophysics of Taste, written by D.P. Hänig in 1901. The original paper had merely identified slight variations in sensitivity for detecting each of the basic tastes across the tongue. Dr. Boring’s paper, by contrast, erroneously exaggerated these minute differences and transformed them into a suggestion that each part of the tongue was exclusively responsible for a different taste.

This proposal became swiftly integrated into the popular and academic understanding of the human sense of taste until it was at last dis-

Like in Dr. Häning’s original paper, Collings discovered that the differences in concentrations of taste receptors across the mouth were so slight as to produce an altogether negligible effect on taste.

Modern physiology understands taste buds

to contain clusters of taste-receptor cells responsible for mediating the human sense of taste. Within a given taste bud, some receptor cells are specialized to sense sweetness, while others are more primed to sense sourness, saltiness, bitterness, or umami. When a person consumes food or drink, each of these specialized

cells sample oral concentrations of a large number of molecules contained within the said food or drink and thereafter report the overall sensation of taste to the brainstem.

The perception of the more pleasant tastes of sweetness and umami is mediated by a set of receptors called T1R. These receptors come in pairs, with T1R2 and T1R3 working together to bind molecules associated with sweetness, and with T1R1 and T1R3 working together to bind molecules resulting in savouriness, such as L-glutamate and L-amino acids. Bitter and sour flavours are detected by a separate set of receptors called T2R and TRP, respectively. Interestingly, the scientific literature on the perception of saltiness is still relatively limited and remains an area of ongoing research and investigation.

The physiology of taste is more complicated than the model of the “tongue map,” so why is the map so persistent in modern education and culture? Perhaps it is because people enjoy the simplicity and visual appeal of a map wherein sections of the tongue can be divided into neat, clear categories. However, modern research shows that the physiological mechanisms of taste are much more subtle and arise from the presence of large numbers of specialized receptor cells in taste buds that enable all parts of the tongue to sense all five modalities of taste.

The chemistry behind the foods you love How processes like gelification and the Maillard reaction explain taste and texture

Sarah Artemia Kronenfeld Managing Editor, Internal

I’ve always thought ‘molecular gastronomy’ sounds like a term made up by haute-cuisine chefs to make food science sound more intimidating.

However, its principles are pretty accessible. Molecular gastronomy is the idea that any technique in cooking — from heating and curing to stabilizing emulsions — can be optimized by looking at the physical and chemical properties of its component materials and understanding their interactions at a molecular level.

Food science approaches are based on classic techniques, but the literature on them can still be hard to get into. That shouldn’t be a barrier, though; anytime you’re making food, you can experiment with novel reactions and interactions!

Phases of matter: texture and gelification

Okay, here’s a trick for you: how can you turn a liquid into something that stays solid at room temperature? Well, easy — a gelling agent.

Gelification is a popular technique in molecular gastronomy because of how well it can be used for fancy food presentations. It’s really not that unusual; if you’ve ever used Jell-O or pectin, you’ve already experimented with gelification.

Gelling agents are added to liquids to make them thicker — sometimes, thick enough to hold their form as a solid. The mechanics behind gelling often have to do with temperature. Once cooled, gelatin protein strands associate with one another, which creates pockets that trap liquid inside, which can then be broken apart when reheated.

The uses of gelification go far beyond just JellO and sauces. There’s a long list of thickeners and gelling agents chefs can use to change the firmness or viscosity of something that starts off as a liquid, each with its own advantages and dis-

advantages based on the exact properties you’re trying to create.

One common, versatile, and easy-to-get gelling agent is agar agar — a substance derived from certain types of red algae. The reason agar is so versatile is, again, all because of temperature. Agar isn’t soluble except at high temperatures, so when it’s dissolved in a boiling liquid and then cooled, the resulting gel won’t melt in your hands or mouth while eating, since the human body’s temperature isn’t high enough to dissolve the gel. Gelification has a variety of uses, such as thickening sauces or stabilizing foams. If you want to play around with the shape and form of your food, you can do so by controlling how your gel cools. To make pearls, you can drop bits of a liquid with dissolved agar into a tall container of thoroughly chilled oil; the agar-water solution will

form a spherical shape as it falls, and will solidify because of the temperature of the surrounding oil. You can even pipe the solution into food-safe tubing with a food syringe, and then cool the tubing, to make noodles made out of the liquids of your choice!

How to make a crust: Taste and the Maillard reaction

Ever wondered why bread crusts turn brown in the oven or what happens when you sear meat?

Many types of browning that we see in food happen at least in part because of one very common set of reactions, which you may have already heard of. The set of chemical processes known as the Maillard reaction is famous for its ability to create complex and developed flavours. It occurs not because of enzymes present in your starting

ingredients, but because of a reaction happening between sugars and amino acids as the food heats up.

This reaction changes a lot of properties in the food you’re cooking and creates flavourful volatile compounds.

It’s also a great avenue for experimentation: knowing about the Maillard reaction may allow you to speed up the process to make flavours develop quicker or to avoid it if you weren’t looking for your food to change colour.

There are actually a few ways you can speed up or slow down the Maillard reaction. The effects of the reaction tend to happen at high temperatures of about 300 degrees Celsius — far above water’s boiling point, which is why you won’t get the same kind of flavourful browning on meat if you boil it. The acidity of your ingredients also plays a role in how fast or slow the reaction starts — lowering the pH of your food, or adding acid, can help you slow down the reaction whereas raising the pH, or adding a base, can help you speed it up. Just be sure you’re only adding food-safe ingredients!

This only scratches the surface of food science and molecular gastronomy. If you’re interested in learning more, Harvard University has published a series of online lectures on food science for a general audience, which you can access for free on YouTube. U of T’s nutritional science program also offers some courses on the mechanics of food, like NFS386 — Food Chemistry, which you can take after first-year chemistry classes.

But you don’t have to be a chemistry student to learn about what’s going on under the hood while you’re cooking. The field is as wide as our imagination; wherever there’s something to cook, you can bring in concepts from food sciences to understand it better. In the end, applying the scientific method to understand the processes behind making your food taste better at a molecular level isn’t just useful to improve your cooking — it can also be incredibly fun.

Benefits of fasting during Ramadan

Effects of fasting on metabolism, brain function, immunity, circadian rhythm

Ashiana Sunderji Varsity Staff

Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and charity observed by two billion Muslims all around the world. This year it began at sundown on Wednesday, March 22, and it will end on Friday, April 21 which is Eid al Fitr, also known as the festival of breaking the fast.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and it is the month during which Prophet Muhammad received the revelation that became the beginning of Islam’s holy text, the Quran. Fasting from sunrise to sundown during this month is one of the five pillars of Islam — the other four are professions of faith, prayer, charity, and the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

Muslims fast during Ramadan for religious and spiritual reasons, but there are also health benefits to this practice, ranging from increased cognition to improved sleep.

Enhanced metabolism and decreased cholesterol

During Ramadan, Muslims eat a meal before sunrise and do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset. Fasting with this schedule increases the release of a hormone called adiponectin, which causes skeletal muscles to absorb more nutrients like glucose from food. Once the fast is broken after sundown, people’s bodies will absorb more nutrients from the foods they consume. Adiponectin also increases fat oxidation:

the breaking down of fatty acids, which is how we get rid of fat molecules and use them for energy.

Fasting also improves overall cholesterol levels. In the UAE, cardiologists reported that individuals who were fasting demonstrated a decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol in blood. These impacts in cholesterol levels lead to even more positive cardiovascular health effects such as decreased risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Regulates circadian rhythm

There are conflicting sides to the argument regarding Ramadan’s effects on circadian rhythm, with some claiming that fasting can help regulate sleep while others argue that fasting negatively impacts your quality of sleep. Fasting alters the levels of sleep hormones in your body. Through increasing melatonin, which is produced in response to darkness and helps promote sleep, and decreasing insulin, fasting regulates sleeping patterns. However, it also has the potential of increasing cortisol, which could disrupt sleep patterns.

Improved immunity

During Ramadan, when people are fasting, potentially malignant cells are starved and unable to process ketones, which makes them unable to readily proliferate and develop into tumours. Fasting can also reduce glucose levels, which impedes the growth of cancer cells.

A 2009 report described the decrease in certain inflammatory markers during Ramadan in both males and females who fasted during the period. In particular, the researchers noted decreases in interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory protein; c-reactive protein, a protein in the blood whose concentrations rise in response to inflammation; and homocysteine, an amino acid present after cellular inflammation.

Fasting modifies the gut microbiota, the collection of microorganisms living in your gut and growing from your body, which is enhanced with bacteria that have anti-inflammatory characteristics following fasting. Many argue that the composition of the gut microbiome has strong impacts on our moods and cognition, linking back to enhanced brain processing.

Enhanced brain function

Surprisingly, fasting can have positive benefits on the brain and nerve tissue. Fasting increases the level of nerve growth factor protein in the body, which regulates the growth, maintenance, proliferation, and survival of neurons in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Moreover, fasting increases the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a modulator in the brain that is involved in promoting the survival and growth of brain cells. Furthermore, a sufficient amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor is preventative for risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Ramadan — and fasting overall — has incredible health benefits, and anyone participating in the month of fasting can benefit from these.

Fasting during Ramadan has positive impacts on brain and body health. VURJEET MADAN/THEVARSITY

JESSICA LAM/THEVARSITY

The starting age of female puberty is going down

What factors drive this change?

Zoe Ibraj Varsity Contributor

Parents often dread having the conversation about the birds and the bees with their child, but these conversations might have to happen earlier than expected.

Puberty is a natural process across many species when the body becomes sexually reproductive. In humans, the change begins in the pituitary gland of the brain, which releases hormones that allow sexual maturation. According to endocrinologists, female puberty usually begins at the age of eight and is marked by the start of breast development. However, over the last few decades, there has been a significant number of girls beginning puberty before the age of eight, leading doctors to wonder what is causing this acceleration.

The rise in early puberty has effects other than just untimely maturation. Psychosocial problems, such as problems with emotional behaviour and adjustment, are an added stress beyond regular development. Additionally, children who undergo puberty younger are at risk of early bone maturation, leading to short stature. According to a 2020 study, women who underwent early puberty also had an increased risk of breast cancer in adulthood.

Many factors may induce early development in children, such as obesity, stress, environment, and nutrition. These factors can overlap in multiple ways. For instance, early menstruation is often caused by caloric over consumption that leads to an accumulation of body fat. Early menstruation induces the release of leptin, a hormone that helps maintain healthy weight and signals the brain to begin puberty onset. Evolution links leptin’s two seemingly unrelated pathways. Mammals become capable of childbearing at a threshold weight, thus why the hormone that maintains weight could also induce sexual maturation.

Studies have also claimed that a high intake of animal protein leads to puberty onset about seven months earlier than average, while high in-

take of vegetable protein leads to a seven-month late onset of puberty. Animal protein is correlated with increase in insulin-like growth factor 1 secretion. This hormone causes the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which is a factor for beginning puberty.

artificial estrogenic chemicals that were manufactured over the last 60 years have been released into the environment and labeled endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC). One of the most prominent EDCs in the environment are phthalates, which are most

causing them to enter our surroundings and food chain. Surprisingly, even the consistent use of plastic cups has been linked to increased estrogen levels in females, although not enough to cause early onset puberty. At least, not yet according to present research.

Explainer: How does LSD work?

How the most common psychoactive drug impacts your nervous system

Shivangi Roy Varsity Contributor

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a psychedelic drug used for decades recreationally and, more recently, medically, which alters our perception of time and our surroundings in various ways. The drug acts by binding to serotonin receptors in our brain, changing our

response to the serotonin hormone responsible for handling mood, emotions, and perception.

Classified under ‘ergoline’ drugs, a class of drugs prescribed for migraines and Parkinson’s disease, LSD was first synthesized in 1938. The drug binds to the serotonin neurotransmitter receptor through the β-arrestin pathway that is usually responsible for reduc -

ing a cell’s sensitivity to certain hormones. This interaction causes the receptor to close a ‘lid’ on the cell, preventing its state from returning to normal and allowing the drug to last longer.

After the effects of the use of the drug have worn off, users may experience flashbacks to the hallucinogenic episode, causing feelings and emotions ranging from pleasant recall of

visual imagery without much impairment, to rapid mood swings, anxiety, and minor depression.

While the long-term effects of the drug have not yet been researched as extensively, one known effect is that users can develop resistance to the drug pretty quickly, and thus require higher doses in regular use to elicit the same effect. However, this resistance goes as quickly as it comes and can subside in a matter of days, making LSD a non-addictive substance. While known long term effects are rare, some notable ones are an increased risk of psychosis and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, a rare neural condition where an individual experiences multiple recurring flashbacks through visual and auditory channels.

A rumour of brain cells being ‘perma-fried’ due to continuous use of LSD has been floating for a long time, but nothing regarding this has been proven yet. However, in a 2018 study on fruit fly larvae, researchers found that serotonergic psychedelic drugs like LSD could potentially promote neuritogenesis. Neuritogenesis facilitates the development of spinogenesis, a process that transmits messages between neurons that can enhance information intake, and synaptogenesis, the increase of connections between neurons.

LSD, if used responsibly and under medical supervision, can potentially be harnessed and used for fundamental neurological research. All we know, for now, is that it has incredibly wide-ranging effects on neural chemistry and is an extremely potent drug with high hallucinogenic capacities.

Hork it down An inside look into the weird world of competitive eating

James Bullanoff Varsity Contributor

Competitive eating sounds like a joke. I initially thought it was, but the sport has a major cult following as it isn’t for the faint of heart. I know what you’re thinking: it doesn’t sound that hard. What’s the big deal? The fact is this sport is no cakewalk, and believe me when I say it’s a tough hotdog to swallow.

Don’t forget to chew

Knowing how to win is important to become the next eating champion. Most competitions have a time limit, encouraging competitors to eat a lot and to eat fast. Joey Chestnut — a legend in competitive eating and the current world hotdog eating record holder — began the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest with a whopping nine hotdogs per minute before slowing down to about 5.9 hotdogs. He holds the record with an insane 76 hotdogs in 10 minutes. The man isn’t human.

Apart from speed, a critical element is quantity. Competitive eaters warp their bodies to force as much food as they can down their throats. Not only do they suppress their gag reflexes to swallow, rather than waste time chewing, but they can also turn off the body’s satiety reflex. This is a gastrointestinal reflex that tells your brain when you’re stuffed. Competitors stop themselves from feeling full in order to continue eating.

Meal prep

Competitive eating requires a lot of skill and preparation. The only way one can achieve this is through intense training. Matt Stonie trained

for Nathan’s by eating up to 60 hot dogs in one sitting three times a week. This ended up paying off, as in 2015, he won with 62 dogs in 10 minutes. Trial runs give competitors an edge in get-

ting a feel for expanding their appetite, but there are also other tricks before competition day.

Competitors drastically reduce their caloric intake in the 16 to 24 hours leading up to a competition, as eating an excessive amount during this window may result in the competitor being full prior to the competition and losing. Chestnut typically fasts for two to three days before Nathan’s, eating just 500 calories a day to sustain himself. Given that men’s daily caloric intake should be approximately 2,500 calories, Chestnut’s prep is quite intensive.

Water is everything

Having liquids nearby is essential when it comes to competitive eating. It’s a great way to consume food and reduce the risk of choking. While some contests prohibit drinking liquids, competitors are allowed to dunk their food with water to lubricate it, allowing it to slide down the esophagus easier. Some contestants, like seven-time winner Takeru Kobayashi, favour this method.

Dig in

With so much preparation and training, competitive eating is not for everyone. It requires a lot of work to not only warp your body but mould your spirit into an eating machine. Given the potential health risks, including stomach rupture and water intoxication, it may be better to savour evewwry bite rather than hork it all down.

Calorie counting — is it an exact science or a crude estimation?

Content warning: This article contains mentions of eating disorders.

The calorie emerged as a unit of heat — specifically, the amount of heat required to increase the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius — in 1824, as defined by French physicist and chemist Nicolas ClémentDesormes. In modern usage, the calorie as a measure of energy within food appears on food labels as the kilocalorie.

However, measurements on food labels are not exact. Estimates of food energy are derived from the Atwater general factor system, which was developed by American chemist and physiologist Wilbur Olin Atwater through a series of experiments in the nineteenth century. In Atwater’s general factor system, each main group of nutrients — protein, fat, and carbohydrates — carries a single energy value. Protein and carbohydrates have an energy value of four kilocalories per gram, while fat has an energy value of nine kilocalories per gram. Atwater also calculated an energy value for alcohol — seven kilocalories per gram. For instance, a snack containing 12 grams of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and nine grams of fat would be labelled as containing 189 calories.

Calorie counting problems

The conventional wisdom on weight loss states that you should create a calorie deficit: expend more calories — through daily activities and exercise — than you consume. But this wisdom is riddled with inaccuracy.

Usually 50 to 70 per cent of calorie expenditure results from an individual’s resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy that the body needs to maintain basic functions. However, resting metabolic rate may vary, based on several factors, including body composition, age, ethnicity, illness — such as thyroid disease or diabetes — and being on medication.

Resting metabolic rate equations account for weight, height, age, and sex, expressing resting metabolic rate in kilocalories per day.

Most online calorie calculators use this equa tion. The most common equation for resting metabolic rate, the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, has an error rate of 20 per cent: a 2005 sys tematic review found that the equation could underestimate resting metabolic rate by up to 20 per cent and overestimate by up to 15 per cent.

Other issues arise when people use resting metabolic rate to determine their ideal calorie intake. Metabolism fluctuates and varies for everyone. A 2021 comprehensive study on metabolism found that metabolism speeds up in the first year of life and stays high through out childhood, before tapering off to adult levels at age 20. Then, metabolism remains relatively stable throughout adulthood — from age 20 to 60 — before steadily declining in old age. The researchers also found consider able variation between individuals.

Calorie (in)equalities: A calorie is not a calorie

Researchers from the Department of Fam ily and Social Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have critiqued the sim plistic assumption implicit in the reliance on calorie deficits for weight loss: that a ‘calorie is a calorie’ so the quality of food consumed doesn’t matter. In fact, all calories are not equal. Different types of food have different effects on the body, depending on how they affect various hormones that regulate appetite, satiety, body composition, and blood sugar.

For instance, 100 calories of salmon affect the body differently than 100 calories of white rice.

The behavioural angle: Calorie counting and eating disorders

Calorie counting may trigger, worsen, or main tain disordered eating. A 2017 study conduct

ed on an undergraduate sample found that students who used calorie counting and fit-

Whitney Buluma

Varsity Contributor

Joey Chestnut shovels a sausage down his throat. COURTESY OF LEGENDLARRYS/CC WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Are vegan diets the future for aspiring athletes?

Many prominent athletes are advocating for vegan diets

Ahmad Khan Varsity Contributor

What do Lewis Hamilton, Venus Williams, Nate Diaz, and Laurence Okolie all have in common?

They’re all world class athletes who have begun to promote vegan diets. The diverse range of sports these athletes participate in indicates the various benefits and applications of such a diet. However, despite the advocacy of athletic superstars, vegan diets are not without their challenges.

One of the biggest areas of concern with regard to athletes switching to vegan diets is the lower levels of energy they may endure. The restriction of animal products results in a lower calorie count that can become a problem for athletes, as they require a higher calorie intake than most. This is due to the smaller concentrations of protein found in plant-based foods in comparison to animal foods. Additionally, the high amounts of fibre found in plant-based foods can lead to one feeling satiated faster. This lower intake can result in substandard performance, as well as inadequate recovery. Athletes involved in bodybuilding or weightlifting may struggle due to difficulties in gaining and maintaining weight, as well as building muscle.

While lower levels of energy due to lower intake of calories and proteins may present an obstacle for athletes, it is one that can be circumvented. Through careful planning, a vegan diet can meet the calorie needs of athletes through frequent meals. There is an abundance of protein and meat substitutes, including tofu, quinoa, legumes, and seitan.

Some athletes may require the lower-calorie diet plant-based foods provide, as leaner body mass is preferable for better athletic perfor mance in certain sports. For a Formula One (F1) athlete, too much body mass can be counterproductive as the driver’s mass can begin to slow the car down. Thus, drivers are encouraged to keep their weight at or below 161 pounds. Combat sports athletes also ben efit from the lower calorie intake as it can make the gruelling weight cut much easier. A vegan diet can allow fighters to slowly adjust their weight to a lower level while maintaining the advantages of a bigger frame.

Plant-based foods are also rich in carbohy drates, something animal products often lack. Carbohydrates are extremely important for ath letic performance and are the primary source of energy for muscles. Studies also show that increased carbohydrate intake can improve endurance due to more efficient glycogen stor age. Athletes on vegan diets have also been found to have increased aerobic capacity, which further contributes to their endurance. This is extremely beneficial for athletes such as Diaz, who can last for the full 25 minutes of a five round MMA fight and has been praised for his incredible cardio. Okolie, the World Boxing Organisation’s cruiserweight boxing champion has also credited his diet for providing him en ergy without the strain of processing meat.

Vegan diets are also higher in antioxidants than their animal counterparts. The high inten sity exercise athletes perform and the lack of rest they receive all contribute to internal in flammation. The abundance of antioxidants in plant based foods can reduce oxidative stress,

in turn reducing the needed recovery time. The touted F1 driver Hamilton has credited his diet for changing his life, stating “I wake up

cup of coffee to fuel your workout

How to use caffeine to optimize your workout

Alaysha Merali Varsity Contributor

Caffeine has long been a popular supplement among athletes and fitness enthusiasts looking to enhance their performance during workouts. This natural stimulant is found in a variety of foods and beverages, including coffee, tea, and chocolate. Caffeine provides several benefits that make it an effective pre-workout supplement.

Caffeine is found in various plants such as coffee and cacao. On average, a cup of coffee contains around 80 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. In contrast, pre-workout supplements often contain higher doses of caffeine. The amount of caffeine in pre-workout supplements can vary widely, containing between 150 to 300 milligrams per serving.

The different forms of caffeine

The difference between caffeine derived from coffee and caffeine sourced from pre-workout supplements is the form in which it is consumed. They both have comparable effects, but anhydrous caffeine — which is used in preworkout supplements — has a faster onset of action. While a strong cup of coffee may take about 60 to 90 minutes to reach its optimal potential, a pre-workout pill may only take about 30 to 60 minutes.

Though this faster onset may be good for the duration of the workout, it can also increase the likelihood of experiencing post-caffeine tiredness and other side effects. Several factors need to be considered to determine the appropriate quantity of caffeine for improving performance during a workout, including the nature of the activity. It is recommended to consume a minimum of 150 milligrams of caffeine before exercise to achieve reliable and significant results. This is why the lowest amount of caffeine typically found in pre-workout tablets and energy drinks is 150 milligrams.

An advantage of using caffeine in pre-work-

out supplements is the ability to control the dosage and timing of intake. With coffee or other sources of caffeine, it can be more difficult to determine the exact amount of caffeine be ing consumed. Pre-workout supplements can provide a more standardized and predictable dose of caf feine, which may be beneficial for individuals who are looking to maximize their performance during workouts.

Caffeine’s effect on the body

Once consumed, caffeine has a significant impact on our cognitive capabilities. It achieves this by inhibiting the actions of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that contributes toward brain relaxation and fatigue in humans.

One of the most significant benefits of caf feine as a pre-workout supplement is its ability to increase energy levels and reduce fatigue. When consumed in moderation, caffeine can stimulate the central nervous system to cause increased alertness, focus, and energy levels. This stimulation can help individuals push themselves harder during their workouts, allowing them to lift heavier weights, run faster, and perform more repetitions by improving muscle activation and muscular force production.

In addition to physical benefits, caffeine has been found to improve mental focus and alertness. This can especially be useful for individuals who struggle to maintain their focus during workouts or who have low motivation to exercise. By improving mental focus and alertness, caffeine can help individuals stay engaged in their workouts, allowing them to achieve their fitness goals more effectively.

The risks of caffeine

While caffeine can be a beneficial pre-workout supplement for many people, it is important to keep in mind that consuming too much caffeine can have negative consequences. Caffeine overdose can lead to symptoms such as restlessness, nervousness, and jitters.

Caffeine overdose can be dangerous when working out due to its effects on the cardiovascular system. Especially for those with preexisting heart conditions, high doses of caffeine can cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular complications, including cardiac arrest.

These effects should be considered as people

tend to consume high doses in an attempt tomance. Many pre-workoutfeine in combination with other stimulants or ingredients, which can increase the risk of overdose or adverse effects.

It is also important to note that caffeine is a diuretic, which can make it easier for your body to get dehydrated. Therefore it is important to drink plenty of water and other fluids during workouts to avoid dehydration.

So, know your limits, read labels carefully, and avoid taking caffeine with other stimulants to get the safest results.

By following these guidelines and being aware of the risks associated with a caffeine overdose, individuals can effectively use caffeine as a preworkout supplement to enhance their performance and achieve their fitness goals.

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BIEW BIEW SAKULWANNADEE/THEVARSITY

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