Planet Bean Conducts In-Class Coffee Tasting

Planet Bean, a sustainability-focused Guelph-based coffee organization, conducted a coffee tasting in Prof. Justin Taillon's HTM*1000: Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism course this afternoon. Slow Food, a professional association in the School of HTM, assisted with the entire event. The students learned the complexities of the coffee industry, from the supply chain to roasting. Examples of new learning's included: coffee is the world's second most traded commodity (after oil); shade grown, organic, fair trade, and co-op business models differ from other organizations' coffees; and roasting coffee is complex due to the "popping", temperatures, and beans all needing different approaches. Finally, during the tastings all students were provided three Planet Bean coffees. They learned how "cupping" and "slurping" lead to appreciating enhanced flavors in the coffee.