22 - Specialty Coffee’s Impact on Food Culture with Matt Rodbard

Join us in conversation with food writer Matt Rodbard, the founding editor of the James‑Beard‑award‑winning TASTE and host of 'This Is TASTE' podcast. In this episode, we explore the overlap between specialty coffee and food culture, the growth of Michigan’s coffee scene, and why the way we roast and drink coffee matters.Rodbard explains how he fell in love with coffee while reporting on under‑appreciated industries and describes visiting Ethiopian washing stations with Intelligentsia co‑founder Jeff Watts—an experience that changed his understanding of specialty coffee. Matt Rodbard – Founder and editor of TASTE, co‑author of Koreatown and Food IQ, and host of This Is TASTELearn more at mattrodbard.com listen to Matt's Podcast, 'This Is TASTE'00:00 Introduction01:02 Michigan’s Growing Coffee Scene03:04 Why Traverse City?03:33 Specialty Coffee Meets Food Culture04:15 Matt’s Coffee Journey07:11 Roasting for Origin 10:03 Customer Expectations & Education12:57 Defining Specialty Coffee15:21 Specialty Coffee’s Impact on Food Culture18:56 Café Food23:33 Coffee as an Ingredient26:11 Trends & Home Brewing29:16 Price, Inflation & Farmers32:58 Inclusivity vs. Elitism 35:32 Northern Michigan Coffee Community 39:01 Matt’s Favorite Chain41:31 Matt's Favorite Roasters49:01 Origins & Flavor Preferences54:50 First Coffee Memories55:47 Visiting Origin56:45 Outro

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