In the past five months, ‘Shop Local’ has morphed into a political calling card. Yet while this slogan may not have the same punch it did three months ago, the Gazette believes 2025 is an important year to support local producers, growers, craftsmen and vendors.
To assist Albertans, we will be running Behind the Booth, a special 18-part series on St. Albert Farmers’ Market vendors. From this issue until Oct. 9, the Gazette will profile vendors and learn their stories, challenges and dreams, as well as what inspired the product they sell.
Opening day at St. Albert Farmers’ Market proved gustier than normal. As winds came in bursts, vendors grabbed onto the tent poles holding their booths in place. One gust was so strong, it blew Joseph Dongo’s coin box onto the street, scattering loonies and five-dollar bills.
Dongo, a third-year market veteran, sells Candelice, a creamy sauce and dressing similar to mayonnaise. It comes in two flavours, original and spicy. Candelice is made from Canadian natural ingredients and African spices that add a delightful kick to the creaminess.
Having tasted the sauce from Dongo’s free booth samples, Candelice adds a savouriness to sandwiches, barbecued meat, fried eggs, vegetables and salads. It makes an all-around pantry staple that adds versatility and convenience.
Like many in-demand inventions, Candelice (a blend of the word ‘Canada’ and ‘delicious’) came about from the immigrant experience.
Dongo was born in the Ivory Coast, an economic powerhouse in West Africa. But during the1980s, a period of political upheaval and civil war that continued until 2011 forced many nationals to leave the country.
Dongo arrived in Edmonton in 2014 with his wife and two young children. Back home, he worked as a process operator for Société ivoirienne de Raffinage, an enterprise refining crude oil.
Arriving in Edmonton was difficult, and there were the usual hardship many immigrants face. One of the thorniest issues was going to the food bank for groceries.
“When I first came to Edmonton, I had to rely on the food bank. One day, I asked how people can give so much food, and I realized they were donations. I made a promise when I settled down, I would give back what I received for food,” said Dongo.
He earned a four-year degree from NAIT’s material engineering program and is now employed as an NDT (non-destructive) technician testing for the oil and gas pipeline industry.
But Dongo never forgot his original promise to help others.
“I started cooking food and sandwiches for the homeless in downtown Edmonton. One day, I made the sauce and people were so happy to eat it. I gave some to my friends and they liked it too. Everybody liked the sauce, and I thought about starting a business. By giving away food, I started getting the idea for a business,” Dongo said.
Planning a startup is risky. But for a family that escaped the Ivory Coast’s political turmoil, the risk was worth it. After waiting six months to process the necessary paperwork, Dongo settled on a recipe popular in African kitchens.
As a base, the entrepreneur uses canola oil, followed by eggs, onion, green onion, garlic, green pepper, parsley, African seasonings and cloves.
Unfortunately, he purchased boxes of ingredients and concocted batches of creamy sauce prior to the pandemic lockdown in March 2020.
“There were no markets that year and no way to show the sauce I was making in big batches, so I gave it away.”
By 2022, markets were up and running again and Dongo was selling his product at St. Albert Farmers’ Market for $7 per squeeze bottle. This year, he plans to hold prices steady despite 25 per cent to 35 per cent increases from suppliers.
“Some people make it so expensive. We do not do this only for money. In our mind, coming to the market and keeping the price low is like advertising. If we put it in a store and people don’t know about it, they won’t buy it,” said the savvy entrepreneur.
In the sprawling 250-plus vendor market, Candelice is located at booth #286 on St. Thomas Street.
