A Whole New Kind Of Grocery
Store Is Coming To The U.S.
‘ The popularity of food startups isn't exactly helping. Take
the meal kit delivery service Blue Apron: By sending exactly what you need
directly to your door, the startup in theory helps cut down on wasted
groceries. But as BuzzFeed points out, nearly every ingredient
comes in its own little pouch, generating an insane amount of packaging waste
for just a two-person dinner. (Blue Apron said in email that all of its
packaging is recyclable or biodegradable.) ‘
I pulled this quote out of this article sent to me by Helen
because I think it identifies part of the problem with the bring your own
container push. I love that it’s being done, but all the studies show that it
is further up the chain or in the sidebar outlets that the change has to happen
for there to be an appreciable difference.
The origins of the neenish tart: A sweet mystery and a little
scandal
‘The most popular tale is that the neenish tart was
invented by a woman called Ruby Neenish
in the New South Wales Riverina town of Grong Grong in 1913. The story goes
something like this – Ruby was baking for a shower tea when she ran out of
cocoa. Thinking on her feet, she iced her tarts with half chocolate, half white
icing and they were known forever more as neenish tarts.’
And it’s such a great story why spoil it by casting
nasturtiums at Ruby !
Taste-Testing the History of the Hamburger
‘As the patties sizzled on the pan, they smelled like
burgers cooking. Leni, myself and Mary simultaneously took a bite. “It's like a
gourmet burger,” said Mary. “It's absolutely a burger. There is no doubt in my
mind.”
Another quite delightful origins story.
Another quite delightful origins story.
One-World Menu
‘From Scientific American July 2016:
Back in 1961, residents of far flung countries are very
different mixes of crops. By 1985 the disparities worldwide had shrunk and
daily fare became even more homogeneous by 2009. In nearly 50 years the differences
in foods eaten narrowed by 68%. Prevalent staples such as wheat have become
more dominant, and oil crops such a soybean, palm and sunflower have risen
sharply.’
Apologies: there is a diagram in the mag that sort of shows
this shift but is a tad incomprehensible and not very worth the reproducing.
However, it does highlight some startling shifts such as the United Arab
Emirates zooming in from the outer reaches in 1961 to the virtual centre of the
action in 2009, and Nepal coming in from the cold too.
Why
Do Some Plants Become Food Crops and Others Not? And What Does That Tell Us?
As serendipity would have it, just as I added the above this
newsletter, Jacqui alerted me to this paper which cited two other papers
looking at the homogenising of the world diet from a different perspective. The
Lauden and the two Khoury articles cited in it are well worth the read.
Slice, Dice, Chop Or Julienne: Does The Cut Change The Flavor?
‘Without
enzymes, onions and garlic also wouldn't be nearly as flavorful. "If you
cut an onion or garlic, you release an enzyme called alliinase that produces
the typical pungency or onion or garlic aroma, which really isn't there when
it's intact," explains Forney. "The enzymatic reaction forms the
flavor — so the more finely it's cut, the more flavor that will be released."
And the more tears you’re gonna cry too, I reckon. Quite an
intriguing article (thanks Helen), though I reckon sometimes the direction to
cut things particular ways are just to irritate you and rub your nose in it
that you will never be a chef.
The real two cultures
‘The vocabulary of farming
is a constant indicator of the divide, but there are many other landmarks.
Separate calendars, for example: academics measure their year by semester and
holiday breaks, farmers measure theirs by season — planting, haying, breeding,
birthing, harvesting. Or even by weather report. If it’s going to rain
tomorrow, there will be no mowing of standing hay today because it won’t dry,
but class will still be held. And the seasons are likely to be delimited by
events that most indoor-bound workers fail to notice. My sister text-messaged
me one late April to say that the barn swallows had returned that very
afternoon.’
Just one of many pars I could have
cited from this terrific thoughtful article.
Arctic 'Doomsday Vault' opens to retrieve vital seeds for Syria
‘ICARDA and others know
that the past could very well contain the key to our future, though no one
thought they would see such a mass withdrawal in their lifetime.’
I missed this depressing story
when it was first published.
