Seasonal food has been practiced since ancient times when people ate what nature provided according to the seasons. Different foods were eaten at different times of the year according to the harvest. Seasonal food is when the item is the cheapest, freshest and best tasting. I asked Jody Victor® to give us some details.
Jody Victor®: In the 8th century the choice of what to eat in each season became a conscious social event. The Cordoba Calendar was an historical record that provided detailed information about the eating habits of Spain in the mid 10th century. Winter meals consisted of rich vegetables such as beets, cauliflower, carrots, celery, peas, broad beans and lentils along with olives, hard wheat, couscous, pasta, walnuts, almonds and pine kernels. Fruity desserts consisted of dried figs, dates, raisins and prunes. The summer diet was filled with green beans, lettuces, carrots, cucumber, watercress and rice. Fruity desserts were made from lemons, quinces, nectarines, mulberries, cherries, plums, apricots, grapes, pears, apples and melons. Fall meals included summer foods that had more lasting power such as cauliflower, carrots, celery, gourds, turnips, parsnips, onions, acorns and olive oil. Spring meals were made from fall foods that lasted through winter and crops that could be planted very early in cooler weather such as spinach, asparagus, lettuces, marrow, fennel, artichokes, truffles, peas, basil, mint and sweet marjoram.
Over the centuries people have become ignorant of seasonal food. The main reason we became disassociated from our food goes back to the 16th century when the acts of enclosure reduced the amount of common land on which people could graze animals and grow food. A few landholders held most of the agricultural land. The small landowners who grew and raised their own food became a rarity. People began to lose their connection with the land. Then came the industrial revolution. People moved into towns and cities in large numbers. They became less and less involved in and aware of nature’s seasonal cycles. The diet of industrial workers declined and was the precursor to today’s quick-fix carb, sugar and caffeine diet.
During the 1940’s the hardships of war sent many people back to the land with their backyard gardens to grow and raise their own food. Nutritionally this was one of the healthiest points in human history. After the war, peoples’ fear of wartime rationing and the inability to feed themselves made them turn once again to industrialization. Chemical agriculture was their solution. This removed more people from the land. The consequence of industrial farming is that culturally we know less and less about where our food comes from.
The biggest contributor today to our ignorance about seasonal food are the supermarkets. Supermarket shelves today are filled with the same abundance of fresh produce all year round. The supermarket-driven insistence on predictability of supply and permanent summertime food has made our food chain very oil-dependent. The typical American meal travels 1500 miles to our table. The “food miles” used in airfreighting out-of-season produce also contributes substantially to carbon dioxide emissions. Greenhouses and polytunnels are heated to provide out-of-season produce, adding more greenhouse emissions.
It is a good thing that we do not have to worry about going hungry during the fresh food-gap months or worry about scurvy and other nutritional deficiencies. However, it appears we have completely turned seasonal food on its head. Do we really need strawberries for Christmas? Or asparagus for New Year’s? Blackberries that are free for the picking in July, but cost a small fortune in February? How about those winter tomatoes? How do they taste? The nutritional quality of most fruits and vegetables degrades over time. Produce that has traveled a long distance is lower in nutrients than produce that is picked in season and sold locally. For example: the huge health benefits of broccoli and asparagus can completely disappear over time. Modified atmosphere packaging, which is used to help produce travel further, has been shown to degrade the nutrients in salads.
Eating seasonally can be a positive way to move us back to a food chain that benefits customers, small farmers and our communities. Here are six reasons why seasonal food is a great idea:
- Food tastes better in season.
- Food is nutritionally better in season.
- Seasonal food is cheaper.
- Seasonal food encourages preserving the surplus for the winter months.
- Seasonal food supports your local farmer and your local economy.
- Seasonal food is better for the environment.
All the Best!!