Mom was right!

As a kid I remember enjoying seasonal delights that Dad would enthusiastically bring from the local market and Mom would cook with all her heart to put a smile on our faces. But as I grew up seasonal relevance made its journey to the back burner. By the time I was in my late teens Dad would bring cauliflower and carrots well within summer and Mom would cook it broodingly. She said it’s just not right; it doesn’t taste right; it doesn’t feel right.

Today when I walk into a shop/super market (yes, going to mundis is not the first option anymore), I not only see fruits and vegetables from a different season, I also see a substantial supply of them from different countries. Being a foodie I jumped at the options. But the initial euphoria is now clouded with doubt. How does the apple from Australia stay that fresh after travelling half the earth and why do all the apples look like clones of each other? 

Cloning has been proved to be harmful for mankind

It is easy to guess that fruits and vegetables in season are much more supportive of not only your health, but also the health of the planet. There is a reason why a certain fruit or vegetable grows at a certain time. It’s nature’s design. That’s when they grow best.

So Mom was not just right about the taste being off the mark, she was right when it came to the “off the mark” logic. Buying locally and seasonally is a lot easier on the wallet. It’s the basic law of supply and demand.

It is tastier because the fruit or vegetable has grown in the environment that is best suited for it to grow. Food loses flavor just as it loses moisture when they are repeatedly held. It’s hard to be enthusiastic about eating five servings a day of flavorless fruits and vegetables and it’s even harder to get your children to be enthusiastic about it.

Eating seasonally also adds variety to your platter all year round. Oh the joys of waiting for Mangos! I think they are that divine because we wait a whole year to feast on them.

And while you munch on seasonal goodness, you can feel happy that in the process you helped the environment restore it freshness, urged farmers to move away from the debt cycles that come from using chemicals and supported healthy environment for the birds and animals. Now is that not a win-win situation?