Cooking

April 8, 2013April 8, 2013

Folivory dissected

The greens tree: phylogenetic relationships among species whose leaves we eat. Taxon branches are shaded according to taxonomic order. Thanks to The Botanist in the Kitchen

Another tour de force from The Botanist in the Kitchen: why we eat the leaves that we do.

There’s a bunch of good stuff in this post with which to regale fellow diners, should you be that sort of dining companion, and lots with which to take issue too, if you’re feeling argumentative. Despite all the caveats, most of which she anticipates, Jeanne manages a rather startling bottom line:

At the family level, we see that the greens tree has 15 families, but that most of the greens regularly consumed in the Western world are from only five of the 415+ families of seed plants currently recognized: Amaranthaceae (goosefoot family), Apiaceae (the carrot family), Asteraceae (the sunflower family), Lamiaceae (the mints) and Brassicaceae (the mustard family).

How different is it for foodways not contaminated by Meditearranean ancestry?

April 2, 2013April 2, 2013

Nibbles: Roman gardens, Gwich’in video, Medicinals, Crowdsourcing, Genomics in general, Genomics in particular, ICARDA strategy, Growing plantains, Fonio, Fancy chocolate

All nice and rested, we are resolutely back. With the peaceful gardens of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
With the very different lifeways of the Gwich’in.
With Cassandra Quave and her quest for medicinal plants. Not among the Gwich’in, alas.
With Jacob van Etten and his quest for crowdsourcing. Also not among the Gwich’in, who can’t buy a break, it seems.
With Eve Emshwiller (and others) on the joys of genomics.
With Mary Ndila and her efforts to get to the bottom of the good cow/bad cow dichotomy. Using genomics, natch.
With ICARDA’s exhortation to be smart and systematic.
With CTA’s instructions on how to plant better plantains. Presumably by being smart and systematic? Kinda. Not, apparently, by varietal mixing, though.
With ICRISAT’s pean to fonio. And now I need another holiday.
Or a piece of chocolate.

March 27, 2013March 27, 2013

Nibbles: Ag research impact, Old foods, GMOs, Barcoding, Palms (well it is Easter), Medicinal plants, Passion fruits, Markets, Livestock, Chaffey, Wine and CC, Coffee culture

“…for many for many smallholder farmers little has changed over the decades in terms of the methods and tools they use.” Geoff Tansey would seem to agree. Nobody has told ACIAR, though.
Cherfas favourite spread bog butter among oldest food finds.
Why it is silly to say that GMOs are always bad.
The Star Trek tricorder-type DNA widget comes a step closer.
Which will make it easier to do things like working out the evolution of palms. Before it’s too late. Because of all that nasty agriculture. Anyway, read about it on page 3 of Kew Scientist, along with lots of other stuff.
Like the taxonomy of herbal medicine, for instance, which coincidentally also comes up in a newspaper article from Australia today. Maybe some of the plants involved will go into the Kimberly Ark, whatever that is.
Passion fruit is the next big thing in Costa Rica.
Colombian peasant organizations go to market. Including, I bet, with passion fruits.
Even in the struggle between man and steer, the issue is uncertain.
Is it time for Plant Cuttings again? Thank goodness.
I think I’ll read it with some Danish wine at my elbow. Or maybe Vietnamese coffee.

March 26, 2013March 26, 2013

Nibbles: Cucurbits, Climate change cuisine, Passover pulses, Quinoa grant, Sago network

The botanist in the kitchen takes on the diversity of squashes. And pumpkins. And some gourds. So we don’t have to.
Aren’t you glad we’re here to tell you that “Potato Beans” are Apios americana? Why do we even link to this stuff?
Split peas split Jewish communities. Because it allows us to have fun.
Like this: USDA grant condemns Bolivian peasants to eternal poverty but better nutrition.
I see your allegedly neglected crop and raise you a really neglected one.

March 15, 2013March 15, 2013

Nibbles: Vigna radiata, Brit foods, Botany power, Niche models, Early ag, Fortification, Chicago plants, De-extinction, Kew aroids, Fish farming fail

WorldVeg fights for the right of Pakistanis to grow mungbean.
Philosopher thinks the English should fight for einkorn. Oh, and stilton.
Botanist fights for botany.
You gotta fight those species distribution models into submission. They don’t come quietly.
Early farmers made love, not war. Or at least made cultic phallic symbols.
Indians avoid Golden Rice fight by fortifying their own.
Chicago fights to save its plants.
You can’t fight extinction. I mean, once it’s happened.
Aroids putting up a good fight with showier plants at Kew.
Aquaculture in a fight for its life as disease looms.