Coffee, Local Food, and Seeds (Earth Day)

Coffee isn't coffee.

That is, coffee beans from one part of the world make quite a different cup than beans from another part of the world. Starbucks knows this. Coffee Fool makes a pretty big deal about it. And I can tell from personal experience that yeah, coffee isn't just coffee. Beans from Brazil don't taste the same as beans from Ethiopia... or even from Honduras.

I bet the same is true for lots of other foods. That's one of the things I'm learning from The Omnivore's Dilemma. All beef isn't the same, all chicken isn't the same... you get the picture. The author (Michael Pollan) suggests that local food (as in, food produced in your area) is, well, different, depending on where you live. Pollan suggests it's worth checking out.

So, I'm hoping to pay some visits to local farmers markets this summer. And as I've mentioned earlier, I'm also growing my own veggies (hopefully) in my back yard. Most of the first round died - probably my fault - but there are hopeful signs as I try for round two. Lettuce is popping up, and just tonight I discovered a zucchini seedling poking its way through the earth.