Seasonal Eating

Photo by BeccaG

We are in the middle of strawberry season here at the moment. I love strawberry season. I make the most of it and eat as much strawberries as I can fit in.

Once the strawberry season rolls to and end, asparagus comes into season, followed by mangos, nectarines, cherries and tropical fruit. At this time of the year, month follows month with one gustative delight after another.

Seasonality is for most a thing of the past. Worldwide distribution and processing and storage methods mean that the produce on supermarket shelves is the same all year round. While having access to a variety of fruit and vegetables all year round certainly has its benefits, there is something to be said for eating as much food in season as possible.

There are many benefits of eating in season. Food in season is cheaper, tastier, healthier, and grown more locally.

There is also the pleasure of anticipation of that first bite of mango in the summer or the creamy richness of cauliflower in the winter. We live today at odds with our natural environment. We are increasingly disconnected with the natural world. Experiencing the changing seasons through food is a wonderful way to get reconnected with nature.

I am fortunate to live in an area where food can be grown in abundance. This can’t be said for all climates, so food transportation is one of those modern wonders that I enjoy the benefit of. For me, the idea of “local” stretches interstate. Strawberries from the farm down the road are really local, raspberries from Victoria are still “local” enough for me. Cherries from the United States are too far. I’ll wait until Summer and savour them in season.