by Kari Heron (first published in The Khaleej Times, October 21, 2011)
Have you ever bit into a strawberry and wondered if you had mistakenly sucked on a tart tamarind instead? Chances are you had that strawberry out of season.
In recent years, there has been much emphasis in the food world on “cooking seasonally” and if you are wondering just exactly what means, I am here to explain it once and for all. As a disclaimer, because we live in the dry arid conditions of the Middle East, the majority of our food is imported. I still strongly encourage you to eat local first and then fill in the blanks with seasonal food that comes from as nearby as possible.
Foods bought in their season taste better and are brilliant without any embellishment. They are also much cheaper in season because they take less effort to grow during the times that nature intended them to grow.
Because produce is linked to special conditions of climate and season, it is important to have an understanding of the seasons and how they affect what we get in the market. Some things are available year-round in some climates, while others shine in specific climates. Because the seasons are different for some places in the world and North and South Hemispheres have opposite seasons, it is important to know where your produce is coming from so you will know if they are out of season. That way, you will not buy US berries in the December but you may buy from South Africa, which would at that time be experiencing their summer, which is prime berry season.
Cooking in Season – Autumn
THE FOUR SEASONS
In temperate countries where the four seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall are as distinct as night and day, it is easy to define what the essence of those seasons are. The climate changes drastically between seasons.
In winter, one has to layer up in heavy coats and boots and trample ice and snow in the freezing cold. The trees are bare and the landscape is covered in white . No flowers and leaves are to be seen. Gardens are covered in mulch to save roots from being frost bitten. Whatever lies above the surface is bare branch. Root vegetables thrive during this time because they are underground as well as low-to-ground cruciferous vegetables.
By spring, the temperature raises and a lighter coat may be worn. It is still chilly but snow and ice are of the past. As the season intensifies, buds awaken from the ground and blooms and leaves begin to return. It is the beginning of the real harvest. Asparagus is the poster child of spring.
When the seasonal clock hits summer, all coats are off and boots are replaced with sandals. It is the hottest season and the one most associated with freedom, gatherings, barbecues and potlucks. Berries shine in the summer.
As fall comes around, the intense heat of summer is replaced with cooler temperatures. Cardigans and leggings become layering essentials. It isn’t cold enough for heavy coats but too chilly for a summer dress. Leaves change colour across the landscape into lovely hues of deep orange, golden yellow and maroon. These colours also mimic the foods of the season. Pumpkins and squashes are all the rave.
TROPICAL AND DESERT SEASONS
I grew up in my tropical homeland of Jamaica and we define “seasons” quite differently. Much like the Middle East, our climate does not change much over the seasons and we typically have only two, during which the changes are mild in comparison. We tend to think or seasons in produce because those give more distinction to the seasons than just the weather. So summer is “Mango Season,” during which we budget for the 2kg of weight gain from eating the sweetest, tastiest mangoes all day. Winter is “sorrel” (hibiscus) and pigeon peas (toor dal) season. We drink our home brewed hibiscus drinks and make lots of green pigeon peas and rice and pigeon pea soup. Some opt to wear a cardigan in winter months while simply others enjoy the breeze of the cold fronts that drift in from the USA.
Over here in the Middle East, October heralds the approach of winter, our barbecue season when we wash down grills to get rid of inches of dust and the weather is cool enough for you to stand up over hot coals. Bonfires and camping sites in the desert are also a must to enjoy the weather, family, friends and the flavours of food cooked on an open fire.
Local cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers are available in large quantities in fall and winter and will never be cheaper. I am leaving you with a list of things that are in season now. There is nothing better than food farmed and harvested at the right time!
FALL SEASONALS by www.chefandsteward.com
Apples
Beans
Blood Orange
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Chinese Cabbage
Cabbage
Capsicum (Sweet, Bell Peppers)
Cauliflower
Celery Root
Chanterelles
Chestnuts
Chicory
Chile Peppers
Coconuts
Cranberries
Cucumbers
Daikon
Dates
Dried fruits
Eel
Fennel
Figs
Foie Gras
Game Birds
Garlic
Grapes
Herring
Leeks
Meyer Lemons
Madarin Orange
Mushroom
Mussels
Nuts
Okra
Onion
Papaya
Pears
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Quince
Pumpkin
Rabbit
Radish
Shallot
Spinach
Shellfish
Star Fruit
Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Tangerine
Turkey
Venison
Walnuts
White Truffles
threeblondesandatomas says
eating seasonally is so hard for people i think… we are so used to getting what we want, when we want it, no matter what time of year. i try to eat seasonally as much as possible, but i think it will take the majority of the population a little while to get to this point sadly.
thanks for posting a list of in season produce for everyone!!!
Chef and Steward says
YOu are right on the money! Eating in season is not necessary when many things are available year round these days. However the list makes it easier for us to look out for and use those that are optimal this season.
ceciliag says
We eat from our own gardens so in season is so easy for us. But your picture of the veg in the market was great. It is the winter here that is the most difficult as it gets very cold, however we have had a great seasonal eating summer!
I Live in a Frying Pan says
I love this post cause while I’d like to eat seasonally, I never really know what’s in season when I’m at the grocery store. I wish they’d mark it up.at the supermarket, would make life way easier.
Could you have a separate tab on your blog with your list of what’s in season, every season? pretty please??
Chef and Steward says
Good Idea! Will make one 🙂
karmacrane says
i think cooking seasonal food (and regional to the area) is also quite apt and integral for where i live to in australia, we seem to just get it wrong time and time again for a country within a 13 year drought we grow rice and sugar for export… kind of seems silly to me but then again i’m only a designer
Chef and Steward says
Happy that you are eating locally and in season. Your food must taste wonderful… and as a designer, it must also be beautiful!
Rajani@eatwritethink.com says
this is great… i have always wanted to put this down somewhere – so helpful!
drinacabral says
Thanks for the list, as arva said.. yeah if you could post a seasonal list 🙂
very insightful kari
Irini Savva says
Great post! I use a seasonal calender from eatseasonably.co.uk as a guideline.
sprint2thetable says
Great post! One of my favorite restaurant “trends” is farm-to-table because the menus are so seasonally focused.
I also love that you listed white truffles. I just got back from Italy and was able to attend the first day of the Truffle Festival in Alba. The whole town smelled of truffles and I certainly ate my fill!
Arwa (LaMereCulinaire) says
At home we usually eat seasonal mostly because we get a lot of our produce from our farms! It’s just the berries that I love to eat all year round!
Have you tried truffles from this area?
Dima's Kitchen says
Totally agreed 🙂 what a difference it is to flavours when having or cooking seasonal produce. The fresher the better, from season to locally grown it can’t get any better! When the poor vegs have to be prematurely harvested , chilled and shipped to the other side of the world, there is not much to expect in terms of quality and flavour! If you have been privileged to try an orange – for instance – right from the tree, you will definitely know the difference and won’t have it any other way!! Farm-to-table is a concept that sounds like a dream in this part of the world right now!!
Eliot says
Thanks for an informative post. I wish everyone would get on the local/regional band wagon. (I fall off occasionally, but thanks for the reminder to get back on!)
alyssa says
Yes, it is nearly impossible to eat totally local living in the middle east, but it is still important to know what’s “in season” in the places the produce is being shipped from. Very intersesting post!
Lori says
Funny you mention strawberries, I saw some in the store today and they just didn’t look good, I left them here. Fall is not strawberry season!! Great list of seasonal foods!
Kimberly Fujitaki (@UnrivaledKitch) says
very nice list thanks for sharing!
Tiffany says
What a great post!!!! I love to cook in season… mainly because it’s cheaper than not cooking in season! LOL 😀
Shivani says
Thank you for this great post. In my case the body reacts also different according to the season. I can easily eat tomatoes in Summer, but not in Winter time and haven’t got an idea why.