Climbing on the Raft

Cactus juice for breakfast. And it is good. Grassy, with hints of earth and compost. But refreshing, and a lot less icky-sticky than many of the fruit juices also available.

The Center for Sustainable Environments has launched a new book that carries forward the centre's RAFT project: Renewing America's Food Traditions.¹ Sitting, as I am, in front of the gorgeous booth of Exotic Farm Products Mexico, it is interesting to think about how the poorest farmers are giving the richest consumers taste thrills. I'm not knocking the idea for one second. On the contrary, adding value to their traditional products is a key step in earning a higher income. I do, however, worry about what happens when the craze for novelty moves on, leaving Mexicans with a warehouse full of cactus jam while the !San wonder how to fulfill surging demand for mongongo nuts.

And lest you think craze is too extreme a term, consider Sainsbury's latest efforts, the windowsill lettuce. Apparently designed for people who forget to water their little pots of fresh basil, one wonders what this excess actually adds to the salad-eating experience. Could it, for example, be an admission that cut, washed and dried leaves nestling in a modified atmosphere cushion pack, don't actually taste of anything? Still, I suppose that having created the demon of neophilous consumers, the big supermarkets feel themselves duty bound to feed it.