Thursday, June 28, 2007

The Accidently 100-mile Diet

My upset tummy yesterday was the negative half of a very split attitude toward Chilean cuisine. While the lack of vegetarian options and the heavy grease and sugar useage might prove challenging, I'm ridiculously excited for the fresh produce.


Since the seasons there are swapped from ours, I'll be in Chile for the spring growing season. Central Chile has a huge agricultural industry, which will be wonderful to see and taste. You might be surprised by how much Chilean produce ends up on your plate, actually. Farm products account for some 6.2 percent of all exports, and a lot of that ends up nearby. Most early winter produce comes to the West Coast from Chile, especially avocados, kiwi, grapes, apples and pears. While here, the fresh fruits and veggies are a pleasant break from winter citrus and frozen peas, Chileans experience just-picked produce from street market stands on a daily basis. Picture a farmers' market capable of being open every day. Crowded with customers picking up something for dinner, buzzing with activity and humanity, smelling of warm nectarines and herbs. MMMMMmm.


I'm going to go find a snack.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

wow, you even do background research on agricultural economy of the country your visiting. Impressive. You do make those veggies and fruits sound pretty tasty though, for rabbit food.