So, what is the deal with all the talk about the local, so called farm-to-table, style that is currently en vogue?

So, what is the deal with all the talk about the local, so called farm-to-table, style that is currently en vogue?

What does it mean to eat locally? Opinions of what “local food” is differ but here are the essentials.

Terroir - Terroir comes from the Latin root meaning “earth” and refers to the earth where food is grown. Literally, the “taste of the earth” Terroir is a term generally used for wine and although not generally thought of in food, actually plays a large part when talking about the local tastes. This is very evident in food, due in large part to varying climates, or micro-climates, soil types, water quality, nutrients, and populations.

Most often we do not taste this due to the fact that we have year-round demand for everything. We are trained to want strawberries and peaches in the winter, winter squashes in the summer, and tomatoes all year long! The result is food that severely lacks its original flavor. Most people don’t even know what a real tomato tastes like. The result of this, is that we disguise the lack of natural flavor with strong seasoning, herbs and spicy sauces or marinades. While this is not all bad [I love spicy food!], we have forgotten what real food can taste like.

I was reminded of this recently in Italy. Actually, this was in the airport, so was not expecting much, but I went to grab something to eat before our flight. They sliced the prosciutto right there off the bone, layered it in a freshly baked warm baguette, and served it with a glass of orange juice that was squeezed while I waited. My first instinct was “where’s the mayo and mustard”, and “do you have any pickles?”

Nonetheless, I took it as it was, and my wife and I proceeded to enjoy a wonderful treat, that we had not tasted in a long time. How can something so simply prepared and unadorned, taste so amazing? It reminds us that foods natural flavor, if prepared correctly and freshly, has no need for complicated favor masking, and can be great on its own, or with simple accoutrement.

Most accept that eating locally means minimizing the distance between growing and eating, to be also termed local. Of course, the closer to market, the less time and handling are involved, the benefit of tasting the local terroir, can be hugely influential

There will always be a need for commercialized mass grown food, cattle, chicken, eggs and so on, and we can’t argue with that, but when we out out spending our money for a better experience, take the next step, buy and support local. It saves on fuel and emissions for transporting. Eating locally helps preserve local and small scale farmland.

Eating locally is correlated with improved nutrition, increased likelihood of making healthier food choices, obesity prevention, and reduced risk of diet-related chronic disease. This is mainly because the food is more nutritious, fresher, and less processed. As a general rule, the closer the food is to how and where it came out of the ground, the better it is when you chomp it down!

Did you know that when farmers sell directly to you, they keep a larger portion of the value-added costs typically captured by the big companies, who are the middlemen?  If you buy locally, more of your money stays in the local community. It is calculated that buying local keeps approximately 65% of your dollar within the community, as a pose to the large chain stores, where the local community keeps about 40%.

More and more Restaurants are getting on-board and what once was a fad, is becoming the expectation in Chef driven restaurants and casual restaurants, throughout the country and the world. Many are now jumping on board, with more than 80% of fine-dining establishments serving some degree of locally sourced ingredients

Getting to know your local producers gives you a stronger sense of place, relationships, trust, and pride within your community.

So, try to support Chefs and restaurants that buy local – look for restaurants that list their local farms and purveyors - support local business and taste the local flavor, the Zest of the soil.