A Trip to the Asian Market

As I'd mentioned in an earlier post, I made a trip to the Asian market the other night to stock up on some dried staples, sauces and produce. As I was putting my baby bananas, Asian pears, mandarin oranges and Fuyu persimmons into my shopping cart, I began feeling a bit nostalgic. It struck me that these are things that my mother and father, and even their parents, had eaten all throughout their lives. I now eat these things and there is a very good chance my son will as well. To think that something as simple as a piece of fruit can bind us to our family, culture, ancestry and future descendants in such a powerful way. Too bad you can't say the same thing about most processed foods you see at the supermarket these days. I doubt that our ancestors would have been able to identify many of these items as "food" just by reading the multisyllable ingredients printed on the label. Maybe I'll remember that the next time I scarf down a bag of Doritos.


Anyway, I also happened upon a seed rack and picked out some more Asian veggies to grow next year. Among them are long beans, an edible calabash gourd (the tender flesh is used in soups and stir-fries), Napa cabbage, Thai red chilies, an Asian cucumber variety and some scallions. They were about a dollar a pack...not bad if you ask me. Sure they contain less seeds then what you would normally get from say Johnny's but are perfect for the home gardener nonetheless. My seed collection for next year is slowing coming together. I don' t know about you but I can't wait until spring!