Outdoor Lifestyle Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

During her travels Fin noticed that food tasted different overseas, which lead her to ask: why is it so challenging to get the exact taste of a cultural dish here in Canada?

According to Fin, there’s no simple answer, but our groceryheavy economy plays a role. In North America, there’s a lack of demand for unfamiliar foods and the foods that are available are designed to ripen on trucks and travel across the continent before arriving in our homes. The result is that produce in the grocery store just doesn’t taste the same (plus it’s full of unhealthy additives).

Choosing healthy produce can be challenging, but Fin emphasizes that with more education, people can make good choices. To choose flavourful produce, she recommends using your senses. Look at the colour. Is it wilted? Touch it - does it feel ripe? If there’s no smell then it could mean pesticides or additives were used, it’s not organically produced, or it’s not ripe.

If you go to the grocery store and can’t find good produce, don’t settle! Fin emphasizes that there are alternative choices that taste amazing. She recommends choosing local foods for improved taste. Connect with local farms directly for produce or meat that is in season or visit your local farmer’s market (some of which are open year-round) to access local farmers and vendors.

Local food means tastier ingredients and better dishes, and shopping locally is sustainable because it’s better for the environment and the local economy.

“It’s important to have relationships with local farmers and vendors to keep business within our communities,” Fin says.

“It’s our responsibility as citizens and neighbours to help each other. We need to support our farmers not only when their crop is thriving, but year-round. If we care for our farmers, they’ll care for us.”

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