Henry David Thoreau, in the years after he wrote On Walden Pond, devoted himself to the study of the native plants in the vicinity of his home town: Concord Massachusetts. One plant he wrote about at some length was the wild grape (Vitis labrusca), which abounded in his neck of the woods. In one passage, […]
In the natural foods business, we are always looking for the next “superfood.” Last year it was mangosteen, a tropical fruit from southern Asia. This year it is goji berries, a Tibetan food from the Himalayas. Both are revered in their native habitats and have long traditions of use as health supporting foods. Both have […]
Like most Americans, my first experience with figs was in the form of a cookie. Fig Newtons were one of the first “mass-produced” cookies, first made in 1891 and still popular today. This famous soft cookie with its fig jam filling was a favorite of my grandfather. I was never wild about them because I […]
I was familiar with the flavor of cherries long before I ever ate one. Whenever I had a cold as a young child, I asked for the cherry flavored cough drops, which I vastly preferred to the licorice flavored ones. Many years later when I finally got to try fresh cherries, I was pleased to […]
This is the age of miracles and wonders. Like being able to eat fresh mangos when you live in Southeast Alaska. Whenever I start bemoaning the horrors of modern life, I remind myself that there is a lot good about living in these times and in this place. If our ancestors could see how we […]
