Another Day on Mongolia’s Pastures

Yesterday was our last day out in the field. We were further up north that the day before, close to the Russian border and near the city of Darchan, and for some reason the snow hadn’t passed there so the pastures were still green. Or greenish at least. Regardless, it facilitated our work since we were partly out there to get a sense of the quality of the pastures. Another reason was of course to talk to herders, which is my favorite part of my job, and we met three herding families of different income levels that last day. Two of them lived in ghers, the type of mobile huts that herders traditionally live in, so I was able to get a good look inside of them. They are very cozy and comfortable, and surprisingly warm despite the cold weather, but it must be a hard life to live in these ghers without water and limited access to wood when temperatures can drop to -40°C (though it can be noted that one of the herders that we met said that the winter was the easy season for herders). At the same time, there is something appealing about a lifestyle that aims to keep stuff to a minimum. Limited living space and the need to move the entire household multiple times per year make too much stuff a burden (traditionally, Mongolian herders move their livestock every season, but these days, the moves are normally limited to summer and winter pastures). The gher were well-equipped – most herders have a TV now, connected to a satellite dish outside the gher and running on solar panels – but otherwise, there were few things that weren’t intended for food preparation. All families that we met served us traditional snacks and tea. Most snacks were various forms of dairy products, some of them quite sour cheeses, and the tea was boiled with milk and salt. All of it was different from anything I’ve ever had before but quite tasty. We also drank fermented mares’ milk in one home, but just a sip since it can be tough on the stomach for someone who isn’t used to it. We were told that Genghis Khan drank this before he went into battle! So we had an interesting last day out in rural Mongolia, before heading back to Ulaanbaatar.

A Great Ad for an American Fast Food Chain

A friend of mine sent me this video the other day. It’s an add for Chipotle, a Mexican-style fast food chain here in the U.S. that serves food made from sustainably produced ingredients, including locally and organically produced meat and vegetables, etc. The ad is really good, though sadly enough, I think the first part on industrialized meat production provides a more accurate picture of the food industry than the second part with a small-scale farmer does of Chipotle’s supply chains. Nevertheless, kudos to anyone in the industry who tries to develop alternative, more sustainable models.

Sunday Shopping at the Farmers’ Market

As I wrote yesterday, I’m trying to get into some new routines. Or habits, rather. A good thing with habits is that they are kind of effortless, or at least less of an effort than random chores or tasks. Habits become things you just do without really thinking about it, which allows energy to focus on my interesting things. According to getting things done-guru David Allen, it takes about two years to really make something a habit, so I don’t expect things to fall into place immediately. However, I have established some basic weelend routines these past two and a half years that by now have become habits, and that certainly have made my life easier. So I thought it was time for a few new and one is to go to Dupont Circle’s Farmers’ Market on Sundays. I know it doesn’t seem to be much of a chore, and really, it isn’t. But just as with everything else, it takes time and it’s outside my regular Sunday route. I also used to have a dance class on Sunday mornings, and I never managed to get to the market and back before 10 am when I had to leave for the class. (I’m quite happy that I’ve managed to be dressed and had breakfast by 10 am on Sundays!) But after the summer, the class was moved to noon, so there is no excuse anymore. And, admittedly, it’s a very pleasant routine. It’s so much more inspiring to do grocery shopping at an open market and in direct contact with the producers! And even though our farmers’ market is supposedly the most expensive in the metropolitan area, I still pay less than at Whole Foods for most fruits and vegetables, and even my eggs today. This morning, I was up really early and I therefore also had time for breakfast at the cafe next to the market. Having done this for a few weeks now, I can conclude that Sunday breakfast at a cafe and shopping at the farmers’ market won’t be too difficult to make into a habit!

Food in History Conference in London

I am just back after a short stop in London. As I wrote some posts ago, I was going to the Food in History Conference organized at the University of London by the Anglo-American Conference of Historians. It was three really interesting days during which I attended sessions on diverse topics such as food and archeology, food in the Bible, food trends in modern history, the history of the ginger bread, the poor man’s food, and the invention of the fridge and of the modern cold chain. As last time I was in London, I stayed with lovely E and J, and although the conference absorbed most of the days, I did have time for lunch and a tour of the Kensington Palace my first day, and then a quick stop by Fortnum & Mason on Friday. I had never been to the latter but wanted to see it after I had heard their archivist talking about the history of the store in a conference session. Although touristy today, some of these department stores (and indeed convenience stores) really changed the supply chains, global trade, and the way we consume. And it was of course lovely to spend four days with E and J and their kids, so in short, I had four terrific days in the UK capital!

From the top: Kensington Palace and the chairs for each of Queen Anne’s 18 children who died before birth or within the first years. The exception was Prince William who lived until he was 11. The Hammersmith bridge and Fortnum & Mason’s wonderful tea and coffee department. And finally, the Food in History Conference at University of London.  

Summer Season is Food Season

Summer is definitely my favorite season. I don’t think there is a single thing about summer that I don’t like, not even when it’s around 30 degrees and greenhouse humid in DC, as it’s been these past days. (At least it’s warm, and the sun is out now in between the thunder storms!) A really great thing with summer is of course all the good fruits and vegetables that are available (and not shipped from greenhouses across half the world). I just rediscovered alfalfa sprouts. We used to grow them in the kitchen when I was little, and they are delicious with cream cheese on crisp bread! And then yogurt with strawberries to make the perfect breakfast. I love summer!

Great Food Marketing: Bananas to Go

In most places in the world today, what we eat depends more on marketing than on nutritional content. This means that our diets contain a lot of suboptimal edibles, but it also means that we could change current trends of obesity and diet related diseases, wastefulness, and large environmental foodprints with the right marketing. I thought this was quite innovative in this regard!

Montenegro: A Jewel by the Adriatic Sea

I am back in DC now after little over a week in Montenegro. Admittedly, Montenegro is one of my favorite countries (one of 10 of the about 45 countries that I’ve been to, but nevertheless a favorite!) The landscape is so beautiful, ranging from the rocky cliffs and turquoise water at the Adriatic coast in the south, to the steep, seemingly black mountains and pasture slopes in the north, and with interesting cultural sites like hidden monasteries, the old capital Cetinje, and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Venetian town of Kotor (there are photos from all these places in my blog archives). I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to work there. I also work with a very good team, so I always look forward to going back. And not to forget: the food is fantastic! Locally produced fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood, and delicious cheeses. The dishes are something of a blend between typical Balkan food and Italian dishes, with lamb, dolma/sarmale, prosciutto, cheeses, pasta, and polenta. As I wrote earlier, my favorite dish is seafood risotto and I have to admit that I tried it at several different places this time, from black to saffron risottos. And as all countries in the region, Montenegro has a proud history of wine production, with Vranac and Krstač being domestic grapes. I would recommend Montenegro to anyone who wishes to visit Southern Europe for vacation!

My favorite: Saffron risotto at Hotel Podgorica. The black risotto is colored by octopus ink.  

Summer Plans

I have been planning my summer today. Or the summer is of course here already, but I will not be off until July. I was on skype with Miss T we finally decided to spend almost a week in the South of Europe. I also plan to have a week or so in Stockholm, to just be in my little apartment, enjoy Summer Stockholm, and spend time with my close ones. And then, this evening, I registered for a three-day conference on Food in history in London. The program includes topics from food culture to food trade, from stories in the Bible to the evolvement of fast food. I am so excited! Miss  T sighed and said that she wished that she was equally excited about her job, but I barely see it as a job. I am simply working with my main interest. I realize that I am very fortunate!

After my stay in Europe, Jonas and I will go on a long-planned road trip through the South. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid and read about Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, and later about the American Civil War, and after last year’s road trip through the National Parks in the West (see August 2012 in the blog archive), Jonas and I decided that this summer, we would explore the South. But first, I am off to Montenegro for work next week. And June in Podgorica is lovely, with all the restaurant terraces filled with people enjoying the warm evenings in each other’s company. and with wonderful seafood freshly fished from the rivers and the Adriatic Sea. So though I have a very busy 1.5 weeks, with a conference over the weekend, I really look forward to the trip.

Late summer evening in Stockholm last year 

Saturday Candy

For different reasons, it seems like our eating habits have to be guided (for most, read regulated) or else it’s easy for us to eat too much and especially of the wrong stuff. Therefore, just like in the days when undernourishment was a problem, raising awareness and working consciously to change habits and behavior is important. When I was a kid, there were campaigns promoting the idea that “fruit is candy” (it works better in Swedish since the word for candy and the word for yummy is the same), which no-one ever really bought but still made us more eager to eat fruit. And then the best campaign, that continues to live on, was the concept of Lördagsgodis, or Saturday Candy. I think it was more out of concern for our teeth than our weight, since the latter wasn’t really a problem in Sweden in the 70s and 80s, but it was successful and most of us only ate candy on Saturdays. If you had any left on Sunday, or at least Monday, you’d save them for next weekend. This also worked as an excellent argument for parents to kids nagging about candy in the stores: “Please, please, please!!” “No, it isn’t Saturday!” So for Christmas this year, Mia-Lotta gave me this little bowl with Saturday Candy painted on it in Swedish. It’s also a perfect size, about a cup, which is really more than enough to have out (we also tend to finish what is on the plate so smaller portions means less eating). And when I cut this amazing pineapple that I got at Whole Foods the other day, it occurred to me that maybe they’d been right when I was a kid in that fruit might in fact be candy! Campaigns to relaunch in a time of rapidly increasing overweight and obesity among children?

Save and Grow, and a Wonderful Weekend in Washington DC

The weekend is here and I am enjoying it in full! For once, I don’t have any work hanging over me and the weather is wonderful. Today has been slow, with brunch at Trio and reading in combination with chatting over Skype with Mia-Lotta at Dupont Circle, and then ice coffee and more reading at a café. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be singing with the Swedish Song Group in the Swedish church, and then there is ballet class. I have to add that the odd thing about the Swedish Song Group performance is that we will sing a drinking song. The song is by our national poet and composer, 18^th century Carl Michael Bellman, but still… (För er svenska läsare är det Bort allt vad oro gör.)

My main remaining deliverable at work before the end of June is a set of notes on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, which is a topic that I read about in my spare time anyway. So even though I don’t have to work, I have read up on things to for work also in the weekend just because it is so interesting. While browsing around for research and reports on biodiversity and nutrition content in food crops yesterday, I came across this FAO produced movie for the report Save and Grow. It’s only a few minutes long but it captures well how global food yields were revolutionized in the middle of the 20^th century and some of the challenges that we’re facing over the next decades. How do we solve it? Well, we don’t have a very good answer yet, but I am trying to do my part in figuring it out.