Chapter 5 in the Omnivores Dilemma is all about how modern corn is broken down into different aspects in order to satisfy a multitude of needs of Americans. According to the chapter Americans eat very little corn in its basic form. In fact in an average year, Americans will consume only about a bushel of corn in its basic form. This may still seem like a lot but compared to the amount of corn products that are consumed in the form of sweetener in beverages or secondarily through live stock consumption the amount is very little. The chapter in this book also raised a very interesting argument which states that humans have finally found a way to in laymen’s terms, cheat Mother Nature. Conventionally humans had been restricted to diets of seasonal local foods. However with the creation of methods of storage and altering of food, humans are for the most part no longer fully enslaved by nature.
I believe that generally the belief above is valid. Personally being a chef, I have never found it difficult to find fresh produce like apples that haven’t been in season for several months. Because humans are no longer fully restricted by nature we have been able to broaden our culinary horizons, which in my opinion is always a beneficial thing.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteAlthough we have developed methods of growing foods outside of their traditional season, I still feel that we have to surrender something in return i.e. the quality of the food. For example, referring to your example, surely the apples which you may find outside the season are not as tasty or nutritious as the ones in season. Therefore, as a chef, do you think it is still worth it to use those foods if they are not at their best?
- Xuan Ky