Green Tip - In Taiwan, What Grows When?

What you eat is so important. Think about the emphasis our culture puts on food… "You are what you eat," "You're the apple of my eye," "Out of the frying pan and into the fire," "Bring home the bacon."

These days our connection with food is not what it used to be. We eat foods grown, raised, packaged, processed and fiddled with on the other side of the world. We don't know our farmers and they don't know us. AND farmers are now not even the person most responsible for the way food looks or tastes when it arrives on our plate. 

In this Green Tip we're combining two old ones and adding some new information as food never stops being of great importance for our health and our planet's health.

First, a little background info:

• Raising 1Kg of beef is about the same CO2 as driving a European car about 250km
  
• Meat protein takes about 10x more energy to make than plant protein
  

Not eating meat ever again is a choice most people won't make. It sucks, but it's true. What we're advocating is the same thing Paul McCartney from the Beatles is trying set up with his wife Linda: Meat Free Mondays.

 

If you wanna give up meat entirely, we can help. But for those of us who can't live without their McDonald's hamburger or their steak on Sunday night, try giving it up for one day a week.

Eating less meat would have a far greater impact than changing to an electric car OR changing all the lights in your house OR buying energy efficient appliances.

It is not a replacement for those things, but it's a big step toward helping.
 

Here's some veggie Chinese:

Useful Phrases for Vegetarian Travelers to Taiwan
	Say	Chinese
I eat vegetarian	wǒ​ chī​ sù​	我吃素
I do not want...	wǒ​ bù​ yào​	我不要...
I do not want MSG	wǒ​ bù​ yào​ wèi​ jīng​	我不要味精
I do not eat meat	wǒ​ bù chī​ ròu​	我不吃肉
I do not eat fish	wǒ​ bù chī​ wú​	我不吃鱼
I do not eat eggs	wǒ​ bù chī​ dàn​	我不吃蛋

 

Where's Yer Food From?

Food miles…how far has your food come to get to your plate? It's important, don't you think?

A study in Toronto, Canada found that supermarket food from abroad traveled an average 5,364km. The same product bought at a farmer's market traveled an average 101km; so imported food has more than 53x the distance and more than 1000x the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. 

The simple act of buying an apple from a farmer instead of a supermarket can save more emissions than commuting in your car for a month!

So….we went out to the markets and found out what was local and what wasn't.

The most common imported fruit is apples. I know, that sucks because I love apples.

Here's a collection of what we found to be local and when it's growing season in Taiwan happens.

(The names and seasons are below the slideshow OR click "fullscreen" and then "info")

1) 琵琶 pípa (Feb to Apr)
2) 鳳梨 fènglí Pineapple (May to August) (Jan to Dec)
3) 香瓜 xiāngguā Cantaloupe (Nov to May)
    哈密瓜 hāmìguā Honey Dew Melon (May to July)
4) 柳丁liǔdīng Tangerine (Nov to Jan)
5) 檸檬níngméng Lemon (July to Nov; Dec to Jun)
6) 釋迦shìjiā Sugar Apple (Jun to Mar)
     蜜棗 mìzǎo Dates (Jan to Mar)
7) 西瓜xīguā Watermelon (May to July)
8) 薑 jiāng Ginger
    蒜 suàn Garlic
9) 番茄fānqié Tomato (Nov to Jun)
10) 木瓜mùguā Papaya (Apr to Oct ; Nov to Mar)
11) 楊桃yángtáo Star Fruit (Sat to Nov)
12) 蔥cōng Scallion / Green Onion
13) 香菇xiānggū Mushroom (Oct to Mar)
14) 韭菜jiǔcài Garlic Chives or Leeks