by Peggy Markel - April 2023
Earth is home. As a virgo, I have always identified as a daughter of the dirt.
As a child with my own garden, thanks to my father, I was introduced early on to the phenomenon of planting a seed and watching it grow miraculously into something so perfectly gorgeous and edible…it seemed too good to be true.
As a teen, I would describe the sensation of pulling a fuschia-colored radish out of the ground in the early morning sun as psychedelic. I admired its perfection, small and round with sweet green leaves and a tail. Biting into the pungent crunch that exploded in my mouth. The unexpected flavor literally made me tear. It was hot, juicy and spicy all at the same time. It was then that I woke to the magic of the vegetable kingdom and the secret awe-inspiring wonders of real food, natural food and natural flavor. I wanted to eat with all of my senses. I wanted to look at it, study it, draw it. Even before I took an interest in cooking, I was in love with food. And to this day, I am still in love with food.
I remember the day my sister brought home an avocado in the 60’s. She told me it came from Mexico. They were new to us then. It opened my mind to the fact that other countries exist and have their own food culture, not to mention other landscapes in my own state. Soon after, we took a family vacation to the coast. There was a vast ocean, a force of nature. I ate oysters, huge mackerel, and shrimp for the first time. We set traps for crabs and made gumbo in a house on stilts near the brackish waters. It made the whole family happy and I started to connect the dots between food, cooking, culture and love.
It wasn’t long before I was traveling the world which gave way to traveling the world with my own family. Travel educates not only one’s mind, but awakens the senses and one’s sense of adventure and connects us to greater humanity. We learn to care about people, seeing our similarities rather than our differences and peak our curiosity of how people do things in other parts of the world.
I have spent 32 years sniffing out what is going on regionally through my own food and travel company called Culinary Adventures. There has always been a value on field to table and the richness of what grows together, goes together. There’s a simplicity that mimics those early days in the garden. What we find in fresh markets is the raw “materia prima” that gives way to our imagination, traditionally and innovatively.
It has been a great discovery to witness in various parts of the world that sustainability is not a new concept, but a natural way of life. Ancient ways are still relevant. It’s a thread that weaves through all of my programs. It makes for inspiring curation. Now I realize it’s as important as the search for flavor and meaning.
Yesterday in Barbate on the coast of southern Spain near Vejer de la Frontiera, we visited with famed Bluefin Tuna expert, Ignacio Soto. He has spent a lifetime studying and understanding not only tuna from the ocean, but from the angle of land.
“For over 3000 years, bluefin tuna fishing has been a longstanding practice along the coasts of Cádiz, fostering commerce and trade throughout the Mediterranean.
This activity, which originated during the time of the Phoenicians, has left a profound impact on the historical and economic fabric of not only the local area but the entire Mediterranean region, representing the ancient known world. The Atlantic bluefin tuna is the largest tuna in all oceans, capable of reaching a weight of 600 kilograms. Gastronomically, its meat is one of the most highly prized in the world. When passing through the Strait of Gibraltar during its migratory process to the Mediterranean, its fat infiltration levels are at their highest, something that doesn't occur anywhere else on the planet or during any other stage of its annual biological cycle. For this reason, it is highly prized and sought after by chefs and gastronomy enthusiasts worldwide. Its rarity and reputation as a culinary delight contribute list, but over populated the oceans where they threatened the sustainability of the smaller fishes. That settled to where things are more in balance now. The Japanese have made demands of a different kind, that has radically changed the way that tuna is caught and handled. Intentionally or not, the Japanese have asked the local fishermen not to use hooks that could damage the flesh. They have also asked if they could use more humane ways of killing the tuna so that its stress level is reduced. Thanks to this to its high market value. The way that the fishermen communities of the straights of Gibraltar fished and traded with this type of tuna is a fascinating story.”
Ignacio was able to tell us how the bluefin tuna has been exploited since these ancient times and how things have turned around. It was actually the Japanese that created an overdemand, rather than an overfishing problem. At the same time, the regulations, reduced quota and reduced period of time to fish has contributed greatly to the increase of the bluefin tuna to the point that it not only took them off the endangered list, but caused another problem- overfishing of smaller fish like anchovies by the rise in the tuna population. It seems all is in balance now.
I find it interesting that the sustainability of the tuna market was actually driven by flavor. The Japanese kept pushing for better handling of the fish to protect its quality, and in doing so created a more humane way for their demise. The tuna are not killed in a brutal way with harpoons, but swiftly by an underwater gun to the head, carefully chosen by divers 6-8 feet underwater. They don’t touch the fish with the nets. They are lifted out of the water carefully by their tales. This is not pleasant conversation, but it’s progress. My point is that change is being made, at the same time history and culture is being preserved. To celebrate we had an incredible lesson in carving a slab of tuna and eating it four different ways. Crudo, like sashimi was my favorite. It had been frozen 60 degrees below O. The plates to follow made their way to that of cooked tuna and onions, a traditional Spanish favorite.
The Bluefin tuna is safe now. They fish only 1200 tons. 5 fish equal 1 ton for one season. That’s only 4-5,000 tunas or 0.1.0 percent of what exists.
We are on a mission for responsible food tourism. Finding people who know the facts can help educate us so that we can make better choices.
With many learnings and new discoveries, there is now so much knowledge at our fingertips—how to measure and quantify our footprints, changes we can make, how to connect conscious travelers with mindful choices in accommodation and transportation. We have to look at the big picture. However, how to slow things down for good depends on our awareness and the choices we make. It comes down to the whole person, our awareness and our accountability. And how it affects our world is up to us.
My commitment to Slow Food has always run deep. It was important in my work when I began in 1992, and it is still important now—arguably more important now than ever. A recent conference in Delhi earlier this month (I stayed in India for two months. Not flying there only for a week!) awakened my commitment to sustainability, especially given my business and how much the travel industry can take a toll on Mother Earth. Yes in terms of fuel required to fly across continents, but also in terms of protecting the traditional practices of doing things, and ensuring our resources have a chance to survive. There is too much beauty at stake. So it is with this intentionality that I strive to partner with people of the same mindset—those evangelists for Slow Food and ecological practices. We are stronger together, and our efforts add up, but there is urgency to care for our planet. To make choices that progress the sustainability movement. I plan to do my part. Will you?
After all, we are all children of the dirt. And primordially of the sea.
Visit Peggy Markel's Culinary Adventures: https://peggymarkel.com/
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