When I was younger, my favourite dish at home was stuffed tomatoes with french fries. My dad is an amateur chef and I would eat 5 easily. It’s the perfect feel-good food and so flavourful.
So on a cold November day, I had asked my dad whether we could have them for dinner and he said that it was not possible because tomatoes don’t grow in winter and therefore it’s only a summer dish. I was baffled, but aren’t they in the stores all year long?
To which he replied, yes but they are not as healthy for us or the planet so better respect eating according to the seasons.
当我更年轻一些的时候,我最喜欢的食物是酿番茄配炸薯条。我的爸爸是个业余厨师，这样的食物我可以轻松地吃5份。这样的食物吃起来感觉良好，滋味丰富。在一个寒冷的11月的某一天，我问我爸爸我们是否可以把西红柿当晚餐吃，他说这是不可能的，因为西红柿在冬天不生长，这是一道夏季的菜。我很困惑，但它们不是全年都在商店里吗?
他回答说，是的，但是它们对我们和地球都不健康，所以最好根据季节来选择食物。
Source: biofarm / 图片来源：biofarm
Seasonal Food? Shenme?
季节性食物？是什么？
It’s been over 15 years since the first time I understood the meaning of seasonal vegetables and I only adapted my diet to it a few years back (when I actually started cooking myself.)
自从我第一次理解时令蔬菜的含义以来，已经有15年多了，我只是在几年前才适应了它(那时我才真正开始自己做饭)。
As I dove deeper into the rabbithole of safe food, organic food and chemical-free, I came to the conclusion that following nature’s flow is the easiest way to know what is good for us.
当我深入研究安全食品、有机食品和不含化学物质时，我得出了一个结论:遵循自然的规律是了解什么对我们有益的最简单的方法。
Very few vegetables grow all year long, it depends on the soil, humidity, rainfall, sun exposure and the other fellows habitants (insects, bugs etc) who share the same ecosystem. Needless to say that a vegetable who grows in season doesn’t much of ‘extra’ help to grow, such as fertilizers, which are often packed with harmful chemicals.
很少有蔬菜一年四季都能生长，这取决于土壤、湿度、降雨、阳光照射和其他共同生活在同一生态系统中的同伴(昆虫、虫子等)。不用说，一种按季节生长的蔬菜对生长没有多大的“额外”帮助，例如化肥，通常含有有害的化学物质。
However, there’s demand for certain vegetables all year long, such as avocado, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus and more.
然而，有些蔬菜全年都有需求，比如鳄梨、西红柿、红薯、芦笋等等。
So what happens?
那会发生什么呢？
We grow them in greenhouses that use up a lot of energy to cool and/or heat to achieve that perfect habitat or we ship them from countries across the world (petrol, energy and water intensive).
我们把它们种植在温室里，温室需要消耗大量的能源来冷却和/或加热，以达到完美的生长环境，或者我们从世界各地的国家运送它们(汽油、能源和水密集型)。
We often think that the packaging we see in the supermarket is the only waste we create when we purchase food but really - it’s only the tip of the iceberg. All the petrol, energy, packaging, cooling, heating waste and pollution is invisible when we purchase.
我们经常认为我们在超市看到的包装是我们购买食物时产生的唯一垃圾，但实际上，这只是冰山一角。所有的汽油，能源，包装，冷却，加热消耗和污染是无形的。
Source: internet / 图片来源：网络
So on top of eating what’s in season (because yes, when it’s winter in Shanghai it is summer in Chile and therefore we can still have our avo’s in winter), we can try to eat more locally too.
Multiple reasons for that, number one being the one that I stated just before, your food’s carbon footprint will drastically drop. Number 2, you support the local communities that you are part of, and therefore giving back to the country/ town/ locals that you live with. Lastly, from a more holistic point of view, your body adapts to the local climate and therefore food that grows in that same environment and habitat might be better for your overall health.
所以除了吃当季的东西(是的，因为上海是冬天，智利是夏天，所以我们在冬天仍然可以吃到牛油果)，我们也可以尝试更多当地的食物。原因有很多，第一个就是我之前说过的，你的食物的碳足迹会大幅下降。第二，你支持你所在的当地社区，因此回馈给你生活在一起的乡村/城镇/当地人。最后，从一个更全面的角度来看，你的身体适应当地的气候，因此在相同的环境和栖息地生长的食物可能对你的整体健康更好。
In a nutshell, when you choose to eat vegetables that are in season, not only are you eating healthier because of fewer (or none) harmful chemical additives, but also you are not creating demand for products that require all that extra energy that is highly taxing on our environment.
简而言之，当你选择吃应季蔬菜时，你不仅吃得更健康，因为有害的化学添加剂更少(或根本没有)，而且你也没有创造出对那些需要额外能源的产品的需求，而这些额外能源对我们的环境是非常繁重的。
How do I know what is in season?
我如何知道什么是应季的？
Follow the graph below/如下图所示
Here below you will find a graph that shows for Shanghai which vegetables and fruits are in season. If you’re not in Shanghai, you want to know which climate zone you’re in. You can see here. (link: https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-china-plant-hardiness-zone-map-celsius.php)
下面你会看到一张图表，显示了在上海哪些蔬菜和水果是应季的。如果你不在上海，你想知道你在哪个气候区。你可以看这里：https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-china-plant-hardiness-zone-map-celsius.php
Source: internet / 图片来源：网络
2. What is there an abundance of? / 市场上到处都有的是什么？
If you walk through the wet market, pay attention to what people are selling the most of? And what do you see the least?
At some point around early spring, I remember seeing a lot of asparagus being sold at all the farmers stands. Asparagus grows better in spring, it’s in season.
如果你穿过菜市场，注意一下哪些菜卖得最多?你见到最少的是什么?
在早春的某个时候，我记得看到很多芦笋在所有的农民摊位上出售。芦笋在春天长得更好，正当时。
3. Go for the natural look / 选择自然的外形
Look at the “ugliest” vegetables. The “uglier” or should I just say natural, the bigger chances are they have not had any chemical sprayed on them. Farmers always try to sell the perfect red tomato or straight orange carrot, but carrots also come in purple, white and yellow.
看看“最丑的”蔬菜。那些想比较丑一些的蔬菜其实更自然，很有可能他们没有被任何化学制品污染。农民们总是试图出售完美的红番茄或纯橙色胡萝卜，但胡萝卜也有紫色、白色和黄色。
Any other recommendations? 还有其他建议吗？
Share in the comments below ! 在评论中与我们分享吧！