NEFF The Ingredient - "Mother Earth" by Philipp und Keuntje GmbH

W H A T â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

N E W

I N

T H E

N E F F

K I T C H E N

HARD ROCK

HARD WORK

HARD

V EG A N I N WA C K E N

GROWING TRUFFLES

CO O K I N G UNDERGROUND

MOT HER E ARTH A m a ga zin e ab o u t t h e e ar t h t ha t feeds us

OCTOBER 2017

CORE

EDITORIAL ― O C T O B E R 2 0 17 ―

It is considered a symbol for nature and growth, and its name is synonymous with fertility and the circle of life: earth. The ground, the soil isn’t just where we come from – it isn’t only, quite literally, our Mother Earth – but also the place we can always go back to when we want to settle down; it is also where we return to at the end of our lives, the place that takes us back. But our Earth is vulnerable. In the last fifty years especially, we’ve subjected it to all sorts of stresses and strains. We’ve poisoned the soil with chemicals, misused the ground as landfill sites, and erased ancient forests – with often dramatic consequences for flora and fauna and for the climate.

COV ER P H OTO G R A P H Y: R EI N H A R D H U N G ER ; S T Y L I N G: CH R I S TO P H H I M M EL

We don’t have a second Earth, though. The soil we have is the humus out of which our future will grow. And for this reason, in this issue, The Ingredient would like to take you on a journey – a journey of hope. Hope, because we would like to show you all the positive developments which will help change the Earth for the better. There is the leaf-to-root movement, for instance, which finds ways of using the shells and husks, pips and seeds, stalks and stones of crops in delicious recipes. We also visited a truffle expert on his farm where he imitates nature so that he can grow the most valuable of all gourmet fungi in Germany. And we were deeply impressed by Ron Finley, aka the Gangster Gardener from a rough part of South Los Angeles, who has created a biotope of tomatoes, melons, chard and much more to offer disadvantaged young people fresh perspectives. Meanwhile, our reporter Inga Paulsen came across the strictest vegans and most principled vegetarians where you might least expect them: at Wacken, the biggest heavy metal festival in the world. Read her account of people who are as hardcore about avoiding meat as they are about their rock music. And, of course, The Ingredient wouldn’t be complete without the usual wealth of recipes and featured products. As ever, we hope you enjoy this exciting issue. Your NEFF editorial team

CONTENTS

― O C T O B E R 2 0 17 ―

MAIN STORIES

TRUFFLES ALL ROUND

For a long time, cultivating truf fles was considered impossible. But now the precious fungus has been grown in southern Europe, countries fur ther nor th are benefiting from the discover y, too. Franziska Wischmann researched how they are farmed.

FEEL THE BEET

G A N G S TA S PA R A DISE

The Wacken heavy-metal festival is not for the faint-hear ted. But our author, Inga Paulsen, was surprised to find that even rockers crave a healthy lifestyle when she immersed herself in the festival’s vegan scene.

Saving the world with vegetables – that ’s rapper Ron Finley’s mission. In the poorest quar ter of Los Angeles, he wants to give people at the bottom of society hope. His credo: “If you want to change something in life, you have to change the soil.”

08 I N T R O NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF CUISINE:

P H OTO G R A P H Y: SH AW N A CO R O N A D O; EN V ER H I R S CH; G A L L ER Y S TO CK / PA R SL E Y S T EI N W EI S S; A R T WO R K : A NJ E J AG ER

A Swiss family specialises in cultivating historical potato varieties; a researcher is breeding cucumbers for outer space – read all about these and other statistics, facts and stories in our “Star ters” section.

24 T H E

P O TAT O ’ S W O R L D J O U R N E Y

Its origins lie in South America. But the

potato has long since become the root of much joy all across the world.

36 H O M E

SOIL

Without good soil, there would be no clean drinking water or healthy food. Ten facts.

BEEF STRIPS ON HOT SAND

42 H O M E - M A D E

HUMUS

Our repor ter Philip Kohlhöfer tried to make PLUS BOOKLET O F 13 R EC I P E S T O KEEP

home-made soil on his balcony. Chronology of a self-experiment.

44 F O O D

UNDERFOOT

We experimented with a variety of preparation and cooking methods. Tr y for yourself!

60 N A T U R A L

FA R MING

Sur viving without chemicals and pesticides. Is this possible? If so, how?

64 P R O D U C T S The finest vegetables: get the best out of

your har vest with these little helpers in the kitchen. Thank sgiving ― ever y thing the soil has to of fer. Grains, root s and turnips are pure indulgence.

66 A

LOVE LET TER TO LINDA

This potato variety was destined to be banished from the menu. Our columnist bows down to it.

CONTRIBUTORS ― O C T O B E R 2 0 17 ―

I NG A PAU L S E N

M IC H E L E AVA N TA R IO

AUTHOR

___

FR ANZISK A WISCHMAN N ___

P H OTO G R A P H Y: R EI N H A R D H U N G ER ; S T Y L I N G: CH R I S TO P H H I M M EL

AUTHOR

writes about sport, lifestyle, and psychology and so is used to looking at the influence of good food on health and wellbeing. While researching, she recently came across a very special truffle plantation – in a part of the world where the fungus is a protected species which no one is allowed to pick without special permission. Read her report on truffles in Germany on page 16.

lives the country life with her family (including a dog and a horse). In this issue, the nutrition scientist and food writer didn’t just develop new recipes, but also swapped the peace and quiet of her village for the world’s loudest music festival: Wacken. At this metal mecca, she wanted to find out if the scene is as vegan as everyone says it is. Find out on page 26.

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PH I L I PP KOH L HÖF E R ___

AUTHOR

didn’t know that, one day, he would see the biblical citation “swords to ploughshares” in action before his very eyes. This idea from the Book of Isiah is about peace among men, and in the middle of South Central Los Angeles, one man is pursuing just that – by planting carrots in front of his house in an effort to calm the area’s endemic violence. Read up on the “Gangster Gardener” on page 48.

a Capricorn, is considered by his colleagues to be a down-to-earth kind of guy, and his star sign is, in classical elements, assigned to Earth. So what more reason did we need than to get him writing about it? Turn to page 60 to find out more about the ground beneath our feet, about soil types, fertility, and sustainable agriculture (and about why we should be nice to the “earth spirits”, too).

THE EARTH ISSUE REPORTS, INTERVIEWS, QUOTATIONS, STATISTICS, MEDIA ITEMS AND MORE

2017

OF ALL THE THINGS THAT DWELL IN THE WOODS, MUSHROOMS ARE THE TA STIEST. THE Y GROW UNDERGROUND, AND EUROPE’S E ARTH HARBOUR S HUNDREDS OF EDIBLE SPECIES. THE BIT THAT ENDS UP SIZ ZLING IN THE PAN IS AC TUALLY JUST THE FRUIT BODY, AND IT NEEDS TO BE HARV ESTED C AREFULLY SO THAT, NE X T Y E AR , NE W SHOOTS WILL SPRING UP FROM THE SUBTERR ANE AN MYCELIUM (THE TER M FOR THE UNDERGROUND NE T WORK OF FIBROUS CELL S). SO INSTE AD OF ‘PICK ING’ MUSHROOMS, CUT THEM OFF CLE ANLY AT THE BOT TOM OF THE STEM.

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R A R E TR E ATS

T O P TAT E R S

MYTHS

PATAT E V E R R AY E S , C O R N E DE G AT T E ,

WEEDS ARE THE ARCH-ENEMY OF THE GARDENER. AREN’T THEY? FIND OUT WHETHER W E E DS R E A L LY DESERVE THEIR BAD R EPU TATION AS THE INGREDIENT TACK L E S SOM E THORNY ISSUES.

H IG H L A N D BU RG U N DY R E D, V I T E L O T T E N O I R E – T O P -F L IG H T C H E F S J U S T C A N N O T G E T E N OU G H O F H E R I TAG E P O TAT O E S . W H IC H I S W H Y FA R M E R S S A B I N E A N D M A RC E L H E I N R IC H G ROW T H E S E R A R E T U B E R S O N T H E I R A L P I N E FA R M . BU T H OW ? T EX T

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L E S L E Y

S E V R IE N S

ART WORK: CHRISTINE KÖHLER

NE STLIN G 4, 5 0 0 feet above sea level in the Alpine land-

scape of Switzerland’s Canton of Grisons, La Sorts organic farm offers the perfect conditions – and not just for the Heidi films, which were shot in this area. In 2001, farming couple Sabine and Marcel Heinrich took on the holding and have been running it to BioSuisse regulations for years. This means keeping animals in ways appropriate for the species while avoiding genetically modified crops and chemicals. Rather than focusing on one specific and obscure area, the Heinrichs have opted for variety, keeping 34 cattle, a herd of goats, as well as chickens, ducks and peacocks – and even llamas. In July, they take the animals who aren’t already in the mountains uphill so they can enjoy the fresh green pastures. At the heart of their farm are five potato fields with 42 different rare varieties – a range which almost no other farm in Europe can offer. “It was a slightly crazy idea to plant so many unusual types,” says Marcel Heinrich, “but we wanted to try something new. We’re happy with how successful it’s been.” As well as a range of distinguished-sounding potato varieties, their regular customers can also enjoy the very best organic meat (from horned Tyrolese grey cattle) and various recherché products such as mountain hay syrup and vinegars. The couple are frank about how much work it takes to offer these delicacies – their marketing slogan contains the German for “blood, sweat and tears” and a pun on the words “luck” and “happiness” – but their unusual potatoes are now in demand at the best restaurants. www.lasorts.ch

M Y T H No. 1 You c a n’t e at we e d s . FA L SE . T here a re lot s of w i ld pla nt s you c a n eat – a nd t hat w i l l help you keep a va r ied d iet. T he leaves of gout weed (Aegopodium podag rar ia) a nd st i ng i ng net t les have a savou r y ta ste rem i n iscent of spi nach, ch ick weed ha s a herba l f lavou r w it h h i nt s of raw pea s, wh i le d a isies c a n add a ta r t note to sa lad s; d a ndel ion, too, add s a plea sa nt bit ter ness. Pro t ip: use a w i ld herb lex icon to help d ist i ng u ish ta st y weed s f rom i ned ible ones.

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T H E O N LY W A Y I S U P ” F O R Y E A R S N OW, S C I E N T I S T S AC RO S S T H E WO R L D H AV E B E E N R E S E A RC H I N G G R E E N H OU S E C O N C E P T S F O R C I T I E S I N T H E H O P E T H AT V E R T I C A L I S I N G FA R M I N G W I L L H E L P M A K E T H E WO R L D A B E T T E R P L AC E . T H E I R I D E A I S N O T W I T H OU T I T S M E R I T S – BU T N O R I S I T A PA N AC E A . T E X T

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L E S LEY

TOM ORROW’ S ME G ACIT IE S will be short on

space. According to the United Nations, in just a few decades’ time, around 80% of the world’s population will be living in urban areas. That means more people, more buildings, and more traffic in cities which will become ever denser. New architectural solutions will be needed to handle this development, and so many engineers and architects are looking to “vertical farming” as a way of dealing with the challenge. The idea behind vertical farming is to sow and reap herbs, fruit, and vegetables where people

Vertical, not horizontal: tomorrow’s megacities will be growing upwards, not outwards.

S EVRIENS

live – and it ties in nicely with the widespread demand for healthier, more local, seasonal foodstuffs. If the concept really takes off, then soon enough, city dwellers will no longer need to buy lettuce, avocados, or grapes with thousands of food miles behind them; quite to the contrary, in fact, as the world’s urban types use all types of buildings from houses to skyscrapers (“farmscrapers”) to grow fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and even algae. There are several successful pilot projects in operation today in environments as diverse as Shanghai Hamburg, and Sweden’s Linköping. It’s not hard to grasp the advantages of vertical farming: less land use would leave depleted fields to regenerate, brownfield land would be reactivated, and closed-circuit techniques would conserve water. There are considerable drawbacks to the concept, too, however: principally, vertical farming is an energy-intensive business. Moreover, the business case has yet to be proven. Nevertheless, big food conglomerates such as Kraft, Unilever and Nestlé see the potential for new business and have joined forces to set up the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, SAI, in order to develop case studies for urban farming projects.

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C H IC K P E AC E : using hummus to find a new home

P H O T O G R A P H Y: A N D R E A T H O D E (R .), J O N AT H A N C R O S B Y/ N Y T/ R E D U X / L A I F (L)

WOMAN OF CONVICTION M A N U E L A M AU R E R , 47, I S A N I N CO R R I G I B L E O P T I M I S T, A FAC T P R OV E D B Y T H E FAC T T H AT, A F E W Y E A R S B AC K , S H E S E T U P A C H A R I TA B L E O R G A N I S AT I O N T O H E L P P EO P L E L E AV I N G P R I S O N T O F I N D T H E I R WAY B AC K INTO SOCIE T Y BY TR AINING AND C A R I N G FO R G U I D E D O G S . N OW, M AU R E R , W H O C A L L S H E R S E L F A “ T E AC H E R O U T O F CO N V I C T I O N ”, H A S S E T U P A C AT E R I N G S E R V I C E T O H E L P R E F U G E E S F R O M A F G H A N I S TA N , I R AQ , S Y R I A A N D A F R IC A N C OU N T R I E S G E T S TA R T E D I N G E R M A N Y. S Y R I A N H U M M U S , A FG H A N V EG E TA B L E S T E W, I R A N I A N R I C E P U D D I N G , M E AT A N D P OTAT O E S S O M A L I A N S T Y L E . . . T H E WO M E N WO R K T O G E T H E R T O P R E PA R E D E L I C AC I E S F R O M T H E I R H O M E CO U N T R I E S A N D S E R V E T H E M T O C U S T O M E R S A S A B U F F E T. M AU R E R ’ S I N I T I AT I V E N OT O N LY P R O D U C E S A W E A LT H O F I N T E R C U LT U R A L CO N TAC T S , B U T G I V E S T H E WO M E N I N VO LV E D AN OPPORTUNIT Y TO LE ARN ABOUT WO R K I N G W I T H FO O D A N D A P OT E N T I A L ENTRY INTO THE L ABOUR M A R K E T. YO U C A N F I N D O U T M O R E O N T H E I N I T I AT I V E ’ S FAC E B O O K PAG E . W W W. FAC E B O OK .C OM / P ON T ON Z W E I

M Y T H No. 2 We e d s ju s t s ho ot up e ve r y w h e r e . FA L SE . A l l pla nt s need ox ygen, l ig ht , nut r ient s , a nd water – a nd weed s a re no d i f ferent. T he d i f ference is t hat t hei r seed s a re ha rd ier t ha n t hose of cu lt ivated pla nt s. L ook i ng at weed s, sma r t ga rdeners c a n tel l what k i nd of soi l t hey a re dea l i ng w it h a nd t hen use t he r ig ht tech n iques to work it . Net t les a nd ch ick weed , for i nsta nce, a re i nd ic ators of hu m mus soi l, wh i le colt sfoot t h r ives on loa my g rou nd ; moss a nd sor rel l i ke acid ic cond it ions. Field horsta i l, mea nwh i le, is a su re sig n t hat water is not d ra i n i ng of f. M Y T H No. 3: We e d s h ave m a g i c a l p owe r s . T RU E . In ma ny c a ses, t he shoot s a ssiduous ga rdener’s a ng r i ly tea r out of t he g rou nd have cent u r ies of h istor y a s nat u ra l remed ies beh i nd t hem. L a mb ’s tong ue, d a ndel ions a nd ot hers l i ke t hem conta i n va r ious m i nera ls, t race element s , v it a m i ns , a nd ot her second a r y substa nces, a nd ma ny w i ld herbs a re – when cor rec t ly prepa red , used i n t he r ig ht qua nt it ies, a nd appl ied properly – ef fec t ive t reat ment s for a ra nge of a i l ment s. Never t heless, t he opposite c a n a lso be t r ue: ma ny weed s may on ly be used ex ter na l ly or a re to be avoided on a l l cou nt s. So it ’s i mpor ta nt to f i nd out what you’re dea l i ng w it h before t r y i ng it out.

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DIG FOR DELICIOUSNESS ” P I T OV E N S W E R E E S S E N T I A L LY T H E F I R S T WAY H U M A N K I N D F OU N D O F ROA S T I N G A N D BA K I N G F O O D S T U F F S . I N M A N Y PA R T S O F T H E WO R L D, T H E Y A R E S T I L L U S E D T O DAY.

T E X T

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A L E XAND ER

COOK I N G THIN G S IN H O LE S in the ground is

something humans have been doing for around 30,000 years. Alongside grilling and toasting over an open fire, it is one of the oldest ways of cooking food in the world. As such, archaeologists consider them proof of historic human activity. Heating stones and then using their ability to store heat was what enabled humans to start eating tubers and root vegetables which would have otherwise been inedible. In Polynesia, especially, home to a range of starchy vegetables such as taro, sweet potatoes, and breadfruit, pit ovens played a key role; to this day, they are dug out for ceremonial occasions on the Pacific islands. In the Near and

M OR E T HA N 1 3 T R I L L I ON (13,000,000,000,000) Number of creatures living in 1 m² of soil, 30 cm deep. (Bacteria, fungi, roundworms, rotifers, woodlice, earthworms, etc.)

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Middle East, Bedouins still make use of them on their passages through the desert. Due to its worldwide presence, the pit oven is used for a range of cooking techniques, from braising through to smoking. Often, the stones are heated on a fire in the pit itself, such as in a Hawaiian imu oven. Once the flames have died down, the foodstuffs are wrapped in leaves and put into the oven before it is covered over with furs, moss, plants, or soil, leaving the foods to steam in their own juices. Peruvian huatia ovens, by contrast, are brought to collapse, burying the ingredients, while the North American Assiniboine tribes heat stones and then put them into water to bring it to the boil. More modern variants include baking food in parchment, foil or terracotta. One of the best known versions is Hawaiian kalua, a cooking technique used on the Pacific archipelago for luau feasts. A neck of pork is rubbed with sea salt and then wrapped up with sweet potatoes and poi (mashed taro corms) in banana or ti leaves. For the Peruvian variant, pork, lamb or guinea pig is wrapped in corn leaves along with potatoes, manioc and beans, then seasoned with paprika, cumin, salt and pepper; the resulting dish is called pachamanca and, in 2003, it was named part of Peru’s national cultural heritage.

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“ LET IT FLOW! ”

IF YOU T HOUGHT K EGS W ER E T H E ON LY

M Y T H No. 4 No we e d s g r ow i n g , n o b e e s bu z z i n g . T RU E . T he chem ic a ls used to keep a rable la nd a nd publ ic spaces f ree of weed s don’t just dest roy t he w i ld f lowers bees need for nec ta r, but ac t ua l ly poison t he i nset s, too. T h is ha s ser ious consequences for t he nat u ra l world i na smuch a s bees rea l ly a re busy – cross-pol lenat i ng pla nt s a nd t herefore a ssu r i ng biod iversit y.

T HI NG WORT H TA PPI NG, T HI N K AGA I N! SCA N DI NAV I A NS R EGU L A R LY H E A D OU T TO T H E FOR E STS W IT H M A L ETS FOR A PORTION OF BIRCH SA P, A N D NOW BOT T L E S OF IT A R E CROPPI NG U P I N SU PER M A R K ETS A L L OV ER EU ROPE . IS IT WORT H TRY I NG? T HR E E QU E STIONS A N D T HR E E A NSW ER S .

P H OTO G R A P H Y: M AT T H E W KOSLOSK I / U N SP L A SH

How healthy is birch sap? According to studies by Finland’s Heikki Kallio, Professor of Food Chemistry at the University of Turku, it has several minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc and iron. In the country’s folk medicine, it is considered a cure for rheumatism and gout, but the scientific case is unproven. Birch sap has no gluten and no lactose; its natural sweetness comes from xylitol, a tooth-friendly sugar, and a glass of it weighs in at a light 36 calories. How can I tap this magic potion? Birch sap is easiest to extract from silver birch trees just before their leaves start to shoot; during this period, their sap is moving up from the roots to the crown and is therefore under pressure. All you need to do is drill a hole about two inches across and then let the sap run off down a syphon into a container. Once you’ve finished, seal the hole with tree resin so that the tree doesn’t lose all of its liquid. Is there a difference between shop-bought and freshly harvested sap? There definitely is. Fresh birch sap is watery, sweet, and smells like tree; processed products tend to be pasteurised and sterilised, and some are even flavoured. Purists are well advised to read the ingredients list carefully if they want a totally natural product.

M Y T H No. 5 We e d s i mpr ove t he s oi l – t he n at u r a l w ay. T RU E . T here is no shor tage of of k nowledge of how t h is work s. Net t les, for i nsta nce, or com f rey c a n be m i xed w it h l iqu id ma nu re to a h ig h-qua l it y n it rate fer t i l iser. T he root s of lupi ns a nd ma ny t y pes of clover, mea nwh i le, loosen soi l a nd , i f mow n dow n a nd lef t on t he g rou nd , ac t a s a mu lch layer. As t hey decompose, t he a mou nt of hu mus a nd nu mber of m icroorga n isms i n t he soi l goes up.

T Cute kangaroo babies? All thanks to pheromones.

HOW R A IN HIT T ING S OIL M A K E S K A NG A ROOS H AV E B A B IE S W H E N S U M M E R R A I N P E T E R S D OW N O N T O H O T, D RY E A R T H , T H E G ROU N D S TA R T S T O S T E A M – A N D E M I T A V E RY PA R T IC U L A R S C E N T W H IC H I S C A L L E D “ P E T R IC HO R ”. C O I N E D BY AU S T R A L I A N R E S E A RC H E R S BAC K I N 19 6 4 , T H E WO R D I S A P O R T M A N T E AU F RO M T H E A N C I E N T G R E E K F O R S T O N E (P E T R A ) A N D L I Q U I D (IC H O R ). 51 Y E A R S F O L L OW I N G I T S C R E AT I O N , A N O T H E R G ROU P O F S C I E N T I S T S DI S C OV E R E D T H AT T H E S C E N T C O M E S F RO M T I N Y BU B B L E S W H IC H A R E C R E AT E D W H E N R A I N D RO P S H I T A WA R M S U R FAC E ; T H E BU B B L E S BU R S T A N D E M I T T H E A RO M AT IC A E RO S O L S T Y P IC A L O F T H AT S U M M E R R A I N S M E L L . T H E E F F E C T O N N AT U R E O F R A I N I N WA R M W E AT H E R I S M O R E T H A N J U S T O L FAC T O RY; I T T R IG G E R S A C A S C A DE O F F E R T I L I T Y – A N D N O T J U S T A M O N G F L O R A , BU T A M O N G FAU N A , T O O. R E S E A RC H S U G G E S T S T H AT P E T R IC H O R H A S T H E S A M E I N F L U E N C E O N T H E R E P RO DU C T I V E C YC L E O F K A N G A RO O S A S T H E I R OW N P H E RO M O N E S : A F T E R R A I N S H OW E R S , A N A B OV E -AV E R AG E N U MB E R O F K A N G A RO O D O E S FA L L S P R E G N A N T. T H I S I S A N I N T E R E S T I N G L I N K – A N D O N E W H IC H T H E P E R F U M E I N DU S T RY H A S N O T B E E N S L OW T O E X P L O I T. S O G E T U S E D T O E A R T H Y S C E N T S I N THE COMI NG Y E A RS!

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“ CELESTIAL CUCUMBERS ” AC C O R D I N G T O R E S E A RC H E R S F RO M T H E G E R M A N A E RO S PAC E C E N T R E , T H E R E ’ S N O R E A S O N W H Y F O O D S T U F F S H AV E T O B E G ROW N O N E A R T H ; T H E Y C OU L D J U S T A S W E L L B E G ROW N I N S PAC E . T O P ROV E T H AT T H E I R S U G G E S T E D T E C H N I Q U E WO R K S , T H E Y ’ R E C O N DU C T I N G T E S T S I N T H E PA R T O F T H E WO R L D W H I C H M O S T R E S E M B L E S S PAC E – T H E A N TA RC T I C . T E X T

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A L E XA N D ER

P H OTO G R A P H Y: T H I N K S TO CK

T H E R E W A S A T I M E when Paul Zabel was an aeronautical engineer, but since 2015, he’s been a vegetable farmer. Then again, the Eden ISS project he is working on is not without a connection to his previous life: funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research programme, the idea is that Zabel and his team will find out more about growing plants, producing oxygen, and managing carbon dioxide in space. Nevertheless, by helping scientists to set ideal artificial growth conditions, the project has the potential to help solve potential food crises on earth, too. Zabel’s greenhouses are an almost hermetically sealed system: the water for irrigation is exuded by the plants, captured, and recycled; the whole environment functions entirely without soil and sunlight, too. As such, the plants’ roots are open to the air and are sprayed with a nutrient solution; meanwhile, LED lamps simulate

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the difference between day and night. The process is called aeroponics, and at the end, Zabel notes the yield and dries it in order to measure how much biomass has been created. From December 2017 onwards, Zabel will be operating two container greenhouses for a trial period of one year – in the Antarctic. The reason for the location? Nowhere on earth are conditions closer to space than near the South Pole. For a start, the research station there only receives provisions once a year, so if anything breaks down in this hostile and remote environment, Zabel will have to repair it; the crew of 10 is also comparable to numbers on a space station. While zero gravity and cosmic radiation can’t be simulated in the ice, scientists already know that plants can grow perfectly well without gravity (the effects of radiation have yet to be researched). The German Aerospace Centre has already successfully cultivated 15 different types of vegetable at its first test site near Bremen, and if the Antarctic project goes well, the next step will be to try the experiment in space. Zabel wouldn’t have anything against going up with the plants, he says. If he does, then we’ll be one step closer to the other-worldly farming of science fiction film The Martian. . .

M E L N A N O S P O R U M

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After the white truff le, this variety is the most valuable. It is known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153; black diamond â&#x20AC;? and can be found in Italy and France.

P H O T O G R A P H Y: S T O C K F O O D / P H O T O C U I S I N E / C H R I S T I N E F L E U R E N T; P AT R I C K T O M A S S O / U N S P L A S H

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THANKS TO THEIR SENSITIVE SENSE OF SMELL, DOGS ARE IDEAL FOR H U N T I NG T RU F F L E S. A N D T H E PR I Z E D T U BE R G E N US I S BY N O M E A N S L I M I T E D T O I T S H E A R T L A N D S I N I T A LY A N D F R A N C E , E I T H E R, A S A V I SI T T O A T RU F F L E E X P E RT I N C E N T R A L G E R M A N Y P ROV E S.

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A nyone w ho k now s w h ic h t re e s t he s u m me r t r u f f le pre fe r s c a n f i nd it i n G e r m a ny, to o.

P H OTO G R A P H Y: S TO CK FO O D/ M A R C O. F I N L E Y

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ted equal. And what is more, there are lots of different species which sprout at various times throughout the year – and not just in the warm climates of France, Italy and Spain. Burgundy and summer truffles, for instance, can be found north of the Alps in Germany – “in quite considerable quantities, even”, confirms Fabian Sievers. The 45-year-old is a truffle specialist who has been cultivating Tuber on a plot of land in the Leine Uplands, a hilly region between Hanover and Göttingen in Lower Saxony, for six years. “Germany is ideal truffle country, too,” he continues, “and anyone who knows enough about nature, and about the conditions truffles need to thrive, can find them pretty much everywhere.” There are reportedly somewhere between two and three dozen species of Tuber in the local forests. The best way to find them is by smell – using dogs. Woopee, for example, is a truffle hound who has now been helping his master find truffles

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in the woodlands for five years. She goes quite wild for the delicacy in the undergrowth, and hills of the Leine Uplands have just the kind of sparse woodlands interspersed with clearings that truffle fungi love. Which begs the question as to why hardly anyone finds them. The answer is simple: truffles grow underground and only trained dogs can pick up their scent. Another reason might be that it’s officially against the law to dig up truffles in Germany: “Anyone who takes the fruiting body of a truffle out of the ground is committing an illicit activity, perhaps even a criminal offence,” emphasises Fabian Sievers, “because every species of the Tuber genus is under a special conservation order here.” Although he is of the opinion that an overall ban is disproportionate in view of the frequency of some types of truffle, he’s certainly against the idea of “every Tom, Dick, and Harry ploughing through the woods. Everybody wanting to harvest

tween 200 and

D E F I N E D S I M P L Y , the truffle is the world’s most expensive mushroom. For many a gourmet, the sight of a few wafer-thin slices being grated off onto a plate of pasta or carpaccio is one step away from ecstasy; even a simple fried egg can, with the addition of this fungus’ fine aroma, be transformed into a veritable revelation for the taste buds. For those in the know – and with the cash – there is an order of preference among the genus Tuber, with the increasingly rare white truffle (Tuber magnatum, also known as Alba truffle) ensconced firmly on the throne as Queen of the Fungi, prized for its unique aroma and flavour. The taste experience of truffles is notoriously hard to describe, with some opting for comparisons to vanilla and nuts while others talk of garlicky notes. Fittingly, at a kilogram price of up to 9,000 euros, the cost of even a 20 gram serving is enough to leave most people speechless. So truffles are not all crea-

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truffles should have a basic understanding of nature and biological symbiosis,” he continues. Or they could follow his example and invest in cultivating them. All of a sudden, Woopee gets excited and starts digging wildly. She doesn’t have to go very deep because the summer truffle currently in season grows just below ground level. Sievers has some trouble getting his dog to relinquish the black lump: “We have a deal,” he explains: “If the truffle is so small that she can get it out with just one paw, I let her keep it.” The summer truffle now in her muzzle, however, is one their agreement requires her to give up. In return, his furry friend gets a lot of praise – and a doggy treat. While Woopee keeps snuffling, Sievers explains how what used to be a pig’s job became dogs’ work. “The first professional truffle hunters were farmers out in the woods with their pigs. Since ripe truffles exude aromas which are similar to those of boars’ pheromones, sows would burrow into 19

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the truffle groves like mad.” The problem is that pigs are thick-set and hard to train; they trample flora and fauna, and for that reason have long been replaced by dogs like the Lagotto Romagnolo, which is ideal for hunting truffles. “It’s a very playful breed,” says Sievers, “and doesn’t have any instinct to hunt. You can let it off the leash wherever you like.” And Woopee has been sniffing truffles quite literally since when she was her at mother’s teat: “To get her used to the smell, we rubbed truffle oil onto her mother’s dugs,” he adds. Today, Woopee is a true pro – as is Sievers, of course, who covers the spot up again so as not to leave any clues for anyone else: truffle hunters have a code of silence about where they make a find and how much they discover. Moreover, by doing so, Sievers protects the complex fungus organism underground: “The truffle is just the fruit of the fungus, which is ac20

tually what is called a mycelium living in a symbiosis with the roots of the tree known as a mycorrhiza. In this exchange, the fungus supplies the tree with nutrients which the tree then returns to the fungus. No trees, no truffles.” Sievers has used his knowledge of the trees with which fungi enter into mycorrhiza to build up his truffle farm, planting up his two hectares of lightly inclined meadowlands with a loose succession of hazelnut, hornbeam, beech and oak trees; a few fruit trees – wild cherry and apple – are there, too. “Truffles prefer damp, chalky soil with pH values of seven or more,” says Sievers, adding that “the more barren the land, the less nutrients the soil contains, the happier the truffle – and the happier the tree.” It’s a delicate equilibrium – and one which is all too easily disturbed. Other plants, for example, compete with mycorrhiza structures, while mice and deer bite

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P H OTO G R A P H Y: G A L L ER Y S TO CK / PA R SL E Y S T EI N W EI S S

T h i s br e e d of d o g i s ju s t m a d e for hu nt i n g t r u f f l e s . For L a go t t o s , it ’s s i mpl y a f u n g a m e .

at young saplings, which must therefore be protected until they are established. Then again, animals mustn’t be discouraged entirely because they spread the fungal spores with their droppings, meaning that a new mycelium can grow and reproduce. Just as in nature, it takes several years for the relationship between tree and fungus to bear fruit. Fabian Siever knows that he needs a lot of knowledge and plenty of patience – but he also knows that it will be worth it in the end. Lots of people love the smell and taste of truffles; they are often cited as aphrodisiacs, too, and this kind of mythologisation quite probably contribute to their high market value. The most important factor, however, is the lack of truffle cultivation in Germany to date: “Currently, every ounce of truffle served in restaurants in full accordance with the law will have been imported.” At the same time, demand for truffles

is growing among restaurateurs and gourmets. This state of affairs means that there is ever-increasing potential for truffle cultivation. As such, Fabian Sievers is not worried about his future prospects. He is confident of being able to harvest at least 20 kilos of truffles per hectare – and quite possibly closer to 40 or 60 kilos. He wouldn’t recommend it to anyone on the lookout for a get-rich-quick scheme, though, because it is simply too slow and too difficult. He’s not in it for the money in any case; it’s the natural aspect that fascinates him. “In my view, every piece of monoculture farmland that gets turned into truffle groves is an improvement because we are imitating nature’s ways, recreating the balance of the natural world.” The journey, in other words, is the destination. Not that the end of the road is devoid of attractions, either: “When I’m 60, I’ll be able to enjoy a nice retirement.” - TI 21

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W I S CH M A N N

- K N OW L E D GE W H I C H T H E D I FFE R E N CE I N P R I CE MA K E S W E L L WO R T H WH ILE.

LOW E R-QUA L I T Y CO USI N S. T E L L I N G T H E M A PA R T D E MA N D S E XP ER T KN OWLEDGE

T HE R E A RE V E R Y E X P E N SI V E T R UFFL E S, A N D T H E N T H E R E A R E T H EIR

TRUFFLES AR E NOT ALL CR EATED EQUAL

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Tu b e r u c i n a t u m c h a t i n is similar in appearance to the black truff le and has a f lavour reminiscent of hazelnuts. Price per kilo: €200-€600

BU RGU N DY TRU FFL E

A lso k now n as Périgord t r u f f l e s , Tu b e r melanosporum grows in Fra nce, Ita ly a nd Spa in and can reach the size of a n apple. Its intense aromas are not damaged by cooking. Price per kilo: €2,000

BL ACK T RU FF L E

Found in Ita ly a nd C r o a t i a , Tu b e r m a g n a t u m has a light, smooth exterior and a very intense truf f le aroma. It is on ly ever c on s u me d r aw. P r ic e p e r k i lo: approx . € 9, 0 0 0

WHITE TRUFFLE

back millennia. Archaeologists’ finds show that the Egyptian pharaohs were eating them in the third century BC; later, the Greeks and Romans held them in high esteem as aphrodisiacs. A large-scale trade in truffles did not develop until the 18th century in France, however; at the same time, a culture of truffle eating sprang up in Africa, too, stretching from Algeria into Arabia, where they were eaten in Damascus. Just a brief glance at history is enough to show why the widespread association of truffles with France and Italy is only half the story. While the black Périgord truffle and the white Alba truffle are indeed linked to regions in these respective countries, the fungi grow in many other parts of the world, too, from China to New Zealand. There are not many truffles around, however. On average, hunters find only 60 to 80 g of the very finest species every day; given how rare finds are, the astronomical prices paid are no surprise. Indeed, for gourmets, there are some big differences in quality between the species, and the region in which they grow plays a major role in the kitchen, too. The white truffle (also known as the Alba truffle) is mainly found in Piedmont, Umbria and Tuscany, but also in the Croatian regions of Istria and Dalmatia. Its exterior is white to light yellow and has some traces of rust colours, too; inside, it is marbled white. Its intense truffle aroma cannot withstand cooking, so it is only ever grated or sliced raw over dishes. Thus far, there have been no successful attempts to cultivate it. The black truffle is sometimes called the Périgord truffle after a region of France in which it is found; it also grows in the Dordogne, in Spain, and in Italy, although it is now under cultivation in America, Aus-

A S F O O D S T U F F S , truffles have a history going

P H OTO G R A P H Y: T E S S A T R A EG ER / T R U N K A R CH I V E

The Burgundy truffle is a popular alternative to the most expensive fungi. It too has a black fruiting body criss-crossed by dark-brown and white marbling on the inside. It grows in the Burgundy region of France and elsewhere, too, including in Germany. Its truffle flavour is complemented by a touch of hazelnut. Summer truffles are almost black on the outside; their flesh is solid and marbled white. They can be harvested from June to September in the deciduous forests of southern Europe, and are also present north of the Alps in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Their flavour is not especially intensive. Winter truffles, sometimes referred to as “nutmeg truffles”, are not particularly intensive in terms of aroma. They most closely resemble the black truffle, but their marbling is thicker. As they grow in less chalky, damper soil, they can be found north of the Alps, too. Spring truffles are similar both in form and colour to their expensive cousin, the white truffle. They too have a smooth, white, yet irregular skin, but their structure is softer and their marbling more pronounced. In terms of flavour, they have the same intensity as a white truffle, and only experts can reliably tell the difference. Buying truffles is a matter of trust: as some less valuable, lower-quality truffles have the characteristic of taking on the aroma of more expensive species, the trade is attractive to conmen who try to sell them at a far higher price. The only way to avoid them is to stick with a trusted seller. - TI

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tralia and New Zealand, too. Its lumpy, dark-brown fruiting body appears almost black and can reach sizes of 10 cm or more. Its aroma is intensive.

Tu b e r a l b i d u m pico greatly resembles the white truff le and is also the closest thing to it in terms of f lavou r. Price per kilo: €1,0 0 0

SPR ING TRUFFLE

Although resembling t he Périgord truff le on the outside, t he interior p l e x u s o f Tu b e r brumale i s c oa rs er. Price per kilo: €600

WINTER TRUFFLE

Tu b e r a e v e s t i u m is one of the species which a lso grows in G e r m a n y – w i d e l y. Its a roma is not especia lly intense. Price per kilo: €200-€600

SUMMER TRUFFLE

T H E P O TAT O SINCE THE DAWN OF CIVILISATION, THE WORLDWIDE PROLIFERATION OF PLANTS HAS ENHANCED OUR MENUS. LONG BEFORE POTATOES BECAME A EUROPEAN HIT, THEY WERE CULTIVATED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN CHILE. THEN, THE ROOT VEGETABLE, KNOWN AND LOVED BY COOKS ACROSS THE GLOBE, STARTED ITS WORLDWIDE JOURNEY. A R T WO R K

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The Inca word for potato was “papa”, which translates as “bulb”. The word “potato” originates from the Spanish “patata”. In turn, it was borrowed from the Taíno language, an extinct language spoken by the Taíno people in the Caribbean.

S T R I C K E R T

The potato originates from varieties found in Peru, Venezuela, Argentina and Chile. In Chile, researchers found traces of the world’s oldest wild potato. It was 13,000 years old.

» PAPA «

The Incas began the systematic cultivation of potatoes 7,000 years ago in Chile. With the conquest of the Inca Empire (1531 to 1536), the Spanish conquerors penetrated as far as the Andes, where potatoes were grown.

The world’s largest potato producers (in millions of tonnes)

In the year 1562, it set sail and stopped over on the Canary Islands (Spain). In 1570, it reached the Spanish mainland. From there, the potato moved on to Italy and spread across the European mainland.

The potato harvest is processed into: (in per cent) Animal feed

Food Potatoes are nightshades, just like tomatoes and tobacco.

Starch, alcohol

Seed potatoes

96 China

India

30 Russia

Ukraine

20 USA

Germany

9 Bangladesh

France

7 Netherlands

Poland

eden Sw

1647

5 ny

British Isles

The first proven occurrence of the potato on the British Isles was in 1596. It is thought to have arrived directly, not via Spain, although it is not known who introduced it. But its proliferation throughout England was possible due to the special climate. The hardy potato could be cultivated on stony and sloping ground.

itz

The potato entered Switzerland via Italy, but was first used as a pot plant thanks to its glorious flowers. At the beginning of the 18th century, it was cultivated for food. Later on, it made its debut in Swiss kitchens in the form of rösti.

It a

Sp ain

During the Irish Great Famine (1845 to 1852), the British potato harvest was afflicted by potato blight. A million people starved and millions of Irish people emigrated to the USA, which resulted in the potato’s breakthrough.

KARTOFFEL ERDAPFEL

In Europe, mass cultivation began in 1738: when King Frederick II heard that the potato’s vitamin C content could prevent scurvy, he ordered it to be cultivated en masse.

HERDÖPFEL AARDAPPEL PATATA POMME DE TERRE POTATO PATATA

The Swedish scientist Eva Ekeblad published her study on producing bread, alcohol, starch and powder from potatoes. She thus contributed to the distribution of the potato as a foodstuff and raw material for the production of cosmetics.

After the potato gained traction in Europe, the Europeans took it with them wherever they later settled, including to Africa. Now, the potato is cultivated on all continents in over 130 countries worldwide, except in tropical, arctic and subarctic climates.

100 g potatoes consist of: Green parts of a potato contain alkaloids (e.g. solanine), a natural poison. This is why they are not suitable for human consumption.

78 g water

2 nd

1st

16 g carbohydrates

3 rd

After wheat and rice, the potato is the third most produced foodstuff in the world.

2g protein

2.1 g fibre 1.5 g minerals

They also contain vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5 & B6, vitamin C, iron, potassium and magnesium.

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R A D I C A L LY R I C S , G N A R LY G U I T A R R I F F S , H E A D B A N G I N G B E A T S : M E T A L H E A D S H AV E A R E P U TAT ION A S T H E H A R DE ST OF T H E H A R D C O R E â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A N D Y E T A R E S A I D T O H AV E MOR E V E GETA R I A N S A N D V E GA N S T H A N FA N S O F O T H E R G E N R E S . C A N T H AT B E T R U E ? WHERE BETTER TO FIND OUT THAN T H E L O U D E S T M E T A L F E S T I VA L O N T H E P L A N E T ? T E X T

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I T ’ S 4 P. M . A N D T H E S U N I S S H I N I N G D O W N

from an August sky scattered with clouds when the five musicians who are Heaven Shall Burn appear on the Harder Stage at Wacken. Before the first chords have even echoed through the walls of speakers, the sea of fans is roaring with excitement: it’s now day three of the world’s largest heavy metal music festival and, by this stage, nobody needs a warm-up act. As the mix of hardcore, death and trash metal hits the crowd, people start pogoing and mud starts flying; in front of the stage, mosh pits surface periodically as the gigantic maelstrom of bodies opens, Red Sea-like, into two halves – almost as if the move has been re-

S T U R DY F O O T W E A R

retire to the artists’ area to refresh themselves with one of Maria Perna’s vegan snacks. Yet local girl Perna, whose stand is backstage at Wacken, makes a range of delicious pancakes and bread dishes without using animal products because Heaven Shall Burn is just one of the many metal bands whose members are vegetarian or vegan. Perna, a newcomer to the vegan food industry and the woman behind the Beadonauts baking mix, is delighted to see yet another queue form in front of her stand. In one way, that’s not surprising: the number of vegans is going up all across the world. But isn’t heavy metal all about sex, drugs and alcohol? Can you keep on writing such aggressive lyrics,

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C R I S P Y FA L A F E L

We l l i n g t o n b o o t s b a c k o n : a f e s t i v a l g o e r a f t e r m e t a l y o g a .

hearsed for weeks on end. Lead singer Marcus Bischoff certainly doesn’t need to say anything for the ritual to start as the two “walls of death” storm towards each other, clashing to shouts of joy in the middle of the infield. The force of the collision is so strong that even I, standing as I am on the outer reaches of the crowd, can still feel it as the participants return to headbanging. Bischoff bawls as loud as he possibly can: “We're fighting to the last, driven by your hate awoken us, no long we surrender”. Thousands bawl back. It’s like an almighty war of sounds – and the din makes it, from my point of view, all the more unimaginable that the act will, after expending so many calories on stage, 28

playing such harsh sounds, when you refuse to have animal blood spilled for a nice, juicy steak off the grill? “There is an above-average number of vegetarians and vegans among metal fans, and that is something we take account of when planning the festival,” confirms Holger Hübner, the managing director of ICS Festival Service GmbH: “It is very important to us that artists and fans alike feel at home in Wacken.” And that is why, this year, the 75,000 hungry metalheads at the gigantic event have a choice which, besides classics such as beer-doused mushrooms, spit-roast suckling pork, burgers and the “Wacken Nacken” steak, also encompasses a range of stands offering vegan and

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vegetarian options.This year, the people at ICS Festival Service went a step further and flew in YouTube star Brian Matthew Manowitz from Los Angeles. In his videos, Manowitz makes a quirky show of combining black metal music and vegan recipes – and gets clicks beyond many YouTubers’ wildest dreams in doing so. His pad thai video is currently cruising along at a cool 3,070,682 views. Seitan chicken and plastic skulls In the Foundation Camp area, it’s not hard to make out the spot where Brian, the Black Metal Vegan Chef is doing his thing: the crowd around the entrance to

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painted nails) dig into the grey-beige mass again and again as his guttural voice booms through the tent, explaining how he chooses his ingredients and each of the steps in the recipe. He trades quips with the audience and, a few minutes later, throws the dough ball into a cooking pot decorated with iron spikes; then he stirs up seasoning and chilli sauce in a silver bowl, grinning devilishly as he lets the blood-red mixture drip off the spoon. As he works, he explains why he became a YouTube chef: “I just wanted to show as many people as possible all over the world how easy it is to make really good meals from purely plant-based ingredients. And because I was so bored by cooking

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B L AC K H U M O U R

Dark on the outside, nice on the inside. Johannes loves animals and black cookies save lives.

the tent is visible from far off. On closer inspection, the smell of fried vegetables and garlic wafts through the air and the speakers are playing – what else? – an uncompromising industrial black metal mix produced by the Manowitz himself. To create some atmosphere, plastic skulls, candles and other accessories have been put up in the otherwise plain white tent, but the audience is utterly absorbed by the curious display going on in the open-plan camp kitchen. The hardcore cook – all black-dyed hair, chainmail, shoulder armour, and corpse paint as the genre demands – has peppers and courgettes going in a pan as he kneads seitan dough. His practised fingers (and black

shows on TV in the US, I thought about what I as a viewer would want to see – and made the show. I was as surprised by the number of clicks it got as any-one else, and then I just kept going. And now here I am, getting invited to this fantastic party in Germany. It’s just amazing!” While the show is nowhere near as dark – and overdone – as his YouTube sessions, it’s entertaining and informative nonetheless. The thing that is most important to Manowitz is that his food passes the taste test when the audience give it a go. In fact, you have to move quickly if you want to get anything of the various nibbles being passed round. Johannes, too, who – with his long leather overalls cov29

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S H O W C O O K I N G

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S W E E T T R E AT S

T h e B l aac k M e t a l V e g a n C h e f i n s p i r e s f a n s a t a s h o w c o o k i n g s e s s i o n b a c k s t a g e , M a r i a Pe r n a d e l i g ht s t h e a r t i s t s w i t h h e r f r u i t y, s we e t ve g a n c r Ãª p e s

ered in patches and shorn hair – looks at first sight like the toughest of rockers, gives the food a grinning thumbs up and suddenly looks a whole lot less threatening. This Hamburg lad is about as vegan as they come and has been cooking Manowitz recipes for years now. “When they’re packing for a weekend like this, my friends will have beer, sausage and steaks in their cooler – and that’s it. I always come with a basic kit of vegetable-based spreads and other plant products. This time, though, I’ll be taking quite a lot of it back home with me, because there is no shortage of options for me here,” he says, laughing as he dips a nugget of fried seitan into the hot sauce. Metalheads

L O U D A N D P R O U D

there are so many people who avoid all animal products on ethical grounds in an area of music which sounds rather aggressive, he has an interesting explanation: “Almost anyone who sees how livestock suffers on television – or who has experienced it for themselves – gets a guilty conscience and decides to try and cut down on or eliminate meat from their diet. But you need a particularly strong character in order to stay vegan in the long term. With their taste in music and the way they look, metallers have always been outside the mainstream. That means that they have had plenty of practice in doing their thing and ignoring derogatory comments from people around

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F U L L O F C H A R AC T E R

S a s k i a T h o d e f r o m B r o o k l y n , N YC , o f f e r s d a i l y m e t a l y o g a c o u r s e s i n t h e We l c o m e t o t h e Ju n g l e t e nt .

are, in his view, living proof that there is something to the old saying “tough on the outside, soft on the inside”, and he lists the Zack de la Rocha brothers from Rage Against The Machine, Kirk Hammet from Metallica and Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath as vegan metal musicians; Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz and Mille Petrozza, the frontman of his favourite band Kreator – are even Peta spokespeople, he adds. “At Wacken, I always come across people from across the world who share my ideas. People who boycott everything from industrialised animal husbandry and who like their food to be sustainable.” In a chat after the show, Brian Manowitz agrees. When I ask him, why 32

them.” Now 36, Manowitz still remembers watching a film at college, aged 17, about meat production in America and deciding to change the way he ate. After a few months as a vegetarian, he cut out milk and dairy products, “leading to all sorts of discussions with his friends and family.” Now, he’s a “straight-edge vegan”, meaning that he stays away from alcohol, all drugs, and all products for which animals have to suffer. Even his sinister face-paint and outrageous show outfit are vegan-approved. Not everyone at Wacken lives as clean as Brian, though: in fact, very few do. There is no shortage of high-proof beverages doing the rounds, and a forth-

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right conversation with a long-haired giant from Bavaria leaves me in no doubt that beer brewed in accordance with German purity laws is guaranteed vegan – not that he is at all concerned either way, chowing down on a meat skewer while we chat. On my wander across all eight stage areas, I also come across plenty of metallers tucking into falafels, spring rolls, and veggie burgers simply because they fancy some greens. Seneka Wichmann, for instance, attracts many of these “flexitarians”, such as Michel, a fair-haired fellow who generally has nothing against meat and fish, but who simply loves the vegan and vegetarian meals on offer at her stand; he’s such a fan that he plans to have

H U N G R Y F O R V EG

doing very well here – and why shouldn’t we? I mean, I don’t see there being a contradiction between heavy metal and veganism. The music might be, to quote the event slogan “Louder than hell!”, but the community is relaxed and easy-going.” Almonds and metal yoga One place it certainly is very loud is inside a tent called Welcome to the Jungle. Saskia Thode, over from Brooklyn, NYC, is offering free lessons in metal yoga where the tattoo-sporting power-lady can be seen bending herself in various ways to a range of hardcore sounds, alternating between warrior-like asanas or jumps and

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T H I R S T Y F O R B E E R

A metal fan painted up like a warrior tucks into a vegan f latbread. Why? “Because it just tastes great!”

eaten his way through the entire menu by Sunday. Having started on arrival on Thursday, he should be at number seven when I meet him, but the wafer-thin tarte flambée with Mediterranean vegetables and goat’s cheese has sold out: “I’ve seen a lot more demand this year as against the last four,” says Wichmann, who has come from Lübeck to sell at the festival, by way of explanation, “and that is despite a noticeable increase in the number of stands selling vegetarian snacks.” Robin, up from Kassel in central Germany to sell Veggitarix-brand vegan vegetable and rice stir-fries as well as falafel, has run stands at a variety of music festivals: “The more extreme the sound, the more we sell. We’re

running on the spot. Participants can even learn how to headbang like a yogi. Thode gives instructions in a deep, distorted voice using a microphone headset, adding some black-metal-style growling for good measure as she stretches her arms upwards, clenches her fist, and then protrudes her little and index fingers to produce the classic Wacken sign. To ecstatic cheers, around one hundred sweaty metal fans do likewise, and for a moment, this yoga teacher looks like she is fronting a death-metal band. Yet just a few moments later, she’s stood in front of me, swigging water and smiling joyfully. In a way, Saskia is a product of this musical culture: her parents were already coming to 33

REPORTAGE

Wacken when she was born; she has friends from the metal scene all over the world and is on first-name terms with some of the hardest hitters in the genre. Nevertheless, she is so down to earth and so friendly that it’s almost confusing. As we talk about this article, she reveals that she too eats a diet based primarily on fruit and vegetables, nuts and legumes, and plantbased drinks. Although she shares her moral motivation with most vegans, there is also a health and wellbeing aspect to her choice: “When I did eat meat,” she explains, “it used to make me feel tired and heavy. Since going vegan – and cutting all processed foods out of my diet – I have noticed a big increase in my energy lev-

L O T S O F F O L L O W E R S

E V E RY Y E A R , A ROU N D 10 0 , 0 0 0 M E TA L H E A D S F ROM AC RO S S T H E WOR L D M A K E T H E I R PI L G R I M AG E T O T H E H A L L OW E D F I E L D S OF WAC K E N T O C E L E BR AT E THEIR GENR E .

O N E - - - - -

WAC K E N L O G O

W: O : A s t a n d s f o r Wa c k e n O p e n A i r a n d i s n ow a m a j o r mu s i c b r a n d .

els.” What I want to know, though, is why she – a woman who, in the truest sense of the phrase, wouldn’t hurt a fly – likes to work to such loud music with all its dark lyrics and often frightening gestures. “Metal is about provoking people,” she replies, “about tackling controversial topics – and not about pretending everything is fine as it is. When we do metal yoga, we take a look at the dark side within us all, shouting to get our fury and frustration out. The fast tempo and powerful movements help us to get out of the tight corset of everyday life,” she concludes, “so a metal yoga session is like a pressure valve that helps us deal with society.

It’s very liberating,” adding that she also offers quieter yoga and meditation courses: “But this one just makes me happy.” The participants who have made it through to the end of the lesson look pretty beat – glistening foreheads and sweat-patches all round – but also very satisfied. Saskia wants to catch a band she knows well and they’re due on stage soon, so we say goodbye and she sets off at speed through the quagmire towards the VIP area. Maria in the artists area will soon be doing another round of vegan crêpes – and Saskia doesn’t want to miss them this time. - TI

THE BASIS OF LIFE I T R E GU L AT E S T H E C L I M AT E A N D DI R E C T S T H E GL OBA L CI RC U L AT ION OF M AT E R I A L S . W I T H OU T I T, T H E R E C A N B E N O C L E A N D R I N K I N G WA T E R A N D N O NAT U R A L FO ODST U F FS . H E R E A R E T E N FAC T S A B OU T T H E GROU N D BE N E AT H OU R F E E T.

HOME-MADE

E A R T H

P H OTO G R A P H Y: R EI N H A R D H U N G ER ; S T Y L I N G: CH R I S TO P H H I M M EL

T E X T

_ _ _

M IC HELE

AVA N TA R I O

STONE AND SAND

GNOMES AND ELVES

STORE AND FILTER

Around one third of the surface of the earth protrudes from the sea, or around 150 million square kilometres. Large portions of this, however, are composed solely of barren stone or loose sand: i.e. mountains and deserts. In temperate climate zones, the earth’s surface offers very good conditions for lush vegetation; much of Europe is in just such a zone.

In the ancient world, scholars developed the classical theory of the four elements: fire, water, air and earth were considered the “root of all things”. In the Middle Ages, the physician and alchemist Paracelsus assigned spirits to each element: in his teachings, earth is personified by gnomes, an order including trolls, leprechauns, will-o-thewisps, fairies and elves. All of these earth spirits had a common task, which was to guard the treasures of Mother Earth.

After the oceans, soil is the planet’s second most important carbon repository. The thin “skin of the Earth” binds many times as much carbon as all of the world’s living matter put together and, as such, influences the climate and the global circulation of material. It also filters rainwater, turning it into cleansed groundwater which can then be put back into our water cycle as drinking water.

MITES AND LICE

Two thirds of all the species in existence on planet Earth live below its surface: that includes many lice, spiders and worms as well as fungi, mites and bacteria. Under an average hectare of land, there are around 15 tonnes of ground-dwelling organisms. The word humus refers to the particularly fertile upper layer of soil on the ground; a single handful of humus contains more microorganisms than there are humans on the whole planet.

ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY

In the 19th century, pioneering scientists of the modern age such as Vasily Dokuchaev and Charles Darwin established soil science as a distinct field. Due to its strong links to chemistry, geology, botany, zoology and mineralogy, it is today considered interdisciplinary; at the same time, research in soil science plays a crucial role in ecology, forestry and farming.

GLEY AND BAY MUD

Soil is generally defined as the layers from topsoil down to the bedrock – but mud isn’t always just mud. There are detailed academic and agro-industrial classification systems for various types of soil which, although they differ in specifics, generally divide earth into dryland and groundwater soils, subhydric and heath soils.

OVERGROUND Around one third of the earth’s crust is above sea level; much of that consists of stone and sand.

I N S AT I A B L E After the ocean, the soil is the world’s largest repository of carbon.

F O OD S T U F F S .

MOR E T H A N 9 0 PE R C E N T OF A L L

What is it that makes soil fertile, though? The greatest influence is exerted by how granulated the soil is, how acidic it is, its mineral composition, and the proportion of organic material. In regions rich in vegetation, a correspondingly large amount of biomass is de-

S U R FAC E , BU T DE L I V E R S

HUMUS AND BIOMASS

U P ON E T E N T H OF T H E E A RT H ’ S

The history of agriculture goes back to the early Stone Age when, around 12,000 years ago, hunter-and-gatherer tribes began to use rudimentary farming methods. On several continents, sedentary tribes started working the earth below their feet for the first time. Areas with the types of soil suitable for agricultural use – i.e. arable land – barely make up one tenth of the Earth’s surface, but deliver more than 90 per cent of all foodstuffs.

A R A BL E L A N D M A K E S

SOILS AND FARMERS

composed, leading to the most fertile kind of humus. While this may sound simple, however, it takes time – a lot of time. In order to produce a layer of healthy soil just a few centimetres thick, nature needs a couple of centuries; what is more, it only works if nature is left to its own devices. POLLUTION AND POISONING

In the last 50 years, agricultural land use has gone up by a factor of three; the actual area of land under cultivation has barely increased in the same time frame, however. This intensive form of agriculture puts pressure on the soil as more fertilisers and pesticides are used, leading to acidification and depletion, pollution and poisoning. The result is that European arable land has already lost around 50 per cent of its fertility.

HOME-MADE

EXHAUSTED In the last 50 years, agricultural land use has gone up by a factor of three.

The most humus is created in regions rich in vegetation in which lots of biomass is decomposed.

Our soil is the basis on which all life thrives – a treasure too precious to value.

F OR A S E A S ON I N OR DE R T O

S OM E F I E L D S A R E L E F T FA L L OW

The environmentally friendly alternative to intensive farming is called extensive farming. In this approach, use of synthetic pesticides and mineral fertilisers is limited as far as possible and, although yields are lower, the soil remains in better condition in the long term. A millennia-old method for the sustainable use of arable land is crop rotation, also known as the three-field system. In contrast to today’s widespread monocultures, this technique entails not keeping all land under continuous cultivation; some fields are left fallow for a season in order to recover and to produce new mineral nutriments for the next growing period. Moreover, planting different crops in a specific sequence can maintain the quality of soil: crops are divided into two groups in terms of their

I N C ROP RO TAT ION S YS T E M S ,

P H OTO G R A P H Y:

K AI WEISE; ST YLING: KERSTIN RICHTER

DEPLETERS AND CONTRIBUTORS

C ON T I N UOU S C U LT I VAT ION .

VALUABLE

R E C OV E R R AT H E R T H A N BE I NG U N DE R

FERTILE

effect on humus – depleters (cereal crops) and contributors (leafy crops such as rapeseed, beets and potatoes). What one group puts into the soil, the other takes out, and vice versa. The result is that the soil chemistry remains balanced. ECONOMICS AND EARTH SPIRITS

According to research prognoses, humanity will have to make do with less farming land in future; yet our soil is the basis on which all life thrives. As such, it is a treasure too precious to value, and in guarding it, Paracelsus’ earth spirits will have plenty to do. It would be wrong for us to leave them to do all the work, though. - TI

BREWED UP

D O N ’ T H I D E YO U R R O O T S In times gone by, e at i n g vegetables wasn’t a choice, but a ne c e s sit y. To d a y, r o o t s , peel, stems and stalks are all being turned into culinary delicacies. Not only do they pack a lot of f lavou r, but they are also highly nutritious. It would be a shame to throw t hem aw ay.

ROOTS OF LOVE T H E R E ’ S A N E W C U L I N A RY T R E N D A ROU N D : “ L E A F T O RO O T ” E AT I N G , U S I N G A L L T H E PA R T S O F A C RO P. I T ’ S A C H A L L E N G E — A N D O N E W H IC H C A N B E A S OU RC E O F I N S P I R AT I O N T O C R E AT I V E C O O K S .

T E X T

_ _ _

J ES KO

W I L K E

T H E R E ’ S N O N E E D to explain the thought pro-

cesses behind “leaf to root” to anyone who has ever grown their own vegetables: a garden is a labour of love and gardeners are delighted with every shoot which springs up, nurturing their seedlings and freeing them of pests until they become strapping examples of their species – and provide a good harvest. Gardeners don’t need any encouragement to respect their crops and use as many parts of the plant they have gleaned from the earth as possible; and in days gone by, it wasn’t a matter of style, but of absolute necessity. Nothing was thrown away, everything was used in some way or other. Nowadays, the ‘leaf to root’ movement is about respecting nature. It was this respect which, back in 2014, drove food writer Esther Kern to publish an appeal to use the parts of vegetables usually discarded, calling the idea on her website waskochen.ch “leaf to root” and helping to launch a new food culture in which creative, unusual recipes are used to turn peel, stalks, and stems from waste into valuable culinary resources. The “leaf to root” motto is now an established food concept, not least due to the prizewinning success of the eponymous book (in German) in 2016, written by Esther Kern with photography by Sylvan Müller and Pascal Haag.

P H OTO G R A P H Y: P L A I N P I C T U R E / H . S A L ACH (L .); P L A I N P I C T U R E / M Ü GG EN B U R G (R .)

D I S COVE RI N G T H E P O S S IBIL IT IES Let’s start with carrot tops: who says you need to cut them off and throw them away? Nobody! In fact, the greens are perfect as the basis for puréed foods such as smoothies or pesto – and also taste delicious when deep-fried and salted. Moving on to fruits, both peach and apricot kernels can be used to give flavour to desserts and ice creams, while melon rinds can be made into delicious chutneys and jams. On the subject of skins, potato peel can be mixed with salt and oil and baked in the oven to make crunchy crisps. Even the leaves and stems of artichokes, generally considered inedible, can be used to make a tasty soup. FO LLOWI N G W H ER E T H E P RO S G O Sound unusual? It is, and unusual things often attract creative minds, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to find out that many top chefs are fascinated by leaf-to-root eating. In many a leading eatery, complex vegetarian dishes have already stolen the show from meat and fish in any case, as the ‘new green cooking’ movement puts vegetables at the centre of daring but healthy cuisine. In her reference work (Leaf to Root - Gemüse essen vom Blatt bis zur Wurzel, AT Verlag 2016), author Esther Kern collates a range of examples: Daniel Achilles, for instance, a prize-winning chef, uses a range of unusual ingredients in his Berlin restaurant Reinstoff: dahlia tubers, pea flowers, and rapeseed greens. Stefan Wiesner, meanwhile, uses the kitchen of his Swiss restaurant Rössli to experiment with avant-garde ideas involving apple cores and carrot tops. Then there’s Heinz Reitbauer, master

chef at Vienna’s Steirereck, who cooks with artichoke stalks and walnut leaves. Michelin-starred chef Fabian Spiquel, meanwhile, at Zurich’s Maison Manesse, even uses vegetable skins with bits of soil still clinging to them, peeling unwashed potatoes and roasting the cut-off before cooking it with the potatoes themselves; the result is, as he says in Leaf to Root, “a consommé which has the purest, earthiest potato flavour imaginable.” MA K I N G C H E FS I N TO FA R ME R S Johann Reisinger, one of Austria’s most decorated chefs, is known for his radically natural methods of cooking, and quoted in Lead to Root, his advice to young chefs and ambitious amateurs who want to find out more about the concept is simple: “They should start by becoming farmers so that they can really gain an understanding of where the vegetables come from, how they grow.” Anyone who wants to use every part of a plant should, he says to Esther Kern in the book, only buy vegetables from farmers who they know personally and can trust. “After all, you’ve got to make sure that they haven’t sprayed the crop with pesticides: toxins often concentrate in the outer leaves and roots of plants,” he explains, adding that “for me, food is always a reflection of the person producing it.” Reisinger, a member of the Noah’s Arc Commission to preserve and reproduce dying species of plant, sums it up pithily: “Leaf-to-root eating beings on the field, not in the kitchen.” STA R T I N G C A R E FUL LY Anyone looking to start eating leaf to root shouldn’t let their enthusiasm get the better of them. If your diet to date has not been particularly high in fibre, then it’s best to up the amount of roughage slowly to avoid an upset stomach and issues further down the digestive tract. Apart from that, you will also need knowledge and experience of preparing vegetables and a good cookery book. As a general rule, all of the products you use should be organic and free of residual pesticides. A final tip is to start young – with young vegetables, that is, whose fibres are softer and more easily digestible. WARNING Not all plants are suitable for leaf-to-root eating: tomato leaves, for instance, and green spots on potatoes contain high concentrations of solanine, for example, a glycoalkaloid with a toxic effect found in all plants of the nightshade family. - TI 41

HOME-MADE

H A NDCR A F T ED

H UMUS

“ M A K I N G YO U R O W N S O I L” M AY S O U N D C R A Z Y – A N D , GI V E N T H AT T H ER E IS PL E N T Y OF IT EV ERY W H ER E , SOM EW H AT P OI N T L E S S . BU T T H AT WOU L D BE W RONG , BE C AUSE YOU C A N N E V E R H AV E T O O M U C H H U M U S . W H A T I S M O R E , M A K I N G SOI L M A K E S YOU FE E L G OOD, TOO.

T E X T

_ _ _

P H ILIPP

M A Y B E I T ’ S B E C A U S E my coffee comes from

the Andes, was grown organically and traded fairly? I would certainly like to think so. After all, there must be a reason the filters filled with used coffee grounds react so well after I add the Japanese microorganisms to my compost. Well, a lot better than the leftover bits of tomato and lettuce, banana and avocado skins, and stale bread in any case; eggshells take some time to decay, too, but are 90% calcium and, as such, indispensable for good soil. Yes, that is what I am doing here: making my own soil.

KOH LH ÖFER

And what soil it will be! Better than the black earth of the Ukraine, even if my farm is somewhat smaller than the gigantic chernozem collectives once found in that particular European breadbasket. Nevertheless, the result is bound to be rich in silts and yet easy to dig, not to mention strongly water-absorbent, easy to warm up, and – in view of my egg consumption – highly calciferous. My field has a surface area of around three square metres, is raised on a wooden palett, and was delineated by a low frame I built around it myself; it is on my balcony. If you’re having

P H OTO G R A P H Y: K A I W EI SE; S T Y L I N G: K ER S T I N R I CH T ER

trouble imagining that, I should mention that my balcony is big; so big that I can put a barbecue, my sofa, and a TV on it when friends come round to watch the World Cup. In the intervening years, however, I use the expansive terrace steppe to produce soil. My compost heap is composed primarily of my own food waste; I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, so there’s no shortage of it. Once I’ve chopped and mashed it, I spray it with microorganisms so that it starts to ferment. Essentially, it’s the same principle behind making sauerkraut or kimchi. This fermentation phase takes between four and six weeks and happens in the airtight plastic container I ordered from Japan with the microorganisms: it’s called a Bokashi bin. Researching it before buying, I found out that the Japanese came across the effects of fermentation by chance: in 1982, a professor was trying to increase soil fertility on a group of islands between Japan and Taiwan and noticed that grass grew better if he added a specific mixture of lactic acid, yeast and photosynthetic bacteria to the compost heap. Now, I don’t know any Japanese people personally, but I just love the idea that millions of them living in their megacities like Tokyo and designing their games consoles and robots for a living actually just want to move to the country; in my mind’s eye, I see them exchanging advice on how to decompose rice on their tea breaks. At the bottom of the bucket, there’s a sieve floor so that the liquid formed during the fermentation can run off, and this liquid has a horrible sour smell. Apart from that, however, the whole process is odour-neutral, and the run-off also doubles up as a handy drain cleaner that can eat its way through blocked pipes, so I’m happy to put up with the pong. While the leftovers are fermenting away in the bucket, I sow grasses on my palett fields. It’s really rather easy: all I do is buy flower seeds and some bird feed, cover the soil in it, and wait. While some of the seeds and grains get eaten, even the hungriest of avian visitors can’t manage them all, and so the result is a grassy meadow of flowers; I don’t water it all too often so that the roots get longer, making the plants more resistant to dry periods and better able to absorb nutrients and minerals. Once the food waste has thoroughly fermented, the result is a grey mass. After a few weeks, I dig the meadow over, mix in the compost – and leave nature to do the rest. My balcony has a pretty continental microclimate, and the air in Hamburg is generally humid: put scientifically, in nine months out of twelve, the amount of precipitation is higher than the amount of water which evaporates. I’ve also bought a few earthworms from a supplier in Brandenburg: you can make soil without worms, of course, but these Prussian crawlers speed up the decomposition of compost into genuine humus by quite some margin – and I like there to be life in the fields. Worms attract pretty much all other forms of insect life, with the added benefit that they don’t come into the flat; I haven’t had so much as a bumble bee in here for years. So making humus takes months, not weeks; it takes

NUTRITIOUS LIMESTONE Eggshells in the compost chain work most efficiently when they are g r o u n d i n t o p o w d e r.

me a whole summer to get real black earth on my balcony, and overdosing on the Japanese microorganisms doesn’t speed up the process at all (I found this out when I poured the entire contents of the first bottle over the compost because I got impatient. . .). The downside to using worms is that, in cold winters, you have to put a cover over the heap so that they don’t freeze to death as my balcony field is not particularly deep and so offers little shelter. It’s also worth noting that keeping worms is not like having a dog: you can’t dine out on the stories, and more generally, I’ve never come across anyone at a party who thought I was more attractive or more interesting because I make soil on my balcony. In fact, most people who find out think that I must be nuts. I’m never offended, mind, because it is odd, I see that; I actually only go to all the effort because a) “waste not, want not” was a key part of my upbringing and b) I’m lazy. Yes, too lazy to carry my (horrible smelling) food waste container down to the bins in the courtyard. Besides, making humus on my balcony makes me feel good. The general idea abroad is that there’s no shortage of soil, but the opposite is true: in actual fact, good soil is as endangered as rhinoceroses and tigers. And this isn’t just a modern problem, either, as some historians suggest that the Roman Empire collapsed because its soil was depleted. In our age of industrial agriculture and gigantic monocultures, however, we’re losing fertile soil at a faster rate than ever before. The amount of soil lost by erosion since 1945 is equivalent to the area of China and India put together, while natural conditions can only replace around one centimetre of earth – every century. So I would be well within my rights to claim that I am, by making soil, doing my bit for the survival of humanity. After all, you can’t really grow food without earth. And perhaps this should be my next party piece (I don’t have to mention the worms until later). Or I could turn it into a trendy start-up: top-quality, allorganic “Crafted Humus”, produced without digging up peat or draining wetlands, sold in nice little jars finished with a colourful ribbon. Yes, I can see it now: just the thing for urban hipsters. All I need to do is find a nice little farmers’ market in a thoroughly gentrified part of town… - TI 43

EVERYTHING THE EARTH YIELDS

V E GE TA BL E S, BE R R I E S, M USH RO OMS, H E R B S â&#x20AC;&#x201C; E V E RY T H I N G T H E E A R T H Y I E L D S IS PURE INDULGENCE EVEN WHEN E A T E N R AW. B U T T H E S E F O U R P R E P A R A T I O N METHODS TURN INGREDIENTS I N TO DI V I N E DISH ES.

T E X T _ _ _ IN G A PAUL S EN P H OTO G R A P H Y _ _ _ REINH ARD H UN GER ST Y L IN G _ _ _ CH RISTOPH H IM M EL

COOK ING IN A OF S A ND

B ED

A B E AC H B A R B EC U E AT H O M E : YO U C A N C O O K T E N D E R M E AT A N D F I S H F I L L E T S I N J U S T A F E W M I N U T E S W I T H H O T B E AC H S A N D.

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I N T H E S H I M M E R I N G A I R O F T H E S U M M E R H E A T , holidaymakers often need flip-flops to walk across the burning sand to the cool water. The fine grains of quartz and other minerals absorb the solar radiation, storing the heat for hours. Even when the sun has set, the mineral returns the warmth to the surrounding area. This characteristic can be harnessed for preparing food. Protected by thin parchment, tender meat or fish can be cooked on hot sand within a few minutes. This works not only on summer holidays on the Med, but also if you heat the beach sand for several minutes at a high temperature in a frying pan. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe it? Then simply try it out. HOW ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DONE:

Fill a large, cast-iron pan (non-stick pans scratch easily) up to a centimetre below the edge with beach sand (or, alternatively, sandpit sand from the DIY store). Heat the pan on the highest heat. Occasional stirring ensures evenly distributed heat. While waiting, cut tender meat or fish fillets into thin slices (approx. 0.5 to 1 centimetres). Take four A4-sized sheets of parchment and oil them with olive or rape-seed oil.

Place three to four meat or fish slices in the middle of each parchment sheet and flavour with sea salt, herbs and spices. Then fold up the parchment to make a tightly closed, flat parcel (no sand should be allowed to touch the food). The parcels are then laid on one half of the hot sand, and covered with the rest. After around 7 minutes, the food is ready and can be dug out of the sand bed for serving.

The meat must be thinly sliced so that it is cooked through in just a few minutes. A parcel made of oiled parchment protects the food against unpleasant grains of sand.

EVERYTHING THE EARTH YIELDS

TECHNIQUES

EVERYTHING THE EARTH YIELDS

TECHNIQUES

COOLING W IT H STONE STONE COLD: SUMP TUOUS D E S S E R T S C A N B E P R E PA R E D A N D S E R V E D O N I C E- C O L D S T O N E S L A B S .

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I N T H E F O R M O F B A K I N G O R C O O K I N G S T O N E S , they are well known – granite, basalt and marble are excellent energy absorbers. They store high temperatures and quickly transfer it to the food. Not quite as well known is the fact that these types of stone are great for storing the cold, and were even served as archaic cool boxes centuries ago. Today, this effect is harnessed, for example, to cool drinks. There’s no need to dilute a good Scotch whisky with ice cubes if you drink it “on the rocks” instead – with granite cooling stones. In the restaurant trade, the natural material’s frosty qualities are primarily used for dramatic effect when serving desserts. A pre-frozen granite slab is great for preparing and serving ice-cream creations. HOW IT’S DONE:

Put the clean slab in the freezer compartment for several days. Prepare the ice-cream mixture using milk, cream, egg yolk and sugar. Refine the basic recipe with aromatic ingredients such as vanilla pulp, berries, nuts or vegetables (e.g. beetroot ice cream with caramelised carrots, see booklet). Cool the ice mixture in the fridge. Stirring regularly keeps the mixture smooth until serving.

Prepare the side dishes for the ice. Take the granite slab out of the freezer and thinly coat the smooth surface of the granite slab with the mixture. As soon as the mixture thickens due to the low temperature, take a spatula that has been washed in cold water or a flat spoon and scrape off wafer-thin ice-cream shavings into small piles. Arrange the ice cream and sides on pre-cooled plates, and serve immediately.

Pureed beetroot gives the basic ice-cream mixture its raspberry-red colour. To ensure a firm consistency, egg yolk is beaten until frothy and stirred into the mixture with sugar. A delicious side: caramelised carrots.

DR Y ING IN OV EN

T HE

MUSHROOMS, HERBS AND MANY T YPES OF FRUIT AND V EG E TA B L E S A R E I D E A L F O R D R Y I N G . T H E R E S U LT S S P E A K F O R T H E M S E LV E S : B O T H I N TA S T E A N D S H E L F L I F E .

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IN THE HIGH SEASON, MUSHROOMS SHOOT OUT OF THE GROUND I N G R E A T A B U N D A N C E . Unfortunately, their sensitive caps do not keep for long.

A good way of making the harvest last longer is drying them in the oven. This draws the water out of them and increases their shelf life for several weeks. Porcini, slippery jacks, sheathed woodtuft, bay boletes, birch boletes, horse mushrooms or black chanterelles are ideal for drying. Good news for North-Europeans: unlike outdoor drying, with this method you are not reliant on weather conditions. Stored in a jar, the harvest can be used for several months. HOW IT’S DONE:

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The mushrooms have to be clean before they are dried. Ideally, grit and leaves should be removed where they are picked, before transporting them in a well-aired bag or basket. At home, you should clean the caps with kitchen paper. Larger specimens can be cut into thin slices; smaller ones can be halved. Finally, the cut mushrooms are spread evenly across a grill rack lined with baking paper.

The oven is preheated to 50‒60 °C CircoTherm® hot air. During roasting, open the oven door regularly to allow moisture to escape. After around 6 hours, the mushrooms are ready. Dried food is best stored in tightly closed jars in a dark, dry place. A tip to ward off parasites: drop a pinch of pepper into the jar and shake well.

Dried porcini mushrooms need to be soaked in water before use so that they swell up. They are delicious with omelettes (see recipe booklet), pasta, or in soups.

EVERYTHING THE EARTH YIELDS

TECHNIQUES

EVERYTHING THE EARTH YIELDS

TECHNIQUES

B R A I SED CL AY

I N A C L AY S H E L L , M E AT, F I S H A N D E V E N V EG E TA B L E S C O O K G E N T LY I N T H E I R O W N J U I C E S . F O R I N T E N S E F L AV O U R A N D H I G H V I TA M I N C O N T E N T.

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C E N T U R I E S A G O , people used malleable materials like clay to seal food before putting it on hot coals. This is how traditional cooking utensils such as the tajine were developed. The advantages: inside clay, meat, vegetables, potatoes and fish are gently braised in the oven. In this closed system, spices, ingredients and water combine to form a flavoursome stock that aromatises the food. No fat is necessary for this cooking method (see the recipe for chicken in clay). If you use potter’s clay, you can even keep the cooked food warm for several hours, or transport it. A further boon of the technique: after eating, the material can be disposed of in the compost. Very eco-friendly! HOW IT’S DONE:

Buy fresh clay in a pottery or art-supplies shop. For a medium chicken with side dishes (see recipe booklet) you will need at least three kilos. Once you have prepared the ingredients, knead the dough thoroughly. For the chicken, you will need roughly half of the clay, which needs to be rolled out into two thin sheets. To do this, place the clay in between sheets of cling film so it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin. Place the chicken in the middle of one clay sheet and cover it with the other.

Then seal the edges by pinching them with your fingers. Side dishes also need to be sealed in clay. Preheat the oven to 130 °C CircoTherm®, then put the chicken in the oven, roasting it for around 30 minutes. During roasting, open the oven door regularly to allow moisture to escape. After 30 minutes, turn the heat up to 220 °C CircoTherm® and roast the chicken for another hour. Then leave the chicken in the oven with the door open for 15 minutes to allow it to cool. Serve the chicken, breaking the clay with a hammer.

Ideal for wrapping up: Jerusalem artichoke and other root vegetables come out particularly well. If you would rather not shape the material with your fingers, you can roll it with a glass bottle instead.

IN DEEPEST SOUTH-CENTRAL L O S A N G E L E S , A T- S H I R T D E S I G N E R S TA R T S U S I N G T H E PA R K I N G LOT IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE. . . T O GROW V E GETA BL E S A N D S AV E H I S N E I G H B O U R H O O D – P E R H A P S E V E N T H E C I T Y. BE CAU S E R E A L GA N G S TA S TA K E CA R E OF TOM ATOE S.

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P H ILIPP

KÖH LH ÖFER

P H OTO G R A P H Y: EL I Z A B E T H W EI N B ER G / T R U N K A R CH I V E

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O N T U E S D A Y , Ron Finley got back from Sweden,

where he was invited to speak about how cabbage could just be salvation. On Thursday, he needed to build a stall he can use to sell peaches on Saturday, and so that means he needed to get on friendly terms with his neighbour on Wednesday so that she’d lend him the equipment he needs. It’s a busy life, and so on Friday, he snaps: “Yo man, fuck off!” he yells at a skateboarder with dreadlocks who stops by outside his house to tell him that there is no point to what he is doing. So what is Ron Finley doing? Growing fruit and vegetables – urban gardening in that urban jungle par excellence, South-Central Los Angeles. Although, in a rebranding effort to escape associations with Bloods, Crips and Maras, the area has officially been called “South LA” for quite some time, South Central is once again suffering from an increase in gang violence. If asked, Ron is happy to tell people about what he’s doing, but he doesn’t go around “preaching”, as he puts it: “People need to work it out themselves.” Work out what? That fruit and vegetables are healthy, for a start. The parkway in front of Ron’s house is actually municipal property, but it’s now covered in banana and fig trees; lemons and tomatoes, chard and various flowers grow there, too. He’s built two compost heaps and a bench made of tree trunks, backed by a crescent made of woven branches and covered in climbing herbs. While the sun beats down mercilessly on adjacent lots, singeing dead grass and baking the concrete roads, Ron Finley’s garden offers welcome shade and balmy air buzzing with insect life. The temperature is tangibly a few degrees lower than on neighbouring lots. “I’m not growing vegetables,” says Ron as he picks a peach, “it just looks like that. What I’m actually growing is hope.” Looking at his watch, he realises that it’s time to start sanding down that chair; Patric and John, local volunteers, should be stopping by any moment now. The two help him run the project he, with no false modesty, has named after himself: the Ron Finley Project, RFP for short. His eponymous non-profit organisation has no lesser mission than to save the world by growing vegetables. Ron’s motto is as simple as it is cryptic: “You wanna change something, you gotta change the soil.” Sure, there are parallels between gardens and societies, but when asked if what he’s saying is that South LA’s social problems at ground level can only be cured if, quite literally, the ground of

the region’s neighbourhoods is worked, Ron declines to explain any further: “I want everyone to understand it their own way,” he says. What is obvious is that he sees a connection: he calls himself a “Gangster Gardener” and his T-shirt is emblazoned with the slogan ‘Plant some shit’. “Because you know what?” asks Ron rhetorically: “Being a gangster doesn’t mean running around robbing corner stores, dealing drugs, or killing. Real G’s ask questions.” Ron’s certainly got one: “Does our society really have to be this way?” When people comment on his enquiring mind, however, he just laughs: “What? So because I’m growing fruit I gotta be a critical thinker now?” He laughs even louder – it’s almost as if he himself can’t believe how absurd it is. “But look, we gotta flip the script of what a gangster is. I mean, just because you wanna eat a fresh apple in a poorer part of the city – does that make you a freak?” And as soon as Finley saw what was wrong, he had to start work: “I’m a doer.” A car pulls up. A woman called Ashleigh jumps out and starts yelling at Ron – to work faster. Less talking and more stand-building is what she wants, because, as she reminds him forcefully, it’s almost the weekend. Ashleigh takes care of press enquiries for Ron and organises his appearances at stands where he shows children what a tomato actually looks like – or, if he really wants to get a reaction, a tomato plant. Ashleigh’s got a three-inch scar across her neck. “Oh that? Jail,” she says breezily when asked about it, “but I survived. That’s what happens when only the State is allowed to sell drugs,” she adds briskly before changing the subject: “Aren’t the melons round the back beautiful?” And off she goes, into the house. Nevertheless, Ron is serious, because, as far as he is concerned, just changing the name from South Central to South LA is not going to change the way the ghetto works. “Only the people here can really change the structure. Only us,” he repeats, stretching out his arms. The sun is behind him, and with his outstretched arms, he starts to look like a preacher: “We are the soil.” In gardening, he continues, the quality of the soil is what makes the difference to the plants growing out of it. What is more, growing vegetables is essentially like having a licence to print money. “And gardening is the most therapeutic thing you can imagine,” he concludes, “because it gives young people a feeling of self-worth. All they are looking for is something to do – and then they get free strawberries, too.”

„ PL A N T SOM E SH I T.“

P H O TO G R A P H Y: E M I LY B E R L / R E D U X / L A I F; E M I LY B E R L / N Y T/ R E D U X / L A I F

S AV I N G

T H E

W O R L D

W I T H

V EG E TA B L E S

It a l l s t a r t e d w it h t he p a rk w ay i n f ront of h i s hou s e : to d ay, Ron Fi n le y h a s t u r ne d t h i s strip of neglected land between the road and the sidewalk into a blooming oasis in the urban desert. He helps his neighbours to create gardens and shows t hem t hat t hey donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to worry about neat beds: the more important thing is to get healthy produce out of the land.

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While the sun beats down mercilessly on South LA, Ron Finley has created a subtropical microclimate in his garden. His plants offer shade and infuse the air with moisture –and they really will g row a ny w here , l i k e i n t h i s for mer s hoppi ng t rol le y.

Ron’s plan is to make growing vegetables legitimately gangsta, to make it cool; then, in the longer term, it won’t be just the social structure of the neighbourhood that changes, but a whole lot more. “What I’m talking about is giving people work, getting the kids off the street.” Finley is convinced that the microeconomic circumstances of his area would change profoundly if people just ate more healthily; there would be different types of stores, for a start. A walk around Ron’s neighbourhood, Crenshaw, is enough to show just how dominant fast-food restaurants are; there are around 1,000 in the whole of South LA. And then there are the liquor stores. “There is absolutely nothing sustainable about it,” says Ron. The other form of local business that is doing well is shops selling second-hand wheelchairs and crutches: there is a high demand for mobility aids from customers who are not particularly old, but just very, very heavy. South LA has the highest concentration of dialysis centres in the whole city and five times as many overweight residents as Beverly Hills, barely 10 miles to the north. You can hear the newly built metro running along its tracks nearby; there’s a stop, but not many people use it. The train goes all the way to Santa Monica where you’ll find an organic shop on every corner. If you live near Ron Finley, though, it’s a 45-minute car drive to the nearest supermarket that even stocks apples. “Around here, there are more deaths from drive-thrus

than drive-bys,” says Ron, more people killed by diabetes and obesity than in shoot-outs because there is a fast-food shop on almost every corner. Concrete jungle? “This place is a food desert. It was self-defence. I had no choice but to do what I’ve done.” He started by planting up the vacant parking lot in 2010. Although it is officially city property, residents are responsible for its upkeep – and there are no regulations stipulating whether that means just mowing grass or planting a bush. So Ron started thinking about what he would most like to eat and what his neighbours might like. Right from the beginning, Ron knew he eventually wanted to plant up everything and that he would end up with far too much for himself, which meant that he would need to get the neighbours involved. After all, it wasn’t his land, so, he asked himself, why should he keep the lot? “Everything we do is free,” he says. With a handful of helpers, he set about planting carrots and was happy with the result. Not only is the food healthy, but it looked good. Ron is a designer by profession, after all: “Gardening is my graffiti.” For him, growing vegetables is not just about healthy food, but is his form of art. What is more, it changed the microclimate in front of his house. At first, no-one noticed. Then, around nine months later, he got a letter from the City of Los Angeles saying that he had not carried out upkeep of the parking lot as specified and that he would need to remove the garden immediately;

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Ron Finley has made guerrilla gardening into his life. Bananas, figs, lemons, tomatoes all grow there, as does a range of other fruits and vegetables, planted up in old couches and milk cartons in a disused swimming pool.

His message is clear:

P H OTO G R A P H Y: S T EP H EN Z EI G L ER(L); SH AW N A CO R O N A D O (R)

anyone who is willing to roll up their sleeves can achieve something powerful.

if he didn’t, the letter continued, he could be jailed for contempt of court. “I thought they were joking!” recounts Finley, who went on to react to the letter, but not quite in the way the City had been expecting: he rang up the LA Times, started a petition, and went to his local elected officials; then he and his friends held protests in front of City Hall and successfully got their story out. Here was a man working land that the city did not care one jot about, offering fresh fruit to his whole block, but who was being asked to remove it all on a point of bureaucratic principle. The result was that the law was changed. And while Ron Finley’s name is not mentioned anywhere in the text, everyone knew who its object was when the city adopted the new regulation in summer 2012 which specifically allows the parkways to be used for growing crops. Ron Finley vs. The City – Finley wins. A few weeks later, he was invited to speak at the Long Beach TED conference, and the video of his talk has since been watched over three million times. In early summer 2014, he even had visitors from Harvard when a group of students came to see what he’d created. “How crazy is that? Some black guy in South Central starts growing fruit and vegetables and before you know it, a busload of excited white kids comes down from Harvard to have a look!” He still can’t really believe it, shaking his head again and again: “It was like a day out at the zoo.” Not that he doesn’t understand

what was behind the excitement: “Strawberries,” he says, “are the product of social justice. What’s growing here is nothing less than a political movement.” Indeed, since he started, dozens of neighbours and other volunteers have helped to make the garden what it is. Ron himself has lost count of them; he’s short on time nowadays as he travels the world to talk about guerrilla gardening as a social phenomenon – and one that really is growing. In total, he now has over 100 volunteers and their number just keeps on growing from year to year: they grow tomatoes, distribute them for free in the neighbourhood, and explain to people how cabbage can liberate them. They also offer workshops about how best to prepare the vegetables they provide. In Ron’s view, people derive so much satisfaction from working the land because, in the end, we will all return to the earth: dust to dust. “We’re all a part of it,” he says, running his hand through the soil of the parkway. It’s loose, fluffy almost: “If this is where we end up, what’s so wrong with that?” But before that happens, he has got plenty to do, he says, casting an eye down the block; thus far, his parkway is the only one that has been planted up. The City of Los Angeles alone owns around 30 square miles of land, some of it in tiny strips and plots: that’s an area around fifteen times the size of New York’s Central Park. Finley nods knowingly: “That’s enough space for 725 million tomato plants.”- TI 59

BREWED UP

LESS IS MORE T H E R E A R E F E W P H I L O S O P H I E S W H I C H E M B O D Y T H I S S AY I N G M O R E T H A N T H E C O N C E P T O F “ N A T U R A L F A R M I N G ”, DEVELOPED MORE THAN FOUR DECADES AGO BY MASANOBU FUKUOKA. T O D A Y, T H E J A P A N E S E T H I N K E R ’ S T H E O R I E S A R E M O R E R E L E VA N T – AND MORE POPUL AR THAN EVER BEFORE.

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L E S LEY S EVRIENS _ _ _ ANJ E J AGER

H I S B U S H Y W H I T E B E A R D , black horn-rimmed glasses, white linen tunic and a multitude of laughter lines, Masanobu Fukuoaka looked a little like a textbook wizard. And, in the interest of accuracy, the Japanese farmer and microbiologist who wrote The One Straw Revolution was actually something of a magician, creating a concept of “Natural Farming” that fascinated scientists and agricultural experts worldwide during his (almost 100-year-long) life and has continued to draw attention since his death in 2008. WITH

Nature is capable of conserving itself His theory is astonishing in its almost banal simplicity: “Nature is capable of conserving itself.” Fukuoka argues that, as a closed system, it does not require human activity of any kind. What follows from this is that,

by leaving nature to its own devices and maintaining ecological balance, farming would actually require less work and less investment; and while our systems are based on the assumption that more productivity is equal to higher yields, an assumption which has long since turned farms into high-performing commercial enterprises, Fukuoka’s natural farming philosophy totally inverts free market economics. Fukuoka used nature as his blueprint and harnessed its power By adapting laws of nature – e.g. specifically combining two utterly different species of plant – Fukuoka managed to double up crop sequencing in one place without needing to plough the earth. In other words, he did precisely the opposite of what has become 61

BREWED UP

HEALING THE EARTH A N D H E A L I NG S OU L S IS PA RT OF T H E SA M E PRO C E S S

the norm since the agricultural revolution, replacing monoculture with biodiversity and eschewing chemical fertilisers in favour of natural manures made of protein-rich animal bones, eggshells, fish guts, windfall fruits, apple vinegar, organic house waste and excrement (both animal and human). With fertilisers, plants lose the ability to grow by themselves According to Fukuoka, fertilising land is actually counterproductive for the nutrient cycles of plants: seeds which germinate in a natural environment can profit from a rich offering of nutrients in the soil, but as soon as they need human help to grow, they lose the ability to survive on their own and become more susceptible to infection; as they grow more and more used to artificial fertilisers, they actually start to prefer them to natural sources of protein. In Fukuoka’s analysis, plants are just like people inasmuch as they need just the right feed at just the right stage in their development; if they don’t get it, they fall victim to pests and stop developing in a strong and healthy way. In his system, there is no need for the pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides required in conventional agriculture either, because microorganisms such as photosynthesising bacteria, yeast fungi and lactic bacteria will do the work instead. Weeds, too, can be tackled with a simple trick: by letting white clover 62

grow all over his plot, other species were crowded out and the soil was enriched with nitrogen in the process. His way of practising agriculture was all about this kind of multifunctional approach, aiming to prevent soil erosion, flooding and sinking groundwater all at once while combating the declining proportion of oxygen in the air, too. “The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” Fukuoka saw agriculture as more than just a way of producing food, but as an aesthetic, even spiritual way of being. For him, farming was a holistic approach to life, and his goal, the “cultivation and perfection of human beings“, would benefit nature, too. Another tenet of his thinking was that natural farming would help growers to emancipate themselves from the agribusiness conglomerates; replacing a hightech approach which required ever more expensive machinery and substitutes, leading to continuous increases in the consumption of resources, natural farming observes and obeys the laws of nature, using the plentiful gifts and useful tools which are already on offer – for free: sun, air, water, soil, warmth, microorganisms and enzymes. Each form of life is part of a highly complex cycle of nutrients in which refuse is recycled and transformed into new resources: na-

ture is, in other words, a set of sophisticated systems which no human would ever be able to dream up. Today, almost 40 years after The One Straw Revolution was published, natural farming is not just practised in Japan, but worldwide in places such as Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia and the Philippines; the principles are applicable in every part of the world. Greenpeace’s sustainable agriculture expert Christiane Huxdorff calls Fukuoka “one of the five people who have had the greatest effect on organic farming.” His idea that nature is well capable of conserving itself is something she singles out as being of particular importance: “His philosophy reduces human interference to an absolute minimum, which stands in contrast to conventional agriculture: even the green leaves of potato plants are sprayed before harvesting to make things easier.” In Huxdorff’s view, farming should be organised holistically, “and that includes halving the production and consumption of meat by 50% by 2050 and stopping the use of chemical and synthetic pesticides. Moreover, food waste will have to be cut drastically.” In principle, all humans really need to do is to sow and reap, so it’s not surprising that, aside from “Natural farming” “the Fukuoka method” also became known as ‘do-nothing farming’. And that is indeed the point: doing nothing (superfluous) will lead to a fine harvest.- TI

REALITY CHECK CR I T IC S SAY T H A T F U K U O K A’ S METHODS ARE TOO DI F F IC U LT T O A PPLY, A N D TH AT TH E SOIL NEEDS YEARS UNTIL IT HAS GOT USED TO THE CHANGE. N AT U R A L FA R M I N G I S S I M P LY N O T M A DE F O R L A RG E - S C A L E AG R IC U LT U R E W h i le h is opponent s cha rac ter ised h is met hod s a s el it ist a nd u n rea l ist ic , Fu k uok a wa s si mply conv i nced t hat t here is no choice i n t he mat ter. For h i m, it is not about t he ha r vest , but about how hu ma ns c a n develop towa rd s a conscious a nd i ndependent way of l i fe. 63

Whether you want to grill, bake, smoke, or steam food outside, the BergHOFF ceramic barbecue is your all-rounder for all forms of outdoor cooking. And not only is it full of clever design features such as fold-out bamboo tables, it also looks the part and comes in anthracite, orange, or green. Fr o m € 1 , 2 6 9 , w w w. b e r g h o f f w o r l dw i d e . c o m

MEALS ON WHEELS

PRODUCTS

C r u s t y o u t s i d e , a i r y - l i g h t i n s i d e – t h a t ’s t h e way a truly French baguette should be. If you’re looking to replicate the bread you get on h o l i d a y, t h e n u s e E m i l e H e n r y ’s b a k i n g f o r m . M a d e of extremely heat-resistant Flame® ceramic material, it also features steam escapes in the lid. € 9 1 . 5 0 , w w w. k o c hf o r m . d e

GOOD RISINGS WE BRING

F R O M C E R A M I C M AT E R I A L S T O D E L I C AT E S E A S O N I N G S ,

L O T S O F T H I N G S O R I G I N AT E I N M O T H E R E A R T H . T H E S E K I T C H E N G A D G E T S A N D P R O D U C T S W I L L H E L P YO U M A K E T H E B E S T U S E O F T H E H A R V E S T.

B E AU - T E A- F U L TOW E L

This pure-cotton designer tea t o w e l b y L e x i n g t o n & C o . f e a t u r e s p a r s l e y, thyme, and seven other herbs. Tw o - p a c k a p p r o x . € 3 8 , w w w. w e s t w i ng n o w. d e

BEAUTIFIED

A MIGHTY FINE PINCH Luisenhaller Pfannensalz is the product o f E u r o p e ’s o n l y w o r k i n g p a n saltworks; these natural rock salt crystals add a fine savoury note to whatever dish y o u a r e c o o k i n g . € 5 . 9 5 , w w w. n e f f . d e

SHEHEZERADE IS IN THE KITCHEN

L I V E LY M U N I T I O N S

In North Africa, one-pot cuisine has a venerable tradition, and now Le Creuset has developed a modern v e r s i o n o f t h e r e g i o n ’s classic tagine. The cast iron receptacle distributes and stores heat perfectly while the earth enware lid stays cool enough to bepicked up w i t h o u t g l o v e s . To m a k e t h i n g s e a s i e r, t h e r e a r e o n l y t w o s i z e s ( n o t 1 0 0 1 ) . From €189, w w w. l e c r e u s e t . c o m

Seed balls are a game changer for anyone fighting a lack of gardening knowledge. All you need to do is bombard the garden with these h a n d - f o r m e d b a l l s o f c l a y, s o i l , a n d s e e d s , targeting them at spots where you want herbs, edible, flowers, or vegetables to grow and leaving the rain and the sun to do the rest for you. The seeds germinate, protected from gusts of wind, in the ball. Approx. €3. w w w. mi s s - g r e e nb a l l . d e

LOOPY LEGUMES Low-carb acolytes use vegetable noodles as a replacement for g e n u i n e p a s t a , b u t t h a t d o e s n’ t m e a n t h a t even fans of starchy spaghetti c a n’ t e n j o y t h e m f o r t h e i r o w n c h a r m s . A n d t h a t ’s w h e r e t h e G e f u Spirelli XL comes in, making light work of turning beetroots, courgettes, carrots and co into spaghetti or tagliatell e . € 3 4 . 9 5 , w w w. G E F U. c o m

FINAL QUESTION

“IS ONE ENOUGH? ” A L O V E L E T T E R T O L I N DA .

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DEAR LINDA,

CONCEPT AND EDITORIA L : Philipp und Keuntje GmbH Bei St. Annen 2 20457 Hamburg Tel. +49 40 28 00 70-0 www.philippundkeuntje.de MAN AG ING DIRECTO RS: Dominik Philipp, Hartwig Keuntje, Torben Hansen, Wolfgang Block Amtsgericht Hamburg, HRB 69344 VAT DE 812628667 ED ITOR-IN-CHIEF: Oliver Zacharias-Tölle D EPUT Y EDITOR-IN-CHI E F: Vito Avantario, Franziska Wischmann AR T DIRECTOR: Christine Köhler MAN AG ING EDITO RS: Dominik Fahrholz, Kai Weise ED ITORIAL S TAFF: Michele Avantario, Philipp Kohlhöfer, Inga Paulsen, Alexander Penzel, Lesley Sevriens, Franziska Wischmann, Helmut Ziegler VISUAL EDITO R: Kerstin Richter AR T WORK: Ela Strickert, Christine Köhler, Anje Jager FOOD S T YLING: Christoph Himmel POS T-PRO DUCTION: FOAG & Lemkau GmbH Joseph-Wild-Straße 13 81829 Munich PROOFREADING: Kathryn Tolson

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I’m worried about you. Now, I know that a love letter is supposed to start in a more romantic way: “Whenever I think of your eyes, they’re like crystals, pure and clean like your soul. Whenever I touch your skin, it’s like a satin drape, dark and like-felt and secretive, like you. . .” You know, that kind of thing. But let’s forget all of that rubbish. Firstly, because we’ve known each other far too long now. Secondly, because if you have eyes, that’s a bad sign, and your skin is usually covered in dirt. And thirdly: I really am worried about you. I know you’re going to ask why. Well, it’s Brexit. Now, I know you’re a tough old tuber. Yes, yes, I know that you’ve been around since 1974 and that, since you were bred, you’ve managed to stay out in the fields: no drought, no deluge has been enough to drive you back in – and then there are those potato beetles that can eat row after row of you away. You’ve seen them all off – and have managed to fend off even more ominous foes, like the German Federal Seed Authority, Bundessortenamt, and its strict legal framework: there were times when they confiscated you and when you appeared in the High Court of Appeal. I know, at first Germany didn’t seem very welcoming and you don’t like to think back to those dark days. But it was your finest hour. And when some seed producer came along in 2004 and wanted to take you back off the market because, after 30 years, the rights to you as a breed had expired – although, with more than 300 other competing types, you had managed to secure 1.4% of the market and consumers loved

you – when that happened, Germans came out fighting for you: organic farmers, SlowFood types, TV personalities. . . They were fighting for your juicy, yellow flesh and creamy taste with hints of butter and sugar, an intense yet delicate experience. They were fighting for your versatility, the way you can work well in a soup or dusted with chopped parsley, the way you can make fluffy mash or fantastic hash browns. The only thing you were never any good at, of course, was potato dumplings, because you were waxy; you had to be stored for eons before you became floury – and, most of the time, someone had eaten you up by then.We fought for you because you weren’t watery or bland, you weren’t standard supermarket fayre and not an industrial crop. You were an expression of tradition and variety – and delivered more vitamin C than an apple. One was enough: you were our potato. So they made you Potato of the Year 2007. And – abracadabra – you were authorised to return to the market. Which is why I’m worried. Your new authorisation came from the British Seed Potato Classification Scheme, back in 2009, that meant that farmers across the whole of the European Union could then use your seeds. But now, in 2017, noone knows quite what will happen. And then there was that photo of Prime Minister Theresa May during the general election campaign eating a bag of chips with a face full of thunder. If that doesn’t make you worried. . . Pray tell me, sweet tattie, how long will I be able to keep you? (Away from sunlight in a cool place, of course.) With love, Helmut

ROOM FOR AROMA Free to experiment with the Slide&Hide® door Craving a bite of mouthwatering pollo in creta? Slide&Hide® makes room for your ideas. Take the handle and smoothly glide the door underneath the oven to make way for your cooking moves, without loosing any cavity space. Savour the room to check on your chicken in clay and its mouthwatering aromas. To learn more about our new ovens: neﬀ-home.com

THE EARTH ISSUE ― O C T O B E R 2 0 17 ―