Photo by Mikhail Nilov
Eleanor Gaccetta’s book on home-cooked food recipes features some delicious and unique dishes. Some of which can be made purely out of hyperlocal ingredients. There’s a growing craze around hyperlocal food. Here’s a look into why such a trend is growing.
When it comes to cooking, it’s scientifically proven that fresh and organic ingredients make a tremendous difference in ensuring an excellent outcome. These ingredients, without fail, make food taste better and healthier than other alternatives. People don’t need professional insight to know otherwise.
However, with local produce displayed and mixed regardless of time and date of harvest, it’s challenging to differentiate a fresh from a stale vegetable. Additionally, there’s no guarantee that everything on display is organic unless it’s explicitly stated on labels, and often, these don’t even exist in vegetable stalls and displays. This puts consumers in a tight spot. If fresh and organic ingredients are becoming hard to find, how can one ensure their meals are healthier?
Cue, Hyperlocal Sourcing
Sustainability dramatically contributes to how the produce industry functions and how consumers decide and control their purchases. And with recent environmental changes, there’s a need for the food industry to work on efficiently maintaining this sustainability to survive. Fortunately, companies are now looking for better means to combat these changes, especially regarding the disparity between produce demand and supply.
If someone is closely updated with the latest fads, they’ll know there’s been a massive demand for “hyperlocal sourcing.” From high-class restaurants and cafes to residents and home cooking, more people are embracing this concept, with most taking pride in having their indoor farms and rooftop gardens to grow vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients.
What Exactly Is Hyperlocal Food?
Most produce is manufactured and grown in massive greenhouses riddled with pesticides and other chemicals to ensure a successful harvest. Hardly any ingredients in malls and shops are guaranteed organic, save for a few house-grown by some sellers or communities. As regards restaurants, most of them ensure that their ingredients are grown in their gardens.
Hyperlocal food refers to any food, vegetable, and fruits grown where they’re eaten. This means food grown and harvested in the comfort of people’s houses or within restaurants.
This concept started with individuals wanting to produce for their families without expensive machinery or constantly needing to purchase ingredients. This makes cooking safer and more sustainable yet cheaper for consumers. Without a doubt, the public was bound to catch up with this practice due to its immediate benefits.
But beyond the organic and safer benefit, what else does hyperlocal food bring to the table?
Adding Variety to the Diet
Mass production doesn’t automatically lead to more options. When one browses through the produce section in malls, they’re commonly filled with the same food, only in different quantities. This limits what consumers can make in the comfort of their homes.
However, homeowners can plant whatever distinctive ingredient they desire with indoor farms or rooftop gardens. By ordering seedlings online or buying them from the market, they can culture more varieties of food without having to spend more money or hardly any effort.
Cutting Shopping Costs
Shopping doesn’t only ask people to spend for the products they’re buying per se. This will also cost them money for transportation, whether for their fare or gasoline. Either way, this means more money going out of their pockets.
Additionally, hyperlocal planting helps shops and restaurants – basically, the whole community – cut transport costs. Instead of produce getting transported for miles and hours, which gradually causes them to lose their freshness, they’re grown closely with their consumers. Lots of other costs are cut with this kind of practice.
Supporting Local Economy
Not only are consumers benefiting from choosing hyperlocal sourcing, but they’re also contributing to their local economy. Besides cooking their meals, they can also sell these ingredients, promoting local businesses since this can also be done within the community.
Hence, this is hitting two birds with one stone. Consumers don’t only get to enjoy healthier and more delicious meals. They can also earn from growing their produce.
To Conclude
Through hyperlocal sourcing, consumers are assured they’re eating purely organic food without chemicals. Likewise, beyond the satisfaction and assurance of making their food practically from scratch, they’re also gardening, which benefits their mental and psychological states.
Eleanor Gaccetta’s book on home-cooked food recipes features some delicious and unique dishes. Some of which can be made purely out of hyperlocal ingredients. Like most restaurants, she’s a home cook who grows her ingredients, highlighting what differences personal produce can offer. Try the practice and discover what it can change in your dish and financial capacity.
The Happy Hammock 