Over on channel one, I have been introspecting about the Quake. Here, as I prepare for this week’s Gastrocast I am thinking more along the lines of what the Quake means to the world in terms of food. I hope this is not a selfish, or short-sighted thought. Certainly the Quakes hit an impoverished area where food is more than a pleasure but a hard won necessity. And now in the horror which follows disaster, food is non-existant or even harder to come by.

But what has this area meant to the global economy of cuisine?  Certainly Britain’s modern food scene is deeply connected. Mine are not thought’s about will there be shortages, etc.  Not like the Oyster Speculations after Katrina. But more along the lines of what can we do, long term, to support the economies of this stricken area from the distance of our own homes.

I don’t know about you, but I am tapped out. Charities phone me throughout the day so much I’ve stopped answering the phone. Short of cutting a vein and running it into a big old bucket I’ve nothing left to give–and they don’t even want that because of Mad Cow. I feel, in my first world existence, as poor as many of those afflicted by the latest sets of global tradgedies. Katrina showed us how a superpower can be reduced to a third-world situation. What will the third-world situation show us about how we can be a superpower? Hopefully some of the money we have already donated to the Red Cross will be diverted to those who really need it now.
But beyond that, how can we support the peoples and economy of the inflicted areas? Buy their exports. Oh, I know I’m all about buy local, buy organic–but where is the rice paddy near you? Where is your neighborhood Cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, nutmeg plantation?

So even if you have donated to the relief efforts, direct some of your food budget towards supporting the growth and restoration of these areas. Go online and source spices from Kashmir and Pakistan–try here, here and here (a scientific paper on spice uses from Pakistan). Here’s a link to Spice Mechants and Penzey’s–two great sources.
There are other sources, of course–and if you find one more direct, please let me know. For the local angle,  find families who are affected in your area. A great many immigrants to our countries have lost loved ones in the Quake–support their businesses so they can support their families. This way we can go beyond our donations to charities and place money in the hands of those who need it as well, for things we need as well.

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