The Real Food Familiarity Challenge

I want to get to know my ingredients better and get educated on all the nifty little details about the food I eat. I've decided to focus on one fruit, veggie, nut, etc. at a time and really learn about it.

As a foodie interested in cooking, gardening, and nutrition I have all sorts of questions about the foods I use at home and those I don't use (yet) but sometimes see at the market or hear good things about:

• What is its nutritional profile?
• What health benefits does it offer?
• What is the food's history and how has it been used traditionally?
• What are some suggestions on eating, cooking, and storing it?
• Is there a recommended intake? How much should we eat each week?
• Can it be sprouted, fermented, or prepared in a way that makes it more useful to our bodies?
• Where can I buy it? When is it in season?
• Are there any cautions I should be aware of?
• What do I look for when choosing it at the market?
• Are certain varieties better than others?
• What are some tips and ideas for growing it at home or sourcing it locally?
• What other foods does it pair well with?

How well do you know your food?
Photo by Valerie Everett

I'm curious about all these questions and more. Even if I think I know the answers I'm going to research it anyway because in our society there is a lot of misinformation about food and the more I explore on this food adventure the more I realize how much I don't know yet. I don't just want to recognize food by sight or know how to throw it into a recipe ~ I want to have a genuine familiarity with it. My plans are to sort through various resources and pull together a wealth of information about healthy foods to answer my own curiosity and perhaps share some useful information with others, too.

I've started a long list of foods I want to learn more about. Whenever possible I'm going to buy, eat, and/or cook with each food. There's nothing quite like hands-on learning and besides, it's a great excuse to play in the kitchen! This goes along well with my other adventurous food challenge ~ to try a new healthy food or recipe each week. It may take me a while to work down through the entire list but it'll be worth it. I think this challenge will be fun and enlightening!

This week I'm starting with avocados, a family favorite at my house. Other "A" foods I'm interested in learning more about include asparagus, acai, arugula, almonds, apples, aloe vera, apricots, asafoetida, and artichokes. I haven't decided yet whether I'll go from A-Z in order or just explore different foods as they catch my attention (honestly, this sounds more like me). Are there particular foods you'd like to know more about?