cschonie

Speaking of "last harvests," my beautiful Aleppo peppers are just about finished. I'll miss their brilliant pop of red in my garden. I've bragged about growing them since COVID when ground Aleppo pepper or seeds were almost impossible to find because of the civil war in Syria. Lately, they've been way easier to access but are being grown primarily in Turkey, which is the reason they're still listed on the @slowfood_international Ark of Taste endangered foods list. The philosophy is they're not truly Aleppo peppers if they aren't being grown in their traditional terroir, kind of like having endangered species in zoos isn't the same as having those animals in the wild, if that makes sense. Anyway, it's good to hear that since 2024, Syrian farmers are beginning to return to farm near Aleppo. Their cultural resilience makes me wonder what part of our culture this current crop of hate mongering-politicians are so worried about us losing. Most of us already don't grow anything at all, much less beloved heirlooms, cook to any real extent, or eat with the seasons. Maybe, they're worried about cultural literacy. Oh wait, most of us don't read either. #culture #aleppopeppers #heirloomvegetables