From the field to the table, a gastronomic delight

Juan Pablo Negrete shares with us a trend in gastronomy: getting closer to the place of origin of food, in the article “From the field to the table, a gastronomic delight”

Setting the table daily is a task that we already carry out automatically. In general, our foods are industrialized and are prepared by other hands than our own, and we only focus on determining whether a dish is tasty or not and very rarely are we aware of the origin of the ingredients.

Chef Juan Pablo Ines
Photography: Arely Pereira

Fortunately, as time has gone by, we have been changing certain consumption habits and our diet is not immune to this transition. More and more world-renowned chefs are approaching the field, local producers, but, above all, shortening the commercial chain. Since the 1970s we have seen that those who are passionate about gastronomic art have taken a step forward by going to the source of the ingredients; for example, chef Alice Waters —author of the best seller “We are what we eat”, among others— began to produce her own ingre- dients. Just like her, other personalities have done great community work educa- ting the community about the importance of consuming locally.Nowadays, the trend in gastronomy is to get closer to the place of origin of the food; The origin of the raw material and the artisanal production processes are increa- singly valued, because it is even said that this type of food is richer in flavors, smells and nutrients.

Jardín Baldío event
Photography: Arely Pereira

 

This is how the search for local producer markets, the well-known “Farmers Market”,has increased. This new concept of responsible consumption by the community itself has also led to the creation of new, more genuine forms of gastronomy, which we now know as “From the field to the table”. Normally, when we eat we involve one to two senses: taste and smell. In contrast, with the mo- dality “From the field to the table” the five senses are used, which makes it a sensory exercise at the peak of our senses. These experiences are greatly enjoyed because they come out of everyday life. Here in Yucatan there have already been this type of gastronomic events that fill with stimuli those who taste the food in these ephemeral restaurants (Pop-Ups). One example is the Jardín Baldío service, which was born as a concept focused on exalting the country- side and the land of the Yucatecans and connect- ing people with their senses and with nature.

Culinary preparation
Photography: Arely Pereira

The land that once belonged to the Mayans is rich in gastronomic culture. The ancestors left us an abundant heritage that includes everything from the ways of cultivating and harvesting, to the way of cooking, and this is what this event seeks to rescue and preserve, to give visibility to those involved in this current. Ximena Poblano and José Cetina, founders of this project, have been excellent spokespersons, hosts and an example for the rest of the commu- nity, as they are pioneers in local and responsi- ble consumption. For this reason, they decided to capture these values in a gastronomically unique experience.
“Our dishes are made, for the most part, with inputs from producers we know, including farmers, fishermen, and regional suppliers. This movement began more than 10 years ago with the “Slow Food” market and we have been part of it since the beginning. We think that thanks to this approach we can persuade people to habitually consume in this way”, reveals José exclusively for Landuum Magazine.

Local products
Photography: Arely Pereira

 

Consuming products of local origin, as they do, gives us the opportunity to meet our producers and obtain fresh food, in addition to having a positive impact on society, through sustainability and the preservation of ecology both in our community as in the rest of the world. Food handling is a very delicate and poetic task, by making use of these verses we are protecting the richness of our soils and ensuring food for several generations. “From the table to the field”, and everything that this concept involves, proposes to rebalance the environment, seeking sustainable actions for the exploitation and consumption of the land, raising awareness of the relationship between the climate crisis, the loss of great biodiversity and our way of consuming.

Culinary preparation
Photography: Arely Pereira

For this reason, it is important to continue promoting this type of practice, through responsible actions, such as always buying in a direct chain with the minimum of intermediaries and paying fair prices where we all win, because more than a trend in these times, it is a necessity. And a good start to get to know this lifestyle is taking advantage of the culinary offer that is based on this philosophy, such as the one usually offered in Jardín Baldío, with outdoor dinners, tasting of mezcal cocktails with achiote, sour orange and other unconventional ingredients, based on the traditions of our origins, which is part of the proposal and creativity of the talented chefs.

Jardín Baldío event
Photography: Arely Pereira