Organic Foods Never Look As Good.....

When we go out for shopping, we aim to buy the best at the most competitive price and according to our pockets. The same principle applies when we are shopping for grocery and food products. We want the fruits that are most shiny, more juicy and plump, the greenest and leafiest vegetables, and the bigger potatoes etc. In fact we want the things with the highest aesthetic appeal and this is the main advantage that convectional raw foods have over organic ones.

In simple terms, organically grown vegetables and fruits are those that have been grown using the soil and manure made with natural products as fertilizers without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organically raised animals are those raised without the use of hormones and antibiotics. Think of those Fulani herders’ cows which trample farms and cause a nuisance on the highways sometimes, our local chickens with the sparrow thighs, crab and tilapia (epia) fish fresh from Osa (Lagos Lagoon).

Most of the time, organic produce lack uniformity, having different sizes, shapes and colour variations. They look imperfect, have bumps, dents and discolourations. What they lack in aesthetics they make up for generously in taste and smell.

I’ve noticed a growing trend in local Lagos markets. Some of the green leafy vegetables like tete, soko, (Amaranth) ugwu, scent leaves are definitely not organically grown. The leaves are so mighty, and that is all. When you cook and consume, they leave a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. And I didn’t cook bitterleaf. They also lack crunchiness, which is part of the appeal for me. When buying tete and soko, ask for the ones from ‘Oko’. They typically don’t look as good with their smaller leaves and the colours ranging from yellow to brown to green in the same bunch.

Inorganically grown and raised food items are being introduced to us little by little and we the consumers are in total ignorance. We are busy boasting that we eat only organic food while we actually do. Yes, we still eat mostly organic raw materials but please shine all your senses when you go shopping. The most appealing may not be the best. And on a last note, if you can get the raw material, why use the canned one?

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