PSA: I think the push for 'local only' ingredients can be a trap for new cooks

I was at a food talk in Austin where a chef said if you aren't sourcing everything from within 50 miles, you aren't cooking with integrity. That really bothered me. I ran a small place for three years, and trying to get local tomatoes in January meant paying $8 a pound for greenhouse ones that tasted like water. My food costs went way up, and I had to charge more for a worse product. I think telling new chefs they must do this sets them up to fail. It's better to be smart and honest. Use great local stuff when it's in season, but don't feel bad about a good canned tomato for your winter sauce. Has anyone else felt this pressure and found a middle ground that works?

3 comments

3 Comments

julia_smith1mo ago

Totally get where you're coming from. That kind of talk is just food snobbery dressed up as a moral rule. Most people eating out just want a tasty, affordable meal, they aren't doing a background check on every carrot. The local movement has good points but treating it like a religion misses the point of cooking, which is to feed people well. Sometimes the best ingredient for the job comes from farther away, and that's fine. Getting hung up on miles instead of flavor and quality is how you end up with those sad winter tomatoes.

max_price911mo ago

You're right on the money, @julia_smith. Ngl, I once tried to only cook with stuff from within 50 miles and my diet was potatoes and regret for a whole month. The flavor has to come first, or what's even the point. It just turns eating into a chore where you're checking labels instead of enjoying your food. Let the chefs use what actually tastes good, even if it traveled a bit.

paul_owens2518d ago

Honestly, it's the same with coffee, music, you name it, everything gets turned into a purity test.