I think this is an interesting observation about the attraction of buying "local" as opposed to based on other criteria:
“Though I love a lot of California winemakers and try to support them wherever possible,” Mr. Deegan said, “I find myself drinking European wines most of the time and pairing European wines more successfully with the food.” Part of the issue is indeed matching food and wine. Italian restaurants, have specifically regional Italian flavor combinations. Nobody begrudges their offering a list of largely Italian wines. California has rarely produced wines using Italian grapes that bear even a faint resemblance to the originals.
We eat in themes. We also dress in themes and even think in themes. Would you dress locally? What could that look like? Local becomes more abstract than 100 miles clothes. You might be able to wear Canadian but not eastern Ontarian. Can you even "think Canadian"? Isn't it more satisfactory to think the best thoughts rather than any based on geography? Yet having robust local news is vital.
For example, I lived in tiny insular PEI where there was (par for the course) the odd idea that you should in fact "think locally" to the disaster of the culture. In court, it could be argued with a straight face that local cases not quite on point deserved higher consideration than those for other provinces speaking to the principle. Similarly, local writers or other artists - if one could be found - were overly praised while those from away (like from nearby neighbouring provinces) were ignored or even put down. Yet the food had it's worth within a limited range. Best chicken I ever had, great seafood yet a desert for good beer and wine. The news media was worse.
Isn't the theme of "local" by necessity a spartan one or is it possible to have rich and vital local culture is all things? Isn't the problem that once you have seen Par-ee or the New York Times or eaten raw cheese or lived in a community that celebrates successfully well done anything... that your local starts to look shabby in comparison?
Comments
Hans - October 20, 2009 11:30 AM
I think you have a number of strands here that need to be untangled. First, I think the idea that you should support "local" products is based on the idea that its nice to be nice to your neighbours and if you don't buy their stuff, they may wind up in the poor house or move away and the community falls apart. I agree that all of these ideas get stretched too far in PEI where even doubting the quality of a local product (e.g. music, potatoes, restaurant food, theatre) is heretical. But I don't think there is anything wrong with the idea that its nice to be nice to your neighbours. I think the corrollary would be that the neighbours have to be nice to you in return by having quality products at reasonable pricing. Its like a contractual balance and if one side can't hold up their end, the other side can void the contract. For example, Alpine Lager: Its a Maritimes beer, but does it deserve the "support local products" treatment? It is not particularly good quality nor is it priced to reflect its quality. Strikes 1 & 2. I feel no guilt for buying non-local beer products of better quality when I get the chance.
I could go on, but hey, its your blog, so you might as well have the floor again....
Alan - October 20, 2009 12:08 PM
I don't think that is an unravelling but another idea. If my neighbour makes good products, I will buy them. But do you buy bad products or pay more because your neighbour is involved? PEI loves the pay more for less idea but, as is sort of evident from the results, it is not that compelling an idea. You better really be my neighbour and not just a cap in hand local. And, like Gallant's store in South, you also may well want to be excellent.
I have been paying more attention to my cheese lately. We have excellent cheddar made locally by a could of firms, Wilton and Black River. It costs a bit more but I am happy to spend it because it is so good. But in upstate NY and NE they have really really good cheddar as good or better and it is really cheap. Like a kilo for nine bucks of Cabot extra old or that 13 year old cheddar for 20 bucks a pound. I travel for that cheese.
My cheese is along the route of my life. I do drive places for work and gather food and beer as I go along. Rather than speak of neighbours I am more interested in "near me" even when "near me" isn't near my house.
Alpine actually wins awards in the states for some unknown reason.
Ben (The Tiger) - October 20, 2009 2:08 PM
I sometimes pay more for local, but it's more along the lines of I'll pay one-and-a-half times as much for something that's marginally better.
Never pay more for less.
Seanie - October 23, 2009 3:36 PM
I will buy local if it's quality is equal to non local and cost is proportionally lower. Otherwise, the yummy yummy Chilean blackberries for $1.49 a box win over local sour apples anyday of the week. Its a world economy. Its 2009. In fifty years we'll be buying hydroponic icewine grown in satellites orbitting Europa.