Thursday 13 November 2008

The world is in my kitchen

Pork chops come from Germany. Just like lemons come from Spain, brie from France, wine from Australia and lamb probably too. Avocados are from South Africa and cheddar is from Wales.

Bananas come from a tropical country with a fair trade agreement - it is unlikely that they'll become a competitive threat to the banana growers in Kent. Or Spain, for that matter. And I don't think the country is a strong naval power either.

Back to the pork: after generations of careful in-breeding and genetic manipulation we have pretty chops. A pale pink with a thin rind. Each one as big as the palm of my hand, maybe even a little bit more. Maybe they add water to increase the weight? At least they're pretty.

I make some mash with British potatoes, along with mushrooms (the Netherlands), cherry tomatoes (Spain) and braised leeks (UK). The chops are smothered in Dijon mustard (produced in France, packed in the UK) and a sprinkling of thyme (somewhere near the Mediterranean?) and slowly fried in my pan from China.

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