Said to have aphrodisiac properties, this fragile species is suffering from drought on Southern European farms and will continue to suffer if predicted temperature increases come to fruition.
But as Southern farms are suffering, some Northern plantations are thriving from the increase in temperature (truffles are very sensitive to both frost and drought). But by the end of the century, scientists predict that in Toulose, France, temperatures will exceed 95 degrees F on 25-55 days out of the year (currently, it's only that hot about four days out of the year).
Soju, the Korean distilled spirit, has long been the most consumed spirit in the world, especially throughout Asia. Low to mid-level brands from South Korea have been available in the US for years and I have enjoyed quite a few of them when out dining with friends at some of my favorite Korean restaurants in Queens and Manhattan, NY.
Soju is made in the most part from fermented rice, but also with other fermentable products like wheat, barley or sweet potatoes; then distilled an adjusted to 20-45% abv. / 40-90 proof. The North Korean brand would initially go on sale in the Eastern US states and should be available now.
Now North Korea is going to enter the playing field with one of their soju going to be sold in the US, Pyongyang Soju. This is quite rare for products from North Korea to be sanctioned for import to the United States. Many folks feel that products from North Korea shouldn't be allowed into the US or should be boycotted.
Personally, I will try one bottle of Pyongyang Soju if I run across it so I can review it, but after that I won't go out of my way. I much prefer the multitude of premium, Japanese distilled products called shochu to Korean soju. They are just so much better in taste and quality than soju. So much so, that they are now the number one alcoholic beverage consumed in Japan.
For the first time in 18 years Indian Mangoes are going to be allowed into the US. As of last Friday the NY Times announced they are here and I am looking forward to them expectantly. India has over 1000 varieties of mangoes. They come in varying shapes, colors, and tastes.
A few years ago I spent some time in India and I still vividly remember stopping by street stalls and buying dozens of fresh, sweet mangoes of all types. My friends and I would sit on the beach and happily slurp them down, running into the surf afterwards to wash off all the sticky juices. Some times we would pick up spice mixes to sprinkle on top of the luscious fruit so we could enjoy the dual sensation of spicy heat and cool juicy fruit.
Don't expect to see huge amounts or types of the fruit immediately available. Some transportation problems still have to be worked out. But within a few months you'll have your pick of mangoes to happily munch on. Don't forget your bib.
The "food miles" theory says that the further food has to travel to reach its destination - such as food imported to Europe from New Zealand - the worse it is for the environment because of the greater quantity of pollutants emitted during transport. Researchers in New Zealand, where farmers and ranchers had a good deal of revenue at stake due to their remote location, put the theory to the test and came up with some interesting results.
Their overall conclusion was that the number of miles a food had traveled was not a reliable indicator of its environmental impact. Many forms of produce, as well as dairy and sheep meat, were found to be more energy efficient even when travel to Europe was taken into account. A similar study in the UK produced the same results.
This does not mean that buying goods from far away is necessarily "better" than buying local goods. It simply means that the method of production is what counts, not overall distance traveled, if environmental factors are a primary consideration when purchasing food. Locally produced food may be better in some cases, but it might not be if it is not responsibly produced in the first place. Buying local is a great way of supporting the local economy and keeping revenue within the community and for consumers who make that a priority, local still might be a better choice.
Japan will soon begin to import beef from the U.S. again, after a nearly three year hiatus, according to the Associated Press. Japanese officials stopped importing U.S. beef in 2003 out of concerns about BSE or mad cow disease. Trade began once since then, but was quickly halted again when a shipment of veal was found to contain spinal chord, which is often suspect in transmitting BSE. The U.S. has already asked that trade not be halted completely should something similar happen again, Reuters reported. Many U.S. beef industry folk welcome the news, as Japan was the largest importer of U.S. beef in 2003, importing $1.4 billion worth.
Sure, a pact on nuclear energy is probably the most noteworthy thing to come of President Bush's recent visit to India. But, as far as food is concerned, it looks like the president's trip may yield some new fruit in U.S. markets. Until now, Indian mangoes were not allowed to be imported into the U.S. because they had not undergone a pest risk analysis. After a recent meeting with Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portmann suggested that America's ban on Indian mangoes may soon be lifted. This attempt to kindle trade relations means that we may soon have access to what are said to be some of the best mangoes in the world, including the famed king alphonso variety.
Soju, the Korean distilled spirit, has long been the most consumed spirit in the world, especially throughout Asia. Low to mid-level brands from South Korea have been available in the US for years and I have enjoyed quite a few of them when out dining with friends at some of my favorite Korean restaurants in Queens and Manhattan, NY. 
For the first time in 18 years Indian Mangoes are going to be 
The "food miles" theory says that the further food has to travel to reach its destination - such as food imported to Europe from New Zealand - the worse it is for the environment because of the greater quantity of pollutants emitted during transport. Researchers in New Zealand, where farmers and ranchers had a good deal of revenue at stake due to their remote location, put the theory to the test and came up with some interesting results.
Japan will soon begin to import beef from the U.S. again, after a nearly three year hiatus, according to the 
Sure, a pact on nuclear energy is probably the most noteworthy thing to come of President Bush's recent visit to India. But, as far as food is concerned, it looks like the president's trip may yield some new fruit in U.S. markets. Until now, Indian mangoes were not allowed to be imported into the U.S. because they had not undergone a pest risk analysis. After a recent meeting with Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portmann suggested that America's ban on Indian mangoes may soon be lifted. This attempt to kindle trade relations means that we may soon have access to what are said to be some of the best mangoes in the world, including the famed king alphonso variety.
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