Where do oranges and peanuts come from?

Eliot Weinberger, Oranges & Peanuts for Sale (New Directions Paperbook)

Oranges & peanuts for sale

 

Oranges come from Asia, but no one knows exactly where. The Chinese mention them in their earliest writings; the word is Sanskrit: naranga. Some say they were grown in Mesopotamia; some say the Egyptians ate them; some say there are oranges in the Bible, but some say those are not oranges at all. The Romans got them from the Persians, and built the first greenhouses with sheets of mica to protect them: “orangeries.” Jupiter gave Juno an orange on their wedding day, as a symbol of eternal love, but oranges died out in most of the Mediterranean with the fall of the Empire. The Moors kept them cultivated in Spain; the Crusaders brought them back to Italy. Columbus carried orange seeds with him on his second voyage. The Portuguese took them to Brazil; not many years later, no one knows why, the first Western travelers deep in the interior reported seeing wild orange trees growing. Bernal Díaz del Castillo himself planted the first orange seeds in Mexico, in Tonalá, in the week of 12–20 July, 1518. The orange is not a fruit but a berry; I don’t know why. La mar no tiene naranjas, the sea has no oranges.

The peanut is not a nut but a legume. It came from Brazil, or it came from Peru, or it came from Brazil to Peru, or it came from the Guarani region of Paraguay and Bolivia to Brazil and Peru; no one knows. The Spanish brought it to the Caribbean, where the Arawaks called it “mani”; then they brought it from the Caribbean to Mexico, where the Aztecs called it “cacahuete”; both words are still used in Spanish. The Portuguese brought it to Africa, where it was called “nguba”; the slaves brought it to the American South, where it was called “goober” or, as in the song, “goober pea.” The Spanish brought it to the Philippines, and it spread to China, where it was called the “foreign bean.” The Chinese brought it to Japan, where it was called the “Chinese bean.” Someone, no one knows who, brought it from Africa to India, where it was called the “Mozambique bean.” In the gold rush of the 1870s, the Chinese brought it to Austra lia, where, a few decades later, Anton Bruehl was born. The idiosyncratic American delight peanut butter was invented by a physician in St. Louis in the 1890s, but no one knows his name.

During the Second World War, it became difficult for Brazil to export oranges. The groves were neglected, and nearly every orange tree in the country, some 40 million of them, died from a disease no one had known before, which they called La Tristeza. La naranja es la tristeza, the orange is sadness.

La naranja es la tristeza del azahar profanado, the orange is the sadness of its violated blossom, pues se torna fuego y oro lo que antes fue puro y blanco, for what was once pure and white turns fire and gold. In England and Sicily, it was the symbol of the victim’s heart; you pinned the name to an orange and hid it in the chimney until the person died. The peanut has never been a symbol of anything, though some African tribes believed it was one of the few plants to possess a soul.

The peanut is mysterious. It is small, with leaves on the top and flowers on the bottom. The flowers pollinate themselves, lose their petals, and then the ovaries enlarge, grow away from the plant, turn into long stems that burrow into the earth and form peanuts at their tips. The peanut is the only common plant that forms its fruit underground. It is a metaphor for something, but I don’t know what. García Lorca never mentioned a peanut.

An orange is green, and turns orange only when the weather cools. The color is named after the fruit; the fruit is not named after the color.

The botanist George Washington Carver, who devoted his life to the domestication of peanuts, once had a dream. God appeared to him and said, “Ask me anything.” “Tell me everything there is to know about the universe.” And God replied, “Your mind is too small to comprehend the universe.” So Carver said, “Then tell me everything there is to know about the peanut.”

La luna llorando dice: Yo quiero ser una naranja. The moon weeping says, I want to be an orange. The astronaut Allen B. Shepard took a peanut to the moon.

A lot more about coffee, from making espresso to creating your own blends

 

Espresso tips from Giorgio Milos (Food Arts magazine, December 2010). Giorgio Milos is Master Barista for Trieste, Italy-based illycaffè. With barista training dating to his teens, Milos, 36, is one of the world's foremost experts on coffee. He is a past winner of the Italian Barista Championship, a Specialty Coffee Association of Europe-certified Master Barista, and on faculty at illy's Universita del Caffè (UDC), where leading restaurants and cafes come for master coffee training.

Bean selection
Despite the trend toward single-source ingredients and products, Giorgio Milos insists that espresso is far better with a blended coffee than single-origin.  Illy creates espresso blends based on four qualities characteristic of particular coffee producing regions:
Bitterness Brazil or southern India
Sweetness Costa Rica or Guatemala
Acidity or sourness Kenya or eastern Africa
Aroma Ethiopia, for which there are no substitutes, says Milos

Grind
Don't grind beans earlier than two hours before use; don't keep prepared coffee longer than 45 minutes and never keep it on a hot plate; always clean your machine.

Espresso perfection
There are only four elements to making great espresso (the four Ms):
Miscela Coffee blend
Macinazione Grinder
Machine Machine
Mano "Hand" of the operator

Here are some more tips from Giorgio:

Coffee, Old-School: An Intro to Roasting Your Own

A Symphony of Coffee: Creating Your Own House Blend

The Coffee-Storage Conundrum: How to Keep Beans Fresh

Coffee Mixology: A Primer

Coffee's Mysterious Origins

Will Moka Be America's Next Coffee Tradition?

All You Need to Know About Steaming Milk

Espresso 101: An Expert Responds to Readers

A Winning Formula for Traditional Espresso

A little bit about coffee

 

excerpted from Jacqueline Sainsbury's article in Food Arts, December 2010 issue.

Coffee Conversant

Just as it seems that the industry would never make its way out of sugar-free nonfat half-caff soy vanilla gingerbread lattes (hold the whipped cream, please), customers appear to be swinging the pendulum and taking their cup of java straight up. Coffee consumption sans dairy, sugar, syrups, and chocolate sprinkles rose in America in 2008 from 27 percent to 34 percent in 2009, while preferences for coffee with sweeteners or dairy fell from 31 percent in 2008 to 24 percent in 2009. This volte-face could be a result of mercurial public taste, a collective cinching of purse strings, or a quietly orchestrated movement set out to show just how good pure coffee can be.

....

Following in the footsteps of enology, easy to use flavor wheels have been drawn up by the Specialty Coffee Association of America, categorizing descriptors for ease of use and understanding. Taking the idea a step further, the SCAA divided the categories between two wheels: The first differentiates taste (sour, sweet, salt, bitter) and aroma (enzymatic, sugar browning, dry distillation). The second tracks flavors resulting from external changes (fats absorbing odors and fats absorbing tastes), internal changes (fats and acids changing chemically), aroma taints (improper roasting and fats absorbing tastes), and taste faults (loss of organic material and acids changing chemically).

With over 1,000 scientifically identified aromatic compounds in coffee (compared to wine’s 700), there is much to taste. The most complex beans—from arabica plants (one of 6,000 coffee species)—come from higher altitudes and produce 75 to 80 percent of the world’s coffee. These beans typically carry the more desired flavors, including caramel, chocolate, flowers (honeysuckle, jasmine, dandelion, nettles), fruit (particularly citrus), fresh walnuts, toast, spices (clove, cinnamon), roasted cereal or malt, tobacco, and baked potato skins.

As with most, if not all, agricultural products, geography affects the taste of coffee. While it’s possible to wax poetic about the terroir of Jamaican Blue Mountain versus Lake Atitlán coffee, there are several general characteristics found in the major coffee producing regions of the world: Beans from Latin America and the Caribbean are fairly simple, have a bright acidity, and light body. Those from the Asia-Pacific are floral, sometimes quite earthy, and have a full body, while Africa, coffee’s motherland, produces round flavors reminiscent of dried fruit and chocolate with a fair amount of acidity and wine-like characteristics.

....

Enthusiastic and occasionally fanatical, coffee proselytizers are hard at work to launch coffee beyond its coffee-flavored sugar milk past. While coffee is on a wine trajectory with its own diagrams, specialists, and courses, it’s doubtful that coffee cuppings will ever rival the popularity of wine tastings—alcohol holds the ultimate trump card. (It’ll be a long month of Sundays before someone admiringly remarks about a cup of coffee—as Voltaire once did of a Burgundy—that it “smells of merde.”) Armed with tasting knowledge, consumers and professionals have a whole new liquid to swirl, sniff, sip, and spit.

It's what I know now ... and wish I'd known then - Richard Glover's advice for his son

 

 March 13, 2010

He won't read them. Not yet anyway. But here are my best bits of advice for my son on the occasion of his 18th birthday. It's what I know now ... and wish I'd known then.

Eat your vegetables.

Don't get into cars driven by people who are drunk or wired.

 

Wake up before eight in the morning and get out into the daylight. It's better for your body clock.

Don't listen to baby boomers who tell you you've got to slow down and “smell the roses”. They never took that advice when they were your age and neither should you. Throw yourself at life.

Understand that your happiness is inextricably tied to the happiness of your life partner. If she or he is not happy, then you'll not be happy.

Don't cross the road with your iPod on. Don't buy cheap tools. Understand that the more people know about a subject, the more humble they'll sound.

If the share market is down and you have some spare cash, buy BHP shares and throw them in the bottom drawer. This is all any Australian needs to know about the world of high finance.

Whisky is always a mistake. Keep a torch in your glovebox. You have to be thin to wear horizontal stripes.

Save up for things. Don't buy anything requiring a loan, except a house and, if you really must, a car. Remember, interest is a tax on impatience.

If you constantly overdo the booze, you'll end up either dying or having to give it up, which would be a shame as wine is one of life's pleasures.

People who spend excessive time on their own appearance are almost never as interesting, or as attractive, as they think.

You are what you eat but also what you read and watch and hear. Don't feed your brain with rubbish, at least not all the time.

Don't be negative. Whingeing is for people who want to blame others for their troubles, because it's easier than finding their own way forward. If a friend makes a habit of bad-mouthing other people, take a moment to wonder what they say about you. Spend your mental energy on people who think you are terrific, not people who dislike you.

Tread carefully if a friend asks you to counsel them about their love life. Never agree with their assessment that their ex-partner is horrid, as they will make up the next day.

Never get into a fight with your neighbours. Apologise. Make peace. Buy them a case of beer ... anything.

When meeting someone over lunch, the way they treat the waiter is a better guide to their character than how they treat you.

A man can wear a hat indoors but only if he is under 10 or over 90. Don't buy clothing in which the manufacturer's name is the main design feature; why should you be an unpaid billboard? And don't spend more than $20 on a bottle of wine; it's an agriculture product, not a way of improving your social standing.

Clean your teeth. Back-up your computer files. Don't spend all day on a mobile, because one day they'll discover it does rot your brain.

Remember: the pharmaceutical industry exists to convince people to take lots of pharmaceuticals. Often, you are better off without them.

Don't be tight with your money when it comes to your friends or charity. Do be tight with your money when it comes to choosing brands in the supermarket. In the absence of any compelling features, buy the second-cheapest in any product range.

Never ignore an invitation to dance. Be ruthless about escaping from a bore at a party; you'll never get that hour back. Never buy an expensive umbrella as you'll lose it within the month.

And while you may wish to advertise the brand of underpants that you are wearing, don't expect anyone over 40 to be impressed.

Surround yourself with people who bring out your best side; people in whose company you become fabulous, funny or wise; avoid people in whose company you become boring or sad. And, remember: the most important decision you'll ever make isn't about career or investments, it's your choice of life partner. In that one choice will lie much of your happiness.

A final point. If you are lucky enough to have two children, remember to take photos of the second one. Otherwise, on the occasion of that child's 18th birthday, you may find you have nothing to illustrate the birthday card.

In this, as in everything else, let your own father's errors and omissions be your guide. Happy birthday, boy.

richard@richardglover.com.au

How to treat foreigners, British edition

From Harper's Magazine, January 2011.

Excerpts from a series of "market profiles" released by VisitBritain, the official tourism bureau of the United Kingdom, intended to help British businesses "provide an even more efficient and helpful customer service that takes account of cultural needs."

• Cleanliness is of major importance to Austrians.
• The Portuguese take great pride in wearing good fabrics and clothes of the best standard they can afford.
• New Zealanders are accustomed to high-pressure showers, not a weak dribble from a nozzle, and are also used to gallons and gallons of hot water being available.
• Although Italians give little care to public places, they are scrupulously clean in their own homes.
• Don’t be offended by Argentine humor, which may mildly attack your clothing or weight.
• Canadians often identify themselves as Canadian by wearing a maple-leaf pin or a maple leaf on their clothing.
• Czechs are very sensitive to price changes.
• Brazilians do not travel lightly.
• As a nation, Germans are interested in many things; however, football, cars, travel, culture, their homes, and getting a good deal are some of the most important.
• The Dutch have a strong desire to order their time in agendas and on calendars.
• Mexicans drink huge quantities of soft drinks and beer.
• Good conversational topics are Mexican culture, history, museums. Never discuss the Mexican American War, poverty, aliens, or earthquakes.
• Avoid discussing personal matters or linguistic divisions with Belgians.
• Malaysians dislike walking long distances and are likely not to be very active.
• Nordic people like to get close to the “natives.”
• The Japanese (particularly women) could be said to have a childlike air to them.
• Russians love the English sense of humor and believe it is very similar to the Russian one.
• The South African sense of humor is based more on American slapstick comedy than on British wit and play on words. Therefore they may struggle to understand the “joke.”
• Don’t ask personal questions to a Brazilian.
• The Dutch hardly ever invite people with whom they are not closely acquainted for dinner.
• Spaniards use utensils to eat most food. Even fruit is eaten with a knife and fork!
• Thais are generally aware of the Four Seasons restaurant (for the crispy duck), and the Blue Elephant Thai restaurant in London.
• The French will begin eating only after someone says “bon appétit.”
• Koreans do not like to talk a lot during dinner.
• If an Arab stares you in the eye as you speak, it means that he is giving you his full attention. If he doesn’t, it means that he may not care what you are saying.
• If an Arab bites his right finger, it is a sign of contempt, and this will usually be accompanied by muttering.
• Mexicans use a “psst-psst” sound to catch another’s attention.
• Russians may come across as cold and not very open or polite people.
• The Dutch do not believe in lining up and show almost no consideration in public for a person’s status, gender, or age.
• In America, time is a very important commodity.
• People “save” time and “spend” time as if it were money in the bank.
• Belgians tend to be indirect.
• Nordic people are often very conscious of environmental issues.
• Indians do not like to express “no.” Rather than disappoint you, for example, by saying something isn’t available, Indians may give an affirmative answer but be deliberately vague about any specific details.
• Koreans are not Chinese.

When the child was a child, It was the time for these questions: Why am I me, and why not you?

Song of Childhood
By Peter Handke

When the child was a child
It walked with its arms swinging,
wanted the brook to be a river,
the river to be a torrent,
and this puddle to be the sea.

When the child was a child,
it didn’t know that it was a child,
everything was soulful,
and all souls were one.

When the child was a child,
it had no opinion about anything,
had no habits,
it often sat cross-legged,
took off running,
had a cowlick in its hair,
and made no faces when photographed.

When the child was a child,
It was the time for these questions:
Why am I me, and why not you?
Why am I here, and why not there?
When did time begin, and where does space end?
Is life under the sun not just a dream?
Is what I see and hear and smell
not just an illusion of a world before the world?
Given the facts of evil and people.
does evil really exist?
How can it be that I, who I am,
didn’t exist before I came to be,
and that, someday, I, who I am,
will no longer be who I am?

When the child was a child,
It choked on spinach, on peas, on rice pudding,
and on steamed cauliflower,
and eats all of those now, and not just because it has to.

When the child was a child,
it awoke once in a strange bed,
and now does so again and again.
Many people, then, seemed beautiful,
and now only a few do, by sheer luck.

It had visualized a clear image of Paradise,
and now can at most guess,
could not conceive of nothingness,
and shudders today at the thought.

When the child was a child,
It played with enthusiasm,
and, now, has just as much excitement as then,
but only when it concerns its work.

When the child was a child,
It was enough for it to eat an apple, … bread,
And so it is even now.

When the child was a child,
Berries filled its hand as only berries do,
and do even now,
Fresh walnuts made its tongue raw,
and do even now,
it had, on every mountaintop,
the longing for a higher mountain yet,
and in every city,
the longing for an even greater city,
and that is still so,
It reached for cherries in topmost branches of trees
with an elation it still has today,
has a shyness in front of strangers,
and has that even now.
It awaited the first snow,
And waits that way even now.

When the child was a child,
It threw a stick like a lance against a tree,
And it quivers there still today.


Lied Vom Kindsein
– Peter Handke


Als das Kind Kind war,
ging es mit hängenden Armen,
wollte der Bach sei ein Fluß,
der Fluß sei ein Strom,
und diese Pfütze das Meer.

Als das Kind Kind war,
wußte es nicht, daß es Kind war,
alles war ihm beseelt,
und alle Seelen waren eins.

Als das Kind Kind war,
hatte es von nichts eine Meinung,
hatte keine Gewohnheit,
saß oft im Schneidersitz,
lief aus dem Stand,
hatte einen Wirbel im Haar
und machte kein Gesicht beim fotografieren.

Als das Kind Kind war,
war es die Zeit der folgenden Fragen:
Warum bin ich ich und warum nicht du?
Warum bin ich hier und warum nicht dort?
Wann begann die Zeit und wo endet der Raum?
Ist das Leben unter der Sonne nicht bloß ein Traum?
Ist was ich sehe und höre und rieche
nicht bloß der Schein einer Welt vor der Welt?
Gibt es tatsächlich das Böse und Leute,
die wirklich die Bösen sind?
Wie kann es sein, daß ich, der ich bin,
bevor ich wurde, nicht war,
und daß einmal ich, der ich bin,
nicht mehr der ich bin, sein werde?

Als das Kind Kind war,
würgte es am Spinat, an den Erbsen, am Milchreis,
und am gedünsteten Blumenkohl.
und ißt jetzt das alles und nicht nur zur Not.

Als das Kind Kind war,
erwachte es einmal in einem fremden Bett
und jetzt immer wieder,
erschienen ihm viele Menschen schön
und jetzt nur noch im Glücksfall,
stellte es sich klar ein Paradies vor
und kann es jetzt höchstens ahnen,
konnte es sich Nichts nicht denken
und schaudert heute davor.

Als das Kind Kind war,
spielte es mit Begeisterung
und jetzt, so ganz bei der Sache wie damals, nur noch,
wenn diese Sache seine Arbeit ist.

Als das Kind Kind war,
genügten ihm als Nahrung Apfel, Brot,
und so ist es immer noch.

Als das Kind Kind war,
fielen ihm die Beeren wie nur Beeren in die Hand
und jetzt immer noch,
machten ihm die frischen Walnüsse eine rauhe Zunge
und jetzt immer noch,
hatte es auf jedem Berg
die Sehnsucht nach dem immer höheren Berg,
und in jeder Stadt
die Sehnsucht nach der noch größeren Stadt,
und das ist immer noch so,
griff im Wipfel eines Baums nach dem Kirschen in einemHochgefühl
wie auch heute noch,
eine Scheu vor jedem Fremden
und hat sie immer noch,
wartete es auf den ersten Schnee,
und wartet so immer noch.

Als das Kind Kind war,
warf es einen Stock als Lanze gegen den Baum,
und sie zittert da heute noch.

A dictionary resembles the world more than a novel does...

 

A dictionary resembles the world more than a novel does, because the world is not a coherent sequence of actions but a constellation of things perceived. It is looked at, unrelated things congregate, and geographic proximity gives them meaning. But in a dictionary, time doesn't exist: ABC is neither more or less chronological than BCA. To portray your life in order would be absurd: I remember you at random. My brain resurrects you through stochastic details, like picking marbles out of a bag.

—from Life in Three Houses, Edouard Levé