In Conclusion

            As my two weeks of gastronomic adventure come to a close, what I have I learned in the process? The most surprising aspect of this project, for me, was how difficult it was to find foods I had never tried before. I think it is a testament to the absurdity of the American surplus that I can walk into a supermarket full of tens of thousands of foods and find only a few that I have never tried before. I also like to think of myself as a pretty adventurous eater – if someone presents me with a new food, I make a point of tasting it.

            Since I’ve tried so many of the foods local to New England, I had to turn to foods that came from across the country or globe to find that new experience. Consequently, my carbon footprint associated with this project was significantly more substantial than I would have liked. The other result of this long distance taste-testing was that many of my foods were – I believe – mediocre specimens. The rule tends to be that fresh foods taste better, so some of the excitement of the novelty was tempered by the lesser quality of the food. I found this with basically all the exotic fruits I tried over the last two weeks.

            Interestingly, the foods that I had the lowest expectations for – tofurky, parsnip, almond milk – ended up being the most impressive. I was thoroughly convinced by the soy-based turkey substitute to the extent that I doubt I will by deli turkey again. I don’t have much need for almond milk in my daily life, but I’m glad I know there is a tasty, dairy-free alternative out there.

            Every one of the fruits and vegetables I tried were presented by their various online proponents as essentially perfect foods. They were all full of the valuable nutrients and fiber that I need, but while I’m living in New England, there is only one that I want to eat again. I am happy to say that this one is the most local: the parsnip. I do want to try the tropical fruits again, but not until I can obtain fresh ones.

            The two best tasting foods I tried – though they were prepared by restaurants, which isn’t really fair – were those two strange, rubbery sea creatures. The calamari to start the project and the octopus to end it really epitomize my goals for this project. I was able to put aside my long-held prejudice against ingesting tentacles and see what all the fuss was about. In so doing, I have now experienced a wide variety of new foods and learned not to trust my initial expectations. Sometimes the brightest fruit isn’t the sweetest, and that unassuming, dull old parsnip turns out to be delicious. Thanks for reading and bon appétit!