Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres
Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres
M. CHAUVET for collecting, only Spain seems to maintain a commercial production of pignons, which obtain a high price. After having had the opportunity to observe the different forms of pignons worldwide, I discovered that most of the product we see in our supermarkets comes from China, and originates from Pinus koraiensis. Another source are the Himalayas and Kashmir (marketed by Pakistan) with Pinus gerardiana. I assume that both species are considered interchangeable, because I found the Chinese product in an Indian shop, and the Pakistani one in a Chinese supermarket, and both had been imported by the same company. This “small” observation is quite funny, because our authorities are nervous about “traceability” and wish to impose strict regulations to “novel food”. In this case, we have three different species of Pinus, and they do not even belong to the same section of the genus Pinus. So, they could perfectly have distinct properties, worth analysing. But who has ever noticed that? Another example is rocket. In Italy, Diplotaxis tenuifolia has partly replaced Eruca vesicaria as a salad. They are sometimes distinguished as ruchetta vs. rucola on the markets of Rome. Botanists can identify them readily even in a salad bowl, because Diplotaxis has thicker and bluish leaves, with a narrow terminal lobe, whereas Eruca has bright green leaves with a large round terminal lobe. Diplotaxis tenuifolia is a wellknown wild salad, but it seems that it has been cultivated in Italy only for a couple of decades. As far as I know, no book mentions this fact. One reason for this change may be that Eruca leaves wilt rapidly, and have a shorter shelf life than Diplotaxis. The growing market of exotic plant products Due to the migrations of ‘boat people’ in the 1980’s, Paris now has its Chinatown (13 th arrondissement), with big supermarkets and a well-organised importation and distribution system. Chinese companies tend to control most of the French market of exotic and ethnic produce. Paris also has an Indian quarter (near Gare du Nord and passage Brady), an African quarter (near Metro Château Rouge) and scattered Caribbean and Réunion shops, not speaking of less exotic shops from the Mediterranean area. A similar situation is to be found in most European countries, the ethnic groups concerned varying according to the particular historical links of each country (Pakistanis and Caribbeans for Great-Britain, Indonesians for the Netherlands, Turks for Germany, etc.). Ethnic markets have been generally ignored by authorities. As long as the products were supposedly sold only to consumers belonging to the relevant ethnic group, the easiest solution was to let them develop. I only noticed that importers have been requested to add a label in French detailing the name and contents of the product. In most cases, the information is faulty, due to the difficulty for translators to find an adequate terminology for ethnic products. One classical example is the so-called ‘arbutus’ or Chi- 103
Inventorying food plants in France nese strawberry, which is the fruit of Myrica rubra, and has nothing to do with Arbutus unedo. Ethnic products are now entering the general market, because more and more people enjoy tasting exotic cuisine. Hypermarkets now offer whole lines of exotic products. This creates a strange situation, when we consider the strict regulations that the European Union is supposed to implement about novel food. Recently, an attempt to commercialise the nangaille nut (Canarium indicum) from Vanuatu has been stopped due to the lack of toxicological survey. As the producers are small farmers organized in a cooperative, they are simply unable to fund such survey, the nut market being saturated. As there is no significant immigrant community in France from Vanuatu, it is not possible to argue that the nut has been sold on the French or European market for decades, and so it falls under the category of novel food. Ethnic vegetables grown in France Another consequence of the development of ethnic markets is that more and more products are grown in Europe. For my book, I gathered some information about those grown in France. My list is surely not exhaustive, but it shows the trend: Abelmoschus esculentus, Benincasa hispida, Colocasia esculenta (for petioles), Dioscorea opposita (introduced in the 19th century in Sologne!), Ipomoea aquatica, Manihot esculenta (for leaves), Momordica charantia, Ocimum sanctum, Perilla frutescens, Spilanthes oleracea. In general terms, two kinds of products may compete with imports (mostly operated by airfreight). Organs such as fruits of Cucurbitaceae, which are heavy and costly to transport by air, form the first category. The second one groups leafy vegetables that wilt rapidly, and need a short transport. A particular case of technology transfer has been the area around Sainte-Livrade (Lotet-Garonne, South-West of France). At the end of the war in Algeria, a transit camp was created there to host the families of Algerians who had been in the French army. The camp was later occupied by Vietnamese refugees, who hired themselves on the vegetable farms of the area. They could easily convince their bosses to grow Vietnamese vegetables, which were first sold locally and soon in the Paris market. Wild vegetables There is a considerable literature about wild food plants in Europe. Unfortunately, it is often limited to lists of taxa with local names and summary indications about uses. We know little about the geographical distribution of their use, their importance in the diet, and their real status. Most of them were possibly only gathered in periods of shortage, or famine. Some were eaten as part of rituals. But how many were really relished and looked after, we don’t know. 104
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Inventorying food plants in France<br />
nese strawberry, which is the fruit of Myrica rubra, and has nothing to do with Arbutus<br />
unedo.<br />
Ethnic products are now entering the general market, because more and more people<br />
enjoy tasting exotic cuisine. Hypermarkets now offer whole lines of exotic products. This<br />
creates a strange situation, when we consider the strict regulations that the European<br />
Union is supposed to implement about novel food. Recently, an attempt to commercialise<br />
the nangaille nut (Canarium indicum) from Vanuatu has been stopped due to the<br />
lack of toxicological survey. As the producers are small farmers organized in a cooperative,<br />
they are simply unable to fund such survey, the nut market being saturated. As<br />
there is no significant immigrant community in France from Vanuatu, it is not possible to<br />
argue that the nut has been sold on the French or European market for decades, and so<br />
it falls under the category of novel food.<br />
Ethnic vegetables grown in France<br />
Another consequence of the development of ethnic markets is that more and more<br />
products are grown in Europe. For my book, I gathered some information about those<br />
grown in France. My list is surely not exhaustive, but it shows the trend: Abelmoschus<br />
esculentus, Benincasa hispida, Colocasia esculenta (for petioles), Dioscorea opposita<br />
(introduced in the 19th century in Sologne!), Ipomoea aquatica, Manihot esculenta<br />
(for leaves), Momordica charantia, Ocimum sanctum, Perilla frutescens, Spilanthes<br />
oleracea.<br />
In general terms, two kinds of products may compete with imports (mostly operated by<br />
airfreight). Organs such as fruits of Cucurbitaceae, which are heavy and costly to transport<br />
by air, form the first category. The second one groups leafy vegetables that wilt<br />
rapidly, and need a short transport.<br />
A particular case of technology transfer has been the area around Sainte-Livrade (Lotet-Garonne,<br />
South-West of France). At the end of the war in Algeria, a transit camp was<br />
created there to host the families of Algerians who had been in the French army. The<br />
camp was later occupied by Vietnamese refugees, who hired themselves on the vegetable<br />
farms of the area. They could easily convince their bosses to grow Vietnamese<br />
vegetables, which were first sold locally and soon in the Paris market.<br />
Wild vegetables<br />
There is a considerable literature about wild food plants in Europe. Unfortunately, it is<br />
often limited to lists of taxa with local names and summary indications about uses. We<br />
know little about the geographical distribution of their use, their importance in the diet,<br />
and their real status. Most of them were possibly only gathered in periods of shortage,<br />
or famine. Some were eaten as part of rituals. But how many were really relished and<br />
looked after, we don’t know.<br />
104
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