YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Have you ever wondered how the people in the times of Moses and his connections lived to be 900 years old?  There are many theories, one popular, yet controversial belief is that the Earth was protected by a massive water bubble all around.  This bubble apparently kept out harmful UV rays which prevented every living thing from aging, so death couldn’t have been a common occurrence, mind you, nor was rain I’m sure.  Apparently after the heavy downpour, resulting in the great flood, the bubble disappeared, and some time thereafter, people’s lifespan only lasted until the tender age of 120 years.   

Life must have been much simpler in those days.  No internet, fast cars or plastic meals in a can.  Lots of fresh air, exercise and probably the only stress was getting your 400 year old teenager to clean his room, although the threat of sticking him on the sacrificial slab to appease the gods was probably effective.  You probably grew your own food and occasionally went down to the market to trade your frankincense for stone ground flour or a new doily.       

Anyway, whether everyone lived in a space bubble or not, I reckon they lived forever because of their diet.  Imagine living in a time when organic wasn’t something you searched for, it was just the way of life for everyone. Not a speck of tartrazene, msg or chemicals ever, not ever, passed their lips. Apparently before the bubble burst, people didn’t eat meat either.  Just healthy super foods like wheat grass, honey, fruit and veg and I bet the coastal settlers ate loads of seaweed. Only after things went bad, what with all the fornicating, sinning, angels coupling with women not wearing doekies covering their hair, did the peoples’ carnivorous instincts surface.  Their diet changed and things like plants and body parts shrivelled up and leprosy reared its ugly head.

Today people are becoming conscious of eating organic but there is still so much chemicals hidden in every shape and form out there that it’s difficult to avoid.  We don’t expect to live longer than 70 or 80 years old and when our bodies start packing in, we rush to the doctor for another chemical dose in the form of more pills.  My mother thinks organic is something hippies do, but then she is from a dying era when frozen meals and vacuum cleaners were first invented and healthy eating wasn’t the fad.  Mind you she has requested that her ashes be put into an egg timer on the kitchen shelf so that she can keep her immortal eye on her Tupperware, watch who cheats at scrabble and give Moses a run for his money.

Me, I’m off to the supermarket in search of toxic free goodies.   

BUTCHERS, BAKERS AND CANDLESTICK MAKERS

BUTCHERS, BAKERS AND CANDLESTICK MAKERS

Yeehaa!  There’s a jar of my Dukkah on some Australian chicks kitchen shelf and another jar of my seaweed salt in some Frenchies kitchen.  Ha ha. Does that classify as exporting?  Well, for their sake, let’s at least hope the stuff made it through customs ok. 

Our first market went ok.  We made a few pennies but more importantly it was great putting our seaweed products out there and getting such a good response.  There were a few people who got a rather alarmed look on their face when I invited them to have a taste of seaweed flavoured food. The rest of the public, well they were intrigued at first, then very pleasantly surprised by the taste and then bought some.   

Working the markets is also a great way to network with other vendors and I got some good leads. The best thing about Tokai Earth Market is the fact that there’s beer available. The second best thing is that the vendors aren’t shy to support the bar.  By the time the morning was over, I had knocked back a pint or 2 and was pleasantly enjoying myself although I might have euphorically tried giving the same sales pitch to people who happened to amble by my table more than once. Come to think of it, that might explain the alarmed look I occasionally received.          

Foodie people who appreciate good wholesome food go there on Saturday mornings to stock up on free range bacon, chorizo sausage, beetroot chutney, chickpea bread, olives, organic veggies, German chocolate delectables and and and.  On Wednesday evenings they meet their friends there for sushi, salad or salsa and of course more beer or organic wine.    

Today we worked the monthly Holistic Market in Obs.  That’s the one which we scouted last month where Theo back paddled when some chick offered to wash his aura with a piece of ginger.  Well it certainly is more Bohemian.  There’s nothing showy, just a rustic vibe which attracts earthy people, some with dreadlocks or hippie dresses but everyone more or less has the same agenda – good healthy food, save the planet and get in touch with yourself.   You can buy really beautiful, artistically, creative goods from leather work to felt work to paintings or go for a reading and find out where you lost your mind or make contact with Aunt Beatrice on the other side. The people selling food around us were mostly foreigners, who I think by nature are more creative in the kitchen than many South Africans who are quite comfortable munching on a boerie roll.  Other food vendors around us were a Palestinian dude doing pitas, an Italian chick who sold the most awesome, authentic vegetarian lasagne, a French dude who sold veree alfee stirfry and veree alfee jews to drink.  I saw some interesting samoosa combinations such as smoked snoek and feta, who would have thought. Theo made a pineapple and Nori curry to cater for the vegetarians and even though we didn’t do as well as we would have hoped, I left there with a whole bunch of leads and a good feeling inside.  And that’s what’s it all about.