Eating Locally, or Not

This past weekend witnessed another Prilep get-together.  Motwani and his NGO organized an event called “Intercultural Lunch” where local youth were invited to come to a café to enjoy a bevy of ethnic cuisines served by Peace Corps and EVS volunteers.  Thus, a few volunteers came to Prilep to help with the event and to enjoy our vibrant nightlife.

Overall, the lunch was a hit, as students packed into a café in the business center to eat dishes that included sushi, teriyaki chicken, Paraguayan tortillas, BLTs, guacamole, latkes, and salads.  Even two ethnic restaurants in Macedonia, Peacock from Skopje and the Thai restaurant in Prilep, had donated food (Indian and Thai respectively) to our event.  And of course, I decided to make a batch of lumpia.  Despite a Saturday morning spent entirely on cooking, the weekend was extremely relaxing.  Of course, Macedonia does not celebrate Memorial Day, but since it was extremely warm in Prilep this weekend, it also felt like the first unofficial weekend of summer here.  For example, we spent the early part of Saturday night sitting on my balcony and listening to Ted play his ukulele.  It was so hot on Sunday that I decided to wear shorts for the first time since arriving in Macedonia. 

Prilep volunteers taking a family photo

Cooking for the Intercultural Lunch

Latkes!

Tomatoes for Jake's BLTs

So much Lumpia

Ted grilling his teriyaki

At the event

Chilling on my balcony after a day of cooking

Eating Like a Local

Despite cooking ethnic dishes for the event, many of the ingredients that we bought were attainable in Prilep.  For example, I was able to find some bok choy for my lumpia rolls.  The mild winter and diversity of farms in Macedonia truly makes purchasing produce a fun venture.  Unlike in the USA (especially the Midwest), Macedonia’s agricultural industry is dominated by small plots of farms tilled by individual families.  Therefore, the acres of land covered by huge plots of corn, irrigated by long sprinkler systems, and etc etc hardly exists in Macedonia.  Many farmers continue to till with simple tools or beasts of burden.  As you may assume, leading such a bucolic lifestyle makes for humble living, but most families balance their agricultural work with service or manufacturing jobs (through which the men are usually employed).  Also, most families sell their produce directly at the pazars, thus avoiding most taxes through the grey market.

All of this certainly benefits the consumers of Macedonia.  Most of the food is cheap, and the variety of produce available based on the seasons creates variety in one’s diet as the year progresses.  While most of the food is locally grown, one would go too far in assuming that the produce is “organic”.  Chances are that much of what we buy is smothered in pesticides that many times are cheaper and cruder versions than what we are used to in the States.  Nonetheless, all of the produce is neither refrigerated or irradiated for shipping, so the food (especially the tomatoes) taste so much more succulent. 

Skopje's pazar 

Cheese at Skopje's pazar

Given how fresh and fun it is to shop locally, I challenged myself at the beginning of the month to solely buy food from the pazar.  Throughout May I made an effort to cook meals that were based on items that can be bought at the pazar, while abstaining from buying items from the grocery stores or small shops, except when purchasing drinks, oils, milk, or bread.

Over the past month, I have broken my commitment more frequently than I had hoped.  Part of the reason behind this is that I had not bought a cookbook or found a robust website with local recipes (also, my oven does not work, and I have yet to buy a toaster oven).  But I have definitely enjoyed a more fresh diet filled with more vegetables and fruit.

So what is fresh today?  As I mentioned, the variety available at the pazar changes with the season.  One week the stands at the pazar are decorated with brown and white, and the next week you see more orange and red.  Now of course, there are a few vegetables and fruits that are imported year round.  For example, one can always find oranges and bananas at the pazar, since they are imported to Macedonia.  Vegetables like brussel sprouts and broccoli are also probably imported since most Macedonians do not know how to cook with them. 

In order to give you a sense of how the variety changes over the year, I am providing below a calendar of seasonal produce that I had observed during my time in Prilep so far.  Each month is listed with the three produce items that seemed most prevalent.  Much of this is based on memory, since I never really collected data or consistently took detailed notes.  But it should give the reader a sense of the connection Macedonians have to their seasonal foods.  And it may make you hungry!

December

Cabbage

Leeks

Walnuts

January

Spinach

Russet Potatoes

Leeks

February

Romaine Lettuce

Russet Potatoes

Leeks

March

Romaine Lettuce

Green Onions

Cucumbers

April

Green Onions

Cucumbers

Waxy Potatoes

May

Strawberries

Tomatoes

Spicy and Sweet Green Peppers