fowl contemplation

Happy Place, Happy Space

There is so much to frown upon.

Rather than morosely contemplating the sad state of affairs at home and abroad, I have once again taken to the comfort and sanctity of nature.

Nipping into hidden groves of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, to avoid those enjoying the greenery on main paths, I am often surprised by the residents.

Red Jungle Fowl family; the chicks had already scattered into the undergrowth by the time my phone was whipped out.

Reading Dan Saladino‘s book, Eating to Extinction: The World’s Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them, and listening to various podcasts has kept my attention on the global food discourse. I discovered a family of podcasts by Whetstone Radio Collective.

A distinctive series of original podcasts focused on global foodways … bringing you narrative-based audio stories shared through the lens of food anthropology. Empathetic in origin, with cinematic sound, and intimate, curiosity-minded conversation …

Whetstone Magazine

I was attracted to Fruit Love Letters: The Persimmon – A Sweet Summer Package for Winter Eating as Epicurious Father extolls the virtues of dried persimmon. Ever since he tried some on a trip to Japan, he’s delighted in these silky, chewy honeyed gems. I haven’t had one in ages; they are rather expensive, if you can find them.

I learned from the podcast that hoshigaki (from the Japanese terms hoshi, meaning dried, and kaki, persimmon) are made following a centuries-old technique that is extremely labour-intensive; each fruit has to be massaged every day for 4-6 weeks!

Rather coincidentally, my food rescue grocer Ugly Food was clearing boxes of these dried fruit, at a fraction of the price I would pay in a specialty store. So I bought several for Epicurious Father.

I wasn’t planning to eat any myself, but after listening to the podcast, I had to reacquaint myself with this delectable powerhouse, bursting with sunshine.

The white dust on the surface is not icing sugar (or mold), but natural fructose which blooms on the surface.

The persimmon grower featured on the programme eats hers with a latte, just as it is. So I had mine with a cup of strong builder’s tea. Big smile.

Reading your Joyful Posts brings me to my happy place. I hope having them in one place makes it easier for you to find when you need a bit of happy therapy, too.

If you would like to join in Happy Place, Happy Space, ping back to this post and I will include you next week

• Betsy at Parenting is Funny’s Betsy gets silly: shows up, gets thrown about, makes new friends
• Carol Ann Siciliano‘s Delights: moves us to wonder, smiles and tears
• Laurie at Notes from the Hinterland‘s The Erstwhile Marches of Snow-Gauge Clif: astounds with stories & snow
• Linda at Working in acres not hours‘ Thrifty is such a fun word: makes & delights in her own mischievous fun
• Markus + Micah‘s Crushing hard on spring: delights in her first spring in Germany
• Natalie at Little Pieces of Me‘s Grateful Fridays: looks forward to more daylight hours for outdoor fun
• Natalie the Explorer‘s These B/W murals revive history: transports us to Little Italy, Toronto, in the early 1900s
• Thistles and Kiwis’ This Week’s Small Pleasures: basks in the delights of sunny autumn days
• Trent’s World‘s The Weekly Smile: focuses on the little joys despite the craziness of the world at large

This post is my contribution to

• Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer
• What’s on Your Plate hosted by Deb at The Widow Badass & Donna at Retirement Reflections