I have come across a problem living down here. It’s not going to seem like a big problem at first, and some of you are probably going to just shake your head, chuckle a bit, and then move on, but hear me out!
My palate is in the wrong hemisphere.
Allow me to explain, please. It’s the end of september. And down here the cherry blossoms are blooming, the sun is shining more often, we just had daylight savings time so it’s lighter later. And the food is becoming bountifully spring harvests. Like asparagus and strawberries. And it’s a beautiful time of the year.
But, and here is my problem, my mind wants autumn. Apple cider. Caramel apples. Apples and honey. Sweet potato and pumpkin pie. A big turkey dinner with all the trimmings come november. But it will be the end of spring, almost summer come November, and there is nobody that’s going to want to cook a big thanksgiving meal in the middle of spring! let alone eat one!
My mouth and taste and cravings are still stuck in the northern hemisphere! I made challah yesterday for the new year, and it’s full of dried cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger. The scents and tastes and smells of autumn and golden leaves and crisp breezes and the occasional smell of a fireplace that somebody has lit up just a bit early. Those last lazy days of summer where the sky just starts to get darker, and all you wanted to do was just enjoy the warmth a bit longer, because you knew that winter was coming.
Those are the flavors that I am begging for right now, that my mouth is craving. I can’t even begin to say how much I would love some fresh apple cider right now. But it seems more like fresh lemonade is in my future. Which is great! I love lemonade!
My tongue just wants it to be autumn!
An American Girl in Kiwiland 