By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title.
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, 1600
Lately I’ve been thinking about botanical terms for plants, which are very precise and specific, versus culinary terms for plants which are much more cultural and less specific or precise as scientific terms. We’ve actually had a couple of events at River Myst Haven that have illustrated this for me, specifically the Two Sisters Southwest Cooking Experience.
Here are some interesting examples.
Peppers
Chile peppers are in the genus Capsicum, and all chile peppers belong to the large nightshade family (Solanaceae) along with tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco, and eggplants. (For those who forgot High School biology, specifically Taxonomic rank , it’s Family, Genus, Species, so: Solanaceae, Capsicum annum (bell peppers & pimentos) or Capsicum frutescens (like the cayenne)…and so on…)
So, common names for these plants include cayenne, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, paprika, peppers, pimiento, red pepper, sweet pepper, aji dulce, Hungarian pepper, and Mexican pepper. So, bell peppers, jalapeño, habanero, cayenne, and banana pepper are all in the same family and genus—they are all Chile Peppers. In Mexico the term “chile” is used to refer to the group.
However, in cooking New Mexico cuisine, the common preference is to use the term chile to refer to a specific group of chile peppers, especially those cultivars specifically developed in the state.
So, it was funny to watch those of us who grew up on the West Coast correcting our use of the term “pepper” when referring to the wonderful “chiles” the sisters brought for the class.
But, they’re all Chile peppers.
For lots more information: The Chile Pepper Institute , at New Mexico University, is an international nonprofit organization devoted to education, research, and archiving information related to Capsicum.
Or:
http://www.chili-peppers.info/
http://www.texmextogo.com/chilipeppersfacts.htm
http://www.zianet.com/focus/chile.htm
Cilantro
This is another interesting example. Cilantro and Coriander are the same plant, an annual herb in the family Apiaceae (including also carrot, celery, parsnips, parsley). And yet, the terms are used very differently in cooking. Coriander seed is often called for in recipes, but I’ve never personally seen a call for cilantro seeds. And, the leaves and seeds have distinctly different flavors. The reference that got me really thinking about this one was a recipe that called for “young coriander leaves,” aka cilantro.
Interesting to note that anise (Pimpinella anisum ) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ) are both in the family Apiacea, they are 2 different plants. I bring this up because I was in a cooking class where an ongoing discussion of the topic occupied a fair amount of the weekend.
Tomatillos
This was the first year that I grew Tomatillos (Physalis philadelphica), and of the many times I related this to friends, I found quite a bit of confusion. First, they are not tomatoes; although, they are in the same family, Solanaceae (just like peppers). They are in a different genus and are more related to gooseberries. The tomatillo is also known as the husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, or ground cherry.
You probably know they are a main ingredient in green salsa (with peppers…er, chiles), but there are many other sweet/savory uses for them (often in meat dishes). I found them delicious right off the plant—very sweet, kinda berry-like.
Our good friend Ingrid brought me a packet of Borecole seeds from a recent trip to England, and it was a wonderful grower, delicious and hearty. We know it as kale.
A couple of times during cooking experiences here I was asked for arugula and rocket, which, of course meant I picked leaves from the same plant. Same with radiccio and chicory.
So what?
I still find the nexus of botany with cooking to be quite interesting. I’m more interested in cooking since I started growing on such a large scale, and I’m fascinated with applying the botanical/growing perspective to the preparation of foods. My purpose in pointing out what I think is a fascinating dual nomenclature is to draw attention to how it illustrates the cultural context of cuisine.
You can make tasty New Mexico dishes using different plants in the Capsicum genus, but you really should call them chiles. And, would you prefer a salad of rocket or arugula, chicory or radiccio?
So, a rose by any other name…
Tomato harvest
After this unusual cold/hot/cold/hot summer, most of the large tomatoes on the bushes, after languishing during the “summer,” all ripe last week. I talked previously about the wonderful taste of green leafy vegetables that grew slowly during the cold months earlier this year; however, I found a bit of the opposite in green tomatoes on the vine for an extended period that then ripened. Don’t get me wrong, they were good, but they didn’t have the strong, powerful flavor of fruit that ripened quicker. So, given the nice but not exceptional taste and the quantity, I used a simple recipe from Patricia Wells to oven roast and sauce them (basically halfed tomatoes, salt, herbs, some oil, 425°)…YUM!
Terra Madre
The fourth edition of the Terra Madre conference will be October 21-25, 2010.
Terra Madre is an international network of food producers, cooks, educators and students from 150 countries who are united by a common goal of global sustainability in food. The "food communities" of Terra Madre come together biennially to share innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for keeping small-scale agriculture and sustainable food production alive and well.
Part of the fall eggplant harvest.
~Timothy
