The real cost of food

This and the others are cut outs from the food packaging

I must say, this is not a food (salad) dish I normally make and eat. I try to buy locally as much I can, and not from supermarkets, but from local food producers, and street markets. I bought these salad's ingredients today, from the (Tesco) supermarket deliberately to demonstrate the madness of globalisation, when it comes to food, and the environmental pollution, in the terms of Co2 emissions, transporting this food around from thousands of miles away, causes.

Now, the ingredients of my salad, and where they come from:

Lettuce from France
Tomatoes from Holland
Cucumber from Spain
Chillies (peppers) from Zambia
Spring onions from Mexico,
Cheese (feta) from Greece
and the carrots from Britain!

So three continents there, America, Africa and Europe, all in one dish!

Not visible ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil, and cheap valsamic vinegar from Italy, and sea salt from France, and the olives from Turkey is missing. There was none left in my fridge. They are too good :)

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Comments

Ozan™ says:

Güzel bir karışım olmuş Orhan :)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

dnzwoman says:

Great idea - I'm sure there are many meals that could be even worse.

Though we in nz chafe at the emphasis on food miles, when our outdoor generated food, including shipping by sea has a smaller carbon footprint than much locally produced produce.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

A i t h n e [deleted] says:

çok fena canım çekti
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Orhan Tsolak says:

~~~ Ozan ~~~ Sorma, tam bir karisim oldu.:) Tadi fena degildi, ama bu vakitte hic bir seyin tadi vaktinde yendigi gibi degil tabii.

~~~ R@punseLL ~~~ Gorunduyu kadar tatli degildi ama. Hic bir seyin vaktinde yendigi tadi yoktu inan. Hani gozumu kapasam neyin ne oldugunu pek bilemezdim. Acili yesil biber haric herhalde, onu cok severim :)

~~~ dnzwoman ~~~ Indeed. I think it is worse when it comes to meat. One can find lamb from New Zeland, in almost every supermarket in London. Obviously is a complex issue, but to borrow Tesco's slogan, "every litlle bit helps" I suppose when it comes to raising awareness about the issue, hence this photo. Many thanks for the visit and the comment!

Apologies for unintentionally leaving NZ out of the frame, expect the tiny little bit of it :)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

A i t h n e [deleted] says:

bilmem bence hoş olabilir ama itiraf ediorum havuç ve peynir bir arada olmaz yakışmaz gibi ...
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

hedgiecc says:

Excellent point Orhan! ~ although, the local UK crop at the moment would be beetroot, leeks and other rooty things - no salad at all!

I've always been disappointed by Greek salads in London - they never taste as nice as they do in Greece :-(
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Orhan Tsolak says:

~~~ R@punsell ~~ Cok haklisin. Biraz british usulu oldu. :) Havuc burada su fiyatina, cok ucuz, ve gozlere iyi geliyormus galiba. (Biz fotografcilar icin, iyi gormek onemli olsa gerek) Yiyecek kureysellesmesine bir kritik olsun diye havucuda kattim, yoksa gercekten beraber yincek seyler degil :)
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

Orhan Tsolak says:

~~~ hedgiecc ~~~ That's right. This was my first salad for a long time, since summer really, and I bought the ingredients (which cost me a small fortune) only for the purposes of this photo. There is so much unseasonal food in the supermarkets at the moment, it is almost unbeliavable! Betroot, leeks and rooty things, that sound good to me! They should make a good salad. For greek salads in London, forget it. Only perhaps in the summer, in Green Lanes. Many thanks for the visit and comment!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

nikoskrikelis says:

Excellent idea!
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

ginnia says:

Orhan, have you heard of the 100 mile diet? I just heard about it today. The concept is to eat foods that are grown/produced within a 100 miles radius of where one lives. It's to raise awareness of the disconnect we have from the food that sustains us. I like your shot, and the message it contains.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

racingsquirrel says:

Wow, that is an amazing story.
On a trip to Mongolia, a friend of mine told me that the guides brought along their own goats. On the first night, there was a goat roast. The unused bits were kept. When these ran out, the next goat was on the spit. Food on the hoof so to speak. Practical, economical, and except for respiration, relatively CO2 free.
Posted 37 months ago. ( permalink )

diamonds_in_the_soles_of_her_shoes says:

Looks delicious ,though! I love feta cheese !!!
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

heavenuphere says:

I like the idea behind this pic..
still this looks like a yummy salad.
Hope you liked the tomatoes :)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

ionk says:

That is the Real Cost of Food!
Do you know that most of the UK garbage ends up in China? Yes, thats right, instead of returning empty , all those container ships filled with consumerist goods from China, are filled with rubbish! read: Santa's Ship
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

B@ni says:

salata harika görünüyor ama hiç bişey bizdeki yeşilliğin yerini tutmaz bir kere bunun içinde roka yok :)
ayrıca konu ile ilgisi yok ama ikonunu değiştir nolursun :)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

surfer rosa says:

Orhan, nothing much to say. Very good expression!!!

and ionk, thanks for sharing cause I didn't know that. It's unbelievable!!!
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

ionk says:

You are welcome surfer rosa! Who said "roka yok"? I have plenty of roka in my little home-grown garden Banu! :)) I would send some to Orhan but it wouldnt be enviromentally friendly!
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

_kico says:

Very interested.
Our body will be more better but our environment is damaged by CO2...
What is good for !? I'll try to check my meal :D
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

mlazopoulou says:

Very interesting shot Orhan! The barrel aged feta cheese though is delicious ;-)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

alk_is says:

yet they are fresh, healthy, seem delicious, give people of these faraway places chances to improve their living. Just think if we here on the SE mediterranean could not export oil or feta or olives or ... to the NW.
But paying the right price, assigning the clean-up cost to the polluter, is not a bad idea. But they have already cost you "a small fortune" as you said, so it may be already there!.
(the photo idea is very good)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

BetüL says:

ne guzel, hem bu detayi yakalamis hemde hepsini biaraya getirip boyle guzel fotograflamissin
:)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Orhan Tsolak says:

Thank you all for your comments. I am very pleased with the views and faves this picture got, and I am glad it was worth the effort the money this salad cost, which is about 6.50 Sterline Pounds (10 Euros)

~~~ *BetuL ~~~ Cok tesekkurler. Merakla yaptim aslinda, zor is degildi. Sadece gece isigi ile fotograflar, gunduz isigi kadar guzel olmiyor.Bunu odamda cektim. Ama sonradan farkettim daha iyi olabilirdi. Yan tarafa zeytin yagi, sirkeyi ve tuzu kucuk bir cam kavanoz icinde, koymayi unutmusum :)

~~~ alk_is ~~~ They vegetables were not that fresh I am afraid, and largely tasteless. I am not an expert in the subject, and elaborating on it, I risk making it a "salad" here, but I think there is something very wrong with the idea of fresh vegetables imported from thousands of miles away. Food that lasts longer, olive oil, feta, and olives in this case, are slightly different I think. Prices are always artificial, and I don't think there ever can be a "right" price. Indeed this salad cost a lot money, and it is something I and a good percentage of British people can not really afford, on a daily basis, which brings us to the issue of class, but that's another vegetable althougher, very connected to the issue at hand nevertheless. Many thanks for liking the photo, and your comment!

~~~ _kiko ~~~ I think eating locally produced,, seasonal and fresh food is the best option indeed. Many thanks for your comment! I like your food photography.

~~~ "surfer rosa" ~~~ Many thanks for the comment and fave Deniz. Your latest picture is truly exceptional!

~~~ mlazopoulou ~~~ "Barrel Aged Feta Cheese" sounds great doesn't? :)Yes, it was delicious. Feta always is, but this one is a bit too creamy for my liking. I prefer the slightly dry ones. The Total one I think remains the best, and the feta from the Epiros region of Greece (Dodoni). The Turkish white cheeses from London's Green Lanes, are very good as well, but there so many varieties of them, I haven't found yet the best one.

~~~ B@ni ~~~ Asagida ionk, "Kim dedi 'roka yok' diye, Banu, benim evimin kucuk bahcesinde yetistigin cok roka var :) Orhan'a yolliyicam ama, cevre (doga) icin yollamak dogru olmiyicak!" diyor. Roka'yi ben bilmiyorum, bakicam supermarkette, mutlaka o da vardir. :). Yesiller hakkinda cok hakkinda. Gozlerimi kapayip yeseydim, neyin ne oldugunu soylemek zordu :)

~~~ ionk ~~~ I have translated your comment for Banu :). Don't worry though, there are more "clever" people than you, who I am sure are shifting nylon loads of rokas to the supermarkets here. You can always send us picture of your roka garden though :) I did read about the "Santa's Ship" before xmas, and the picture of the ship tanker was almost in every newspaper here, but the return journey (not surprisingly) was not publicised as much. So the "rubbish" return journey was news to me! Gracie mille for the link and comment. No surprises there of course that the ship returned empty but the garbage. I am sure they were some luxury items there too though, such parfums there though, and some 'real" swiss wrist watches :)

~~~ heavenupthere ~~~ Many thanks. The salad was yummy, but that was largely thanks to the extra virgine olive oil, and the balsamic vinegar, plus the feta cheese. I am sorry to disappoint you, but the tomatoes did not live up to their promise; The tag on the backaging said: "TOMATOES ON THE VINE * Specially selected variety with supreme taste and aroma *Grown by selected growers *Ripened on the vine for a full and traditional flavour * Class 1" and they cost, 1.89 pounds (about 2.50 Euros) for about 7 of them, the size of a big olive each. They tasted OK, but nothing more than that. Otherwise I love tomatoes! :) Many thanks for your visit and comment.

~~~ diamonds_in_the_soles_of_her_shoes_ ~~~ Thanks my friend. Me too! I am very biased, but feta is my favourite cheese, specially with salads :)

~~~ racingsquirrel~~~ Many thanks for your story there. It is a great little story. I think we have a thing or two to learn from the Mongolians, before the Tesco's (or Wal-Mart) opens up a store there too! :) It sounds like a typical nomads life to me. The one, in fact humans practised for millennia, before something happened along the line in the 19'th century, and changed all that, and these days seems to have spread all around the world, with very few exceptions. Nowadays apart from the few nomads left, I think the Gypsies in Europe still practice the same nomadic lifestyle and they are equally loved and derided for that.

~~~ ginnia64 ~~~ The "100 mile diet" sounds great, but I haven't managed to check the link yet. I will do so now. I couldn't agree more with your comment of course. Many thanks!

~~~ nikoskrikelis ~~~ Many thanks Niko.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

kburki says:

excellent collage -- very thoughtful.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Orhan Tsolak says:

~~~ kburki ~~~ Many thanks! It is not a collage though, or rather is a hand-made collage, as opposed to computer (photoshop) aided collage.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

mel-pin says:

Hello New (yellow)Buddy icon! Salad means salad, afterall. Mixed diggestion.
:o)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Taasos says:

universal salad...this is a great marketing idea...think about it...

I love the background and love salads too...
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Orhan Tsolak says:

~~~ Tasos_40 ~~~ Indeed, global free trade salad :) Marketing idea? Oh no, not for me. When I was a teenager, at my village in the Thracian valley, I had a go at trading, and with a mate of mine, were for a week the middlemen trading gherkins (aggourakia)! :) But we overpaid - by mistake - one producer 10.000 drachmas, when we should have paid him 5.000, and he kept quiet about it. At the end of the week, we made no profit ( and no loss) but whole labour counted for nothing :) Many thanks for your visit and comment Taso!

~~~ mel-pin ~~~ Geia xaradan! Ta ekana salata kai me ta buddy icons mou teleftaia :)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Ravza says:

Salatayı da, fotoğrafı da beğendim:)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Heliotrophe says:

Oncelikle cok istah acici bir tabak :), dusuncen super, hic aklima gelmemisti yedigim seylerin orijinini arastirmak :) kompozisyonun, anlatmak istedigin icin daha uygun olamazdi, eline saglik :)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

The Mainzelmann says:

For better ecologic compliance you might have left the carrots out...
;-)
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

Autumm says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Healthy Food Community - Keep it fresh, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Autumm says:

You have been nominiated for The best of HFC on the Healthy Food Community - Keep it Fresh
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

Autumm says:

Yay!!!! This photo is being featured on the front page of Healthy Food Community this week as it is a prime example of what the group is about :-)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

poly_mnia says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Global warming - we CAN stop it !!!, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

WannaHotChaser? says:

www.flickr.com/groups/whati8/
--
Found in a search. (?)
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Emperor Anton says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called The Grub Hound, and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Shu...... [deleted] says:

This is exactly the unique 'ness that i'm speaking of this global salad collage is what people all over the need to see. Great job, Orhan.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

ie.eg.etc says:

what a great concept for a shot! wonderful colours as well :)
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

this inspired life says:

sure puts things into perspective with the map and labels... well done!
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

clara_uh says:

Great!!!!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Beowulf of Texas says:

OMG!!!
Posted 17 months ago. ( permalink )

fotofreakske says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called In The Mood For Food, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

twisted mosaic says:

bon apetit :) it works, cool!
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

ms.lume says:

Wonderfully stated in both image and word!

I invite you to post this exceptional image to:
Super Eco

Please add it to the group pool.
Please read the rules upon joining. Thanks.
Please tag picture: SuperEco
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

omarac says:

I'm getting interested in being a locavore so this composition/concept is really interesting. Nice work!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

surfer rosa says:

Orhan, I'm reading Alain De Botton's "Pleasures and Sorrows of Work" nowadays and the first two chapters particularly reminded me of this picture of yours. I think, you would enjoy the book.
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

Orhan Tsolak says:

Thank you all!

@surfer rosa. Hi there. I had read ADB's, first novel, "Essays in Love", long time ego now, and had enjoyed it very much. Definitely would want to read the latest one as well. Will look out for it. Many thanks for the recommendation!
Posted 9 months ago. ( permalink )

net_efekt says:

Nice idea!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Nasser★ Birthday Boy :P says:

a job well done
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

Nasser★ Birthday Boy :P says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Yummy Food, and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

linhhoangle says:

A
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

annaokta11 says:

Pizza!!!
Posted 4 months ago. ( permalink )

itsallgroovy1 says:

Thanks for sharing! I blogged this at
The Beauty Of Food
Posted 6 weeks ago. ( permalink )

mikescottnz says:

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called GMO Free World , picture it ; make an image, join us ., and we'd love to have this added to the group!
Posted 5 weeks ago. ( permalink )

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The real cost of food

Comments

Ozan™ says:

dnzwoman says:

A i t h n e [deleted] says:

Orhan Tsolak says:

A i t h n e [deleted] says:

hedgiecc says:

Orhan Tsolak says:

Orhan Tsolak says:

nikoskrikelis says:

ginnia says:

racingsquirrel says:

diamonds_in_the_soles_of_her_shoes says:

heavenuphere says:

ionk says:

B@ni says:

*surfer rosa* says:

ionk says:

_kico says:

mlazopoulou says:

alk_is says:

*BetüL* says:

Orhan Tsolak says:

kburki says:

Orhan Tsolak says:

mel-pin says:

Taasos says:

Orhan Tsolak says:

Ravza says:

Heliotrophe says:

The Mainzelmann says:

Autumm says:

Autumm says:

Autumm says:

poly_mnia says:

WannaHotChaser? says:

Emperor Anton says:

Shu...... [deleted] says:

ie.eg.etc says:

this inspired life says:

clara_uh says:

Beowulf of Texas says:

fotofreakske says:

twisted mosaic says:

ms.lume says:

omarac says:

*surfer rosa* says:

Orhan Tsolak says:

net_efekt says:

Nasser★ Birthday Boy :P says:

Nasser★ Birthday Boy :P says:

linhhoangle says:

annaokta11 says:

itsallgroovy1 says:

mikescottnz says:

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surfer rosa says:

BetüL says:

surfer rosa says: