Kirt:
> >Of course, taste tells something, but not enough; and who knows if
> >our sense of taste is distorted? BTW, some _raw_ wild plants taste
> >bitter, but cooked - unfortunately ;-) - palatable.

> Is it unfortunate, or is it the glory of what cooking has unlocked as a
> nuitritional advantage for our species? (he asks with a wink and a nudge)

For fanatical rawfoodist  it`s the shattering truth: raw food diet is not omnipotent!

> Regarding berries. Might it be a matter of shipping distance? I assume the
> local berries you eat are more properly ripened than southern berries
> shipped north. Or are you comparing wild berries gathered in the south and
> your local berries?

I meant the latter.

> When we have returned from a time in the tropics to, say, northern USA, we
> find the most attractive fruit to be berries. The tropics have nothing
> similar to the temperate climate berries that we have ever found (but, of
> course, not many papayas grow above the Arctic circle either :))

Yeah,  I love berries: blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries, cloudberries,
cranberries, currants ... I have never even tasted papaya  but I think
berries do compensate your fruits perfectly.

> Tiina you are an inspiration to us all: a rawist from Finland! (and a vegan
> one to boot!) I'm sure you have much to teach us all about getting along on
> a less than spectacular seasonal fare. Good to hear from you again.

Sorry, but I must let you down:  I`m not 100% rawist and I`m not even
a vegan. I wish I`d live on an all raw vegan diet, but perhaps my
will isn`t strong enough yet. But I have made progress -  greatly -
within fifteen years.  I think year by year I love more and more
living food as I call it, because I want to look well, fresh and young.
Who wouldn`t? :-)

My climate ... This is the first winter I`ve enjoyed the period of
winter darkness with cold, aurora borealis, full moon and scurry of snow.
I think it`s because I`ve found equanimity (into my soul) I have
begun to see beauty of this season, too. But this is out of topic
so I stop here.

Tiina Makela || [log in to unmask]