By Kathy Hughes
Contributing Writer
Like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” I awoke one morning to find I was living in an unfamiliar country, where everything seemed new: the language, the food and attitudes. The awareness grew upon me slowly as I was doing The New York Times crossword puzzle.
As usual, since I rarely know all many answers, I was looking things up so as I could progress on my own. The problem was, I did not recognize the answers. It is a realization that has been shadowing me lately, that I am not in the mainstream of life in the country where I used to live.
Well, this may be enjoyable, I thought. I love to travel. The intensity of life abroad is so stimulating, even ordering breakfast is a challenge, and it is an adventure finding one’s way around in an unfamiliar place, with new discoveries waiting around every turn.
The problem is, I’m not enjoying it. Crossword puzzles are recommended as a means to sharpen one’s memory, and they can be a challenge if they are just hard enough to make you think. Increasingly, questions about musicians, movies, and literature are beyond my reach, as rappers, new movie stars and characters work their way into the grid.
What finally brought me up short was a question about food. That should never happen to a foodie. Since I just learned that “quinoa “ is pronounced “keen wa,” I was surprised to learn that food culture had moved on without me. An article in the Huffington Post titled, “The New Quinoa,” informs that not one, but several new grains are currently (or soon to) appear on the shelves at Trader Joe’s: freekeh, kamut, fonio, teff and lupin. All of them, save lupin, are from the African continent, from Ethiopia to West Africa. Lupin, also known as lupini beans, is originally from the Mediterranean area, but now is grown almost exclusively in Australia.
Of course all of these grains are “ancient” (no GMO foods here), and are exceedingly nutritious. Other benefits among them are gluten free, low glycemic or high fiber. If you are looking for recipes, I doubt you’ll find anything in Julia Child or Fanny Farmer; King Tut’s favorites, may be more like it. The ad may read, “Try freekeh, a scorched, ode gucci grain, your family won’t nope out on.” Translated, this means, “Try Freekeh, an awesome, fabulous grain that your family won’t refuse.” I think I got that right!
