Food for thought, Its a saying, It means that you are giving someone or receiving information that you can think about. You are feeding your mind with information in which you would think about and ponder.
Food for thought, however there is another food for thought, and it is quite literally about food. And what is this about ? Well I went to the shops and purchased some fruit and vegetables. I ate some of them and they “filled the hole” as the saying goes. But is it delicious and nutritious ? Well as with anyone who has gone over to a foreign country such as Thailand or Indonesia or Vietnam or Papua New Guinea or any one of the small asian countries. This is where we need to be careful with what we say as to hopefully not offend or defame or slander or hurt the feelings of some sensitive princess feelings.
Here is an example we will use, a Tomato and a Banana. Yes Tomatos use to be spelt like this up until the past few years if anyone actually remembers how Tomatos use to be spelt prior to the past 5 years.
Anyhow, generally in Australia Tomatos and Bananas are harvested prior to being ripe in order to “ripen” during transport and storage and so forth.
But here is the thing, the nutrients and so forth that the fruit would have received and ripening it would have done on the plant prior to being picked will not reach the fruit, so the fruit will be missing these nutrients in order to ripen while in storage and transport and while at the shops.
However in other Asian countries the fruit is left on the plant / tree right up until the fruit is ripe and ready to eat, therefore it remains on the plant / tree much longer. This would cause the fruit to receive more nutrients from the plant itself, just like when a mother breast feeds her baby.
Now here is the thing, those in countries like Australia who buy and eat the Bananas and Tomatos from Australia which were harvested a little early to cater for shelf life and storage and transport, the consumers think nothing of the fruit they eat. Sometimes the Bananas are a little too green and unable to eat and have to wait a few days for them to “ripen” and soften so they can peal and eat. Other times they are nice yellow looking and feel and taste the way they do, and then there is the yellow ones with black spots all over them which may have soggy spots on the internal fruit and soft and sticky to eat, and a few different variations.
Sometimes the Tomatos are green, other times they are green and red, other times they are red, other times they are really red and soggy to touch. On many occasions when you cut the Tomato there is a lot of liquid that pours out of the Tomato. Also there is gaps / space between the outer skin and flesh and the inner centre part of the Tomato. People in Australia would think this is normal and not think any different.
When either pealing or cutting or consuming these fruits we all know what they feel and taste like.
However when Australians travel over seas to such countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Papua New Guinea and eat the Banana’s and Tomaots over there in them countries which have been on the trees much longer, they are blown away by how very different they taste, and very different in the texture and in some occasions the physical appearance.
Also that the fruit and vegetables at the fresh fruit and vegetable markets are so much cheaper than Australia, that you could fulfill your weekly shopping of fruit and vegetables for only about $10 Australian dollars. Not only that. The Tomatos would look identical to the Australian Tomatos, but the flavour is so much better than what they are use to in Australia.
Also with the Bananas, you could go to the fresh fruit and vegetable market and get Bananas which from a western view point look like they are un-ripened, or just ripe, or they are all black and rotten. However looks will be deceiving.
The first thing to know as a westerner going to an Asian country is that there is about a dozen different types of Banana’s, and they are all not the same. There are some Bananas that are about 1 or 2 foot long. There are other Bananas that are very small and thin.
Some Bananas are only for cooking, meaning no you can not just peal them and eat them like a normal Banana, These Bananas you would either roast them in a fire or cook in an oven or boil them in coconut milk.
Other Bananas actually have seeds in them like an Apple, Yes this is TRUE, there is a couple variety’s of Bananas which has seeds the size of Apple Seeds inside the fruit and along the length of the fruit.
Then you have the Sweet Bananas which are like the ones from Australia, however they at times may appear to be blacker in appearance due to age and sun. But do not let that turn you off thinking that they are over ripened. They are anything but. Usually when you purchase these Bananas and you peal away the skin, the flesh if firm and fresh like a perfectly ripen Banana in Australia, no soft or brown spots on the fruit inside, no sticky parts, but just perfect looking. Then when you eat the fruit, the flavour is so good that I’m sure you would more than likely wanting to eat another Banana because they taste so so good.
Just remember some varietys have seeds in them while some do not, so if you get the Banana with seeds, just be careful not to eat them as you would if you were eating a Water Melon or Apple seeds. Oh yes Water Melons are very good as well. On all the Tomatos and Bananas and Water Melons taste so much more better than Australian Tomatos and Bananas and Water Melons.
Where we were working before some work colleagues had never left Australia, while other had been to Thailand, and known people from the Philippines and other countries as well in Asia, and at the time I had been to Papua New Guinea. All of us who had travelled over seas to Asia and come back to Australia all agreed that compared to the other countries we had been to, the fruit and vegetables in the other countries in Asia tasted and looked so much better by a long shot compared to that of what is on offer in australia. Infact all who had tasted the fruit and vegetables from the other countries all agree that without hesitation and without a 2nd thought would immediately and always prefer the other countrys fruit and vegetables of Papua New Guinea and Thailand and Philippines and Indonesia and Vietnam etc instead of Australia. We eat fruit and vegetables here in Australia, an we eat them, Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Carrots, Cabbage, Broccoli, etc, and they are fine, however.
Food For Thought, The fruit and vegetables in South East Asia although the same as Australia, their fruit and vegetables in them other countries are so many times better, How is it that people who have been over seas can say such a thing ? they continue to say that, what is it about Australian and other Asian countries that would make people say they would prefer the Asian countrys fruit and vegetables over Australia fruit and vegetables in a heart beat ?
Food For Thought.