Introduction
Local and seasonal produce refers to the seasons of the year when we harvest particular food products and their flavors are at their best. For instance, the mango season has arrived! Do you enjoy mangoes? If so, after the season is done won’t you miss mangoes? Beginning in early March to early August, mangoes are accessible; however, the taste isn’t the same and the price of the fruit increases. This holds true for all foods.
India provides enough food throughout the year for us to eat every day. The best meal to eat is anything that is produced locally, regardless of the season. Compared to other outside food, it is fresher and healthier to ingest.
Spring
Springtime produce is rich in vitamins and minerals that are crucial for a balanced diet. Sunlight and a pleasant wind are two characteristics of spring. It is a well-known fact that if you don’t consume foods that work as anti-allergenics, you can easily develop a cold or the flu.
Fruits: apricots, pineapple, cantaloupe, jackfruit, avocado, cherries, and jackfruit.
Vegetables: Beans, carrot, cabbage, beetroot, garlic and spring onions.
Autumn
Autumn, often known as the fall, is neither hot nor cold. The weather turns cooler, and the color of the leaves changes. Due to the lack of rain and the fact that it is essentially the dry season, this is a bad time for farming. Fruits and vegetables in the fall are still incredibly nutrient-dense.
Fruits: Bananas, pears, guava, custard apple, black Jamun, sweet lime, and custard apple.
Vegetables: Sweet potatoes, maize, lettuce, mushrooms, and potatoes.
Monsoon
The monsoon season provides hydrating and purifying rainfall as well as unwelcome slushy roadways. Taking hot tea, coffee, or chocolate in large gulps will help you avoid respiratory infections. Although we are known for our love of bhajis and pakoras during the monsoon season, alternating between those delicious fritters and a hot bowl of soup flavored with lots of herbs would be quite beneficial. The Kharif crops are those that are cultivated during the wet seasons. Rice, paddy, Jowar, bajra, maize, cotton plants, etc. are a few examples of them.
Fruits: Peaches, plums, pomegranates, pears, and cherries.
Vegetables: Radish, beans, green chilies, brinjal, and okra.
Summer
Fruits and vegetables from the summer help you stay full and are necessary for healthy digestion. They include water, fiber, and micronutrients. We tend to spend more time outside and perspire more in the summer, so it’s important to drink lots of water and consume certain fruits like watermelons that are high in water content to stay hydrated. The following are some examples of summer produce that naturally contain a lot of water for your reference:
Fruits: Rambutans, watermelons, strawberries, mangoes, plums, and lychees.
Vegetables: Cluster beans, zucchini, cucumber, bottle gourd, brinjal, and tomatoes.
Winter
Depending on where you stay or travel from December to February, the winter might be harsh. The north of India can be very chilly, whereas the south of the country experiences rather nice weather with tolerably cool temperatures. Another incentive to consume fresh and local foods is that winter brings a fresh batch of viruses and diseases that we must protect ourselves from. Winter produce is full of vitamins, minerals, and delicious flavors.
Fruits: dates, grapes, kiwi, papaya, lemons, oranges, and apples.
Vegetables: pumpkins, turnips, spinach, ash gourds, and bitter gourds.
Amazing benefits of eating local produce
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is made possible by local produce. To retain nutrients and minerals, food should be consumed as soon as possible. Both our carbon footprint and our health are safeguarded. Food that we import from outside of India will take longer to get to us and is loaded with chemicals to keep it looking fresh, but it loses nutrients as a result of the time and chemicals. Food that is imported is usually expensive, but if we get our vegetables from locals, we will help local farmers and the community’s economy while also keeping our costs down.
Local food is fresh- Simply saying “fresh” makes us feel positive about its goodness. When we import items from other nations, it requires a tremendous amount of energy for them to arrive on schedule. They need to keep it at the ideal temperature. Time and energy are completely wasted if the electricity goes off. The local food can be obtained just as easily as picking fruit from the garden. It is overflowing with flavor and looks and tastes fresh.
Local food is nutritious- To be healthy, it’s important to eat a fresh bowl of fruits and veggies every day. We strive throughout the day to live a healthy and active lifestyle, and we may achieve this by simply indulging in the great nutritional punch of fruits and vegetables that are so beneficial to our health. The greatest aspect is that we can buy the best fruits and veggies from the neighborhood vendors because they are so easily accessible.
Local produce is safer and more affordable- Consuming local produce is more affordable and secure. Food products need to be transported and shipped with a lot of preservation when they are imported from outside of India. If not properly cleansed, this preservation can be quite dangerous. It takes at least a week’s time to reach us and sometimes it runs the risk of getting rotten when they are not packed in a hygienic and proper way. However local products come to the market the very same day or the following day and have no preservatives, making it considerably safer and cheaper to buy and easily the best choice.
Local food is environmentally friendly– The ecology is also negatively impacted by the transport and shipping of items from outside of India. The process easily justifies excessive pollution. Because gasoline and diesel are so expensive, there is an unnecessary strain on Mother Earth. Our environment benefits more when we buy our fruits, veggies, herbs, and spinach from local vendors since we can reduce our carbon footprint and foster a more powerfully eco-friendly environment.
Locally grown food helps the regional economy- If our domestic farmers are harmed while allowing the foreign farmers to prosper, there is no sense. We need to buy more locally grown produce in order to support our neighborhood farmers. The local economy will benefit in the long run as a result of our increased focus on purchasing locally grown food, as it offers our local farmers the support and motivation they desperately need. Local foods should always take precedence over imported ones as our top priority.
Conclusion
Local produce has unmatched qualities in terms of flavor, freshness, quality, and price. It is less expensive for the world as well as for you. To have a deeper understanding of the regional products and seasonal delicacies, keep an eye on nearby sellers and agricultural communities. The risk of agricultural unpredictability is very significant, just as the issue of climate change is escalating dramatically. Knowing the great and numerous advantages of locally grown food is crucial if we are to maintain our health, that of our local farmers, and the health of the environment.