I finally finished reading The Taste of Place: A Cultural Journey into Terroir by Amy B. Trubek. I bought the book months ago but never got around to reading it, and I am really glad I finally did. The book addresses the very amorphous concept of terroir. The traditional American translation equates terroir with, essentially, soil. The term is most often used when discussing wine, particularly the tastes typical of wines produced in certain areas. Trubek provides a significantly more nuanced interpretation of the term, both in terms of its original French meaning and its applicability in contemporary society.
The term terrior holds different meanings for different people. The broadest definition includes a recognition of the impact on the finished agricultural product of multiple factors, including environmental (geography, geology, and climate, for example) and human (production methods and cultural standards, for example) inputs. Essentially, food (and wine) tastes different based on where and how it is produced. The most strictly codified interpretation of terroir is evidenced in the French Appelation D'Origine Controlee (AOC) system. The system is intended to recognize and promote the uniqueness of certain products (originally wines, but now also foods) produced in defined areas using defined techniques. Attitudes towards and appreciation of terroir within France have been culturally ingrained; the country has hundreds of years of strong agricultural tradition that have established standards and practices for food and wine production, and there has also been a concerted effort on the part of the government to preserve the perceived uniqueness of French products.
The United States does not have nearly the same historical perspective on agriculture as France. Since the rise of commodity food production, the exploration of terroir in the US has largely been considered countercultural, and has been undertaken by fairly discrete groups of producers and consumers. The limited historical and cultural traditions regarding agriculture in the U.S. allows these individuals to be experimental and implement new techniques and practices while striving to make great tasting food and wine.
Trubek examines the concept of terroir along multiple dimensions, and highlights people and groups within both France and the United States that are working to maintain and develop this idea. The book includes extensive research and interviews, and the focus ranges from French winemakers to California winemakers to chefs in California, Wisconsin, and Vermont focused on using local ingredients (and the organization and logistics needed to make that happen) to Vermont maple syrup producers. The stories are compelling, and the book provides an incredible perspective on the breadth and nuance of flavors, as well as the human connections, that are available to us through food.
Fascinating post. I wonder to what extent "terrior" can act as an inhibitor to creativity in the development of wines, foods and other products and services. Does it require that production methods, for example, must remain static. Jim Mac.
ReplyDeleteThat actually is an issue to which the book alludes. It seems to be more of a concern (though to its defendants it is probably not a concern) in places like France, where the "rules" can get fairly extensive. For example, to be eligible for an AOC designation, a winemaker must follow rules about the grape varietals that are grown, the density of growth, the geographic location of the vineyard, how the wine is produced, etc. There certainly are producers in France who use non-traditional approaches (and may produce very good results), but they do so outside the defined system. Stasis seems to be less of an issue within the U.S. because we don't have the same level of ingrained ideas about where and how certain things can be produced.
ReplyDeleteThere is a very interesting second angle raised by this comment, however, which has to do with marketing. Producers have an incentive to clearly define their product and market it as unique in some way. In some cases, they are supported by governments or other organizations, but in others they may be largely self-designated. Creating the sense of distinctiveness necessarily excludes others who may be doing similar things in different places or using different methods; there is an incentive for producers to function such that they can use the marketing power of the defined "brand." Whether in France or the U.S., any producer operating outside a defined structure bears the burden of making his product known to consumers largely on his own.
I think that brings us to the key point that I took away from the book, which is that ultimately it is up to the consumer to be curious about the source of her food and look beyond the options that are most readily available.