Food and Cultural Identity

I recently returned to Nebraska from a trip to the Western Mediterranean - the Ligurian coast of Italy, Southern France, and Barcelona in Spain. Please don’t feel sorry for me. I’ll be Ok! 

Seriously, while the history, scenery, and people were beautiful and interesting, the food is really the highlight in that part of the world. In those areas, regional cuisine is not a trend or a luxury - it’s how they eat, all the time. People identify strongly with their regional identity, sometimes (in the case of Catalunya in Spain, for example) as much as their national one. Food is central to how they live, and how they share their culture with visitors.

I couldn’t help but consider the contrast to the homogenized food culture that we experience  in the US. Of course, Europeans have are thousands of years ahead of  us when it comes to establishing those roots. But nonetheless, I believe regional eating is possible here, and it can be a way to feel grounded in the place we live - not a luxury, but a key part of the “Good Life”. 

We have the good fortune, here in Eastern Nebraska, of existing at the intersection of two distinct farming regions - The Great Plains and the Midwest. Lone Tree Foods operates in both of these regions to give our customers access to the resources of both. We can bring you specialty food items from High Plains Lamb from Colorado and dry beans from the Nebraska panhandle to Missouri Valley apples and Amish eggs from Iowa. Add this to our local fresh produce growers and you have a really rich palette of foods and flavors. We believe this regional bounty should be accessible to all food-focused people, and that’s what we’re here to offer. Check out our website at LoneTreeFoods.com to build your regional palate.