Rediscover and save endangered foods

The Ark of Taste is striving to get foods off an endangered species list.

Mon, Oct 05 2009 at 4:30 PM EST

Have you ever had a Louisiana Satsuma? Have you ever head of a Louisiana Satsuma? No? Me neither.

This Louisiana citrus fruit is just one of the many fruits on Slow Food’s US Ark of Taste a program that is “Saving Cherished Foods. One Product at a Time.”

The Ark of Taste is an international catalog of foods that are in danger of being forgotten, and on the US Ark of Taste, there are over 200 foods that are in danger of extinction. How does a food make it onto the Ark? There are several qualifications.

Outstanding in terms of taste—as defined in the context of local traditions and uses

At risk biologically or as culinary traditions

Sustainably produced

Culturally or historically linked to a specific region, locality, ethnicity or traditional production practice

Produced in limited quantities, by farms or by small-scale processing companies

Slow Food has teamed up with Local Harvest to help those of us who are interested in finding local producers of these endangered foods. By buying the foods and supporting the local producers, individuals can have a hand in helping them get off of the endangered food species list.

Take a look at the list on Local Harvest and find a food that peaks your interest. If you click on it, you’ll be taken to a page that lists producers. There is a drop down menu of states to the right of the producer page to make it easy to find where the food is closest to you.

So if you’re interested in trying Amish Pie Squash or the Green Mountain Potato, find a producer and buy from them before the squash and potatoes are gone for good.

Image: La Grande Farmers’ Market