Seeds of Change®, the leading producer of sustainably grown seeds and nutritious organic foods, cooked up a roaring event in Atlanta, U.S., last month with chef and restaurateur Hugh Acheson at his Atlanta-based restaurant Empire State South. The one-day only lunch event tempted foodies from all over the area with the promise of a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience: the chance to taste an endangered eat. After several courses and countless guesses, guests were pleasantly delighted and amazed when the "eat" in question was the Cherokee Purple Tomato.
The Cherokee Purple Tomato, categorised as "Limited" by The Flavor Availability Index,1 is the first of many seed varieties Seeds of Change® is looking to raise awareness for through the newly-created Save the Flavors campaign. By partnering with key academic researchers to develop the Flavor Availability Index, Seeds of Change® hopes to encourage people to identify and plant limited and scarce plant varieties like the Cherokee Purple Tomato, helping to Save the Flavors of numerous heirloom seed varieties. The Flavor Availability Index measures people's access to various foods, by looking at 12 different data points, such as availability in grocery stores and farmers' markets, use in sit-down and fast food restaurant dishes, and acreage planted, and determines the flavour availability at the county level throughout the continental United States. Flavours looked at through the Flavor Availability Index are categorised on an endangerment meter of "abundant," "common," "limited," or "scarce." By eating this "limited" flavour, people can help create demand and save it.
"Seeds of Change has a mission to make organically grown seeds readily available and to help people experience a variety of robust flavours," said Lara McCauley, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Mars Food North America, parent company of Seeds of Change. "Every year, hundreds of fruit and vegetable varieties disappear as fewer diverse seeds are being planted causing their unique flavors to become 'scarce.' Through Save the Flavors, we are working to raise awareness and prevent generations from missing out on these delicious flavours."
For more information about Seeds of Change or Save the Flavors, please visit seedsofchangefoods.com or savetheflavors.com. Fans of the organic food movement can also follow Save the Flavors on social media by tracking #SaveTheFlavors and by visiting the brand's Facebook or Twitter pages.